Rubber Matting- pro's and cons!

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matthew

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Hi,
Just wondering how many of you use rubber matting!
Is it really worth the initial outlay (can you say aprox how much it costs)
And do you actually end up saving that much on bedding!
Also -excuse me for being dumb- but does it come to exactly fit your stable (like a carpet say) or do you get a little bit extra so you can add on in case you change you stable?
 
Rubber matting was put down on my yard 18 months ago. They are Fieldgaurd mats, and cost around £300 per stable. They are fitted to your stable by the manufacturer.

The outlay has been worth more than it's weight in gold in terms of labour saving and bedding costs savings.
 
Is it really worth the initial outlay (can you say aprox how much it costs) depends ave is about £25+del and 6 are needed for a 12x12 stable

And do you actually end up saving that much on bedding! Yes because you dont need to use as much & no need to come right up to the door (which I was taught to do).

Also -excuse me for being dumb- but does it come to exactly fit your stable (like a carpet say) or do you get a little bit extra so you can add on in case you change you stable. The expensive one who sponsor Tim Stockdale lock together & the fit is excellant. The others you need to fit as tight as possible so you have no gaps.

The only down side is moving the things when you want to clean underneath about 1-2 times a year, alternative is to seal them. I would not be without mine, I think they are much warmer, I dont worry about them standing on concrete floors at the door, I actually have more floor space for the haylage when they pull it out of the bins! And because I dont have to have such deep beds it is quicker to muck out. Some people just put a bucket in, but I dont think this soaks up the urine as well, but everyone to their own.
 
I have used it and still use it on one horse.
In an ideal world I would prefer not to use it but things are never that simple.

I currently have 2 horses - 1 is very clean in the stable, he does not have rubber matting but instead gets deep littered. He takes no more than 5 mins to muck out and uses 1 bale of straw a week, all I have to do is remove droppings which are neatly piled up against the back wall. In this instance rubber matting would be a complete waste of money.

The other is a mucky sod. He wees and poos for england and is quite happy to mulch everthing together. I have tried vitually all bedding routines with him and by far the cheapest and quickest option is rubber matting with a 1/4 bed quite thin, the majority of which gets swept out every day and disinfected weekly. Downsides are that it is smelly and rugs get dirty quite quickly but the cost and convenience out way the time taken to muck out a full bed daily.

you buy your mats which normally measure 6'x4', if you have an odd sized stable you would need a sharp stanley knife to trim them to size. Rubber mats are really heavy so get a strong man on board if you are getting those. Alternatively EVA mats are like thick foam, they are much lighter and easier to cut and handle, but do allow a good 1" gap between mats and stable wall to allow for spreading.
 
I fitted them approx 2 years ago, stables are 14x14 and mats are 6cms thick, very heavy duty. I think it was approx €800 per stable (£544). Downside is cleaning under them, its a pain taking them out and replacing them, but would not go back to stables without them.
 
I've had mine for seven years now and they are a godsend. They have definitely saved plenty of money (especially with my old mare who trashes poo and wee throughout her bed), time and kept the muck heap nice and small!

I use Fieldguard mats which are quite expensive but nice and springy which I think is essential if you wish to use mats with minimal bedding. You can get thinner mats but I think they should be used under a full bed.
 
I now have equimats and I have shavings bank but leave the floor clear and the horse can bring bed down if wants. As said the horses rugs do tend to stink more. I made my money back from less bedding etc in something like 6 months!
 
Jazz has wall to wall
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smooth, very easy to sweep and not slippy, Aquamats, they're brilliant!
Her 12'x12' stable cost £240.00 , I do still lay a near full bed but this is just my preference. I do a full muck out every day and sprinkle Jeyes powder at the back, her wee place, and have never had a problem with bad smells.
They are heavy, pro is that they don't move, con is it's best to get help for moving them
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Jazz is only stabled at night in winter so this will be an annual job.
I'd highly recommend them
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I think it depends on how you like your bed.

I personally like a big bed that draws any wet to the bottom.

I've considered rubber matting but having mucked out my friends bed that has just a sprinkle brushed out daily I realised it would be a false economy for me.

I know lots who swear by it though
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I have rubber matting and love it. I still make quite a deep bed but my 3 use the stable as a field shelter and I think that its much warmer and nicer for them than the concrete. Although they do lie out in the field on cold clear frosty nights
 
I have equimats and wouldn't be without them now. I still use a near full bed, its not necessary though. Chex arthritis is much better on the mats than without. Downside is they were expensive, they stink and they're really heavy to lift and clean.
 
I have Equimatting in my horse's box. Put down approx 2 yrs ago. They cut it to fit snugly to the wall. Very easy to lay down and handle (light). Locks together in the middle. I bought it coz of my horse's spavin. Hopefully it helps to support his joints (he's on the extra thick equimat). He NEVER gets scraped hocks unlike some of the other horses. So I never have to worry about that. He still has a mid-sized bed because I cannot stand him getting covered in stains and urine (expensive in terms of rug cleaning).
 
We splashed out 4 years ago and put rubber matting in all four of our stables. It has been absolutely fantastic. I still put beds down on top of it, but only half the thickness. The matting has not been up in 4 years and shows no sign of wear, inspite of the fact that one of mine weighs 1 tonne. Make sure you get the mats that are at least 18mm thick and lay them so they fit tightly.
 
Bought Equimats about 2 years ago now and love them. Gen is a dirty git and poos and wees loads and mushes it all in then lays in it. I use equisorb bedding on the top - but only a very thin amount to soak up the pee. Its worked out really well and I would say saves me about £10.00 a week in bedding and loads of time.
 
Fabulous things!

I paid £25 a mat for my stable and bought seven. I have one left over at the moment as my previous stable was bigger than my new one.

No down sides other than the weight of them. They weigh approx 50kgs each and don't bend very well so they are a nightmare to move about. Other than that I would never be without them again.
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I've got them in all my boxes. Ive got the 18mm thick and heavy ones. They cost me £25 per mat inc vat and delivery and they were well worth the money. I absolutely love them and wouldn't be without them again.

I never worry about a horse standing on concrete, or a foal trashing the bed up and getting through to the floor. My only advice is if you are not using a lot of bedding with them, be prepared to wash your horse and/or rugs frequently!
 
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