Rubber Matting/ Drainage? Drilling holes?!?!

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Dirty_D

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I've recently transferred to rubber matting and really want to stick with a straw bed rather than shavings/pellets etc but find as others have that the wee collects under the mats.

Has anyone ever just drilled a few holes in their stable floor to let the excess seep away?

I was thinking of maybe 4 in a square shape (maybe 6" apart) in the lowest part of the floor (its concrete but has worn with age so all wee pools in the middle) they shouldnt fill with any straw as the matting doesnt allow anything below (other than the wee obviously!)

Just wondered if anyone has tried this (or can think of a reason not to!) or has any other suggestions?
 
I do! I couldn't afford to do wall to wall mats, so there are some gaps round the back edges, and one day I shall convince my OH that getting a few more and cutting them to fit tightly is a Good Idea. Meanwhile we have a broodmare in a 20 x 15 stable who wees a lot in the one back corner. Due to cowboy base layers the drainage in this area is poor. She and foal are on straw bed over the back of the stable, just mats at the front.

This summer my OH has drilled a few holes where the pee pools on the unmatted area and 'bingo' the pee does indeed drain through and into the base layer underneath. Of course this is not helping my crusdae for more mats cut to fit but meanwhile it is an enormous help!
 
Straw and mats can and does work, mine would work perfectly if tightly fitted wall to wall. If you have, as I do, mares that are 16.2 with huge foals up to 6 months old in the stable with them then you'd get through a serious amount of shavings a day.
 
I've used straw with rubber mats in a stable with no drainage.

I first poured buckets of water on the stable floor to see where all the pockets of water puddled.

I then got a big drill and wide bit (as in drill bit not horse bit!! ;) ) and drilled holes into the concrete through to the base layer of hardcore. I only needed to do one drill hole per corner where it puddled and this was enough.

I kept the holes clear by cleaning them out every so often with a metal kebab scewer!! Worked well for my very wet mare!!
 
I'm going to give this a go! The majority of our stables drain really well - except the mare and foal boxes! they are fully rubber matted but its just a big smelly mess - made worse by a couple of foals who have a new hobby - taking water feeders off the walls!!! (had a new bed down last thursday evening... had to be totally taken out yesterday as it was 2" deep in water!)

fingers crossed it works - i'm so excited at the possibility that it will!
 
Thanks everyone for your replies, its good to know it should work.

I just thought it seemed such a simple idea but no-one had mentioned it on any other threads so i thought there must have been a really bad reason for not doing so, I'm pleased theres not!

My block of stables is actually higher than the surounding ones so theres no issue with the water table and water coming back up and in so I've booked my dad in to get drilling this week (will have the lovely job of washing the wee away first i'm afraid, my dads not keen on helping with this)!

Thanks again everyone
 
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