Rubber Matting vs concrete floor.

pistolpete

pistolpete

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I have a dilemma, my stable has mats but the wee pools underneath. Doesn't make bed wet I just know it is there. Bit smelly and the ammonia worries me. Who else would opt for concrete floor over mats? I don't mind buying a decent amount of bedding.
 
I've done both. My concrete floors are a little uneven and I have found the same problem. Also, the bubble top types are very hard to clean. I love the idea of them and safety for the horse, but I've ended up removing them and opting for a bigger, deeper bed.
 
Thanks for replies. I find sometimes the bedding is not absorbent enough because mats are relied on. Would still prefer the beddings job to be to soak up the wee.
 
You could get the mats properly stuck down onto the concrete floor OP. I've got this in one of my stables at my mums - you can't lift them, they're permanently stuck down and we've never had any issues with smell etc. since none of the pee actually goes through them. But then we did have the concrete put down specifically with this in mind so its angled towards a drain at the back. Love my mats - the horses lie on them no problem with a small square of bedding to pee on (mine don't come in properly, the stables are left open for them to come and go). At my own place, I couldnt afford concrete so I have wood chip directly on a hardcore base which works well too as pee just drains through.
 
MagicMelon said:
You could get the mats properly stuck down onto the concrete floor OP. I've got this in one of my stables at my mums - you can't lift them, they're permanently stuck down and we've never had any issues with smell etc. since none of the pee actually goes through them. But then we did have the concrete put down specifically with this in mind so its angled towards a drain at the back. Love my mats - the horses lie on them no problem with a small square of bedding to pee on (mine don't come in properly, the stables are left open for them to come and go). At my own place, I couldnt afford concrete so I have wood chip directly on a hardcore base which works well too as pee just drains through.
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this is interesting as I also have hardcore floor on field shelters and was wondering how I was going to manage.. how do you cope with mucking out wood chip? im guessing you never really remove it all?
 
Good idea but it's a livery yard so not possible to make permanent changes. I may well take mats out though. Thing proper beds on hard flooring is best.
 
edgedem said:
this is interesting as I also have hardcore floor on field shelters and was wondering how I was going to manage.. how do you cope with mucking out wood chip? im guessing you never really remove it all?
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I kept my horses for about 30 years in stables with a hardcore floor....woodchip worked really well..we put in a thick bed, took out droppings and any obvious wet daily, then at weekends mucked out but didn't fluff up all of the bed, just dug out the wet and put a layer of clean over the top. worked really well as we all worked fulltime and the yard didn't have electric lighting so we could get away with the minimum during the week and had a good clean when it was daylight. hope this helps.....I don't think rubber matting would have worked so well but it wasn'teven thought of then.(many years ago)
 
If the floor has holes, you could use some ready made concrete patch stuff. Its quite easy to do. Then you'll have a flat surface with no pooling, unless the stable has poor drainage and urine doesn't flow to the door. Then you can lay the mats without the urine pooling underneath.
If that isn't an option, then you could put wood pellets on the wet areas and then lay your usual bedding over that.
 
I have had a lovely rubber surfaced stable with a six/eight inch bed on it for ten years and have now moved to a new yard where they have a 'dirt floor'. We are not allowed to put rubber mats down as apparently it really smells if you do.

I am finding it a pain as my horse stands in the same spot to eat his hay net and is standing in a hole that would not otherwise be there with matting. The hole ends up getting wee in it and he stands in a wet and hot bed with his two back feet all day long.

I have asked if I can have just a strip of matting by where he stands but have been told this is not acceptable. Apart from this problem I love the yard so much and the people including the YO are so nice - so I am not that bothered but I do feel it compromises his foot health and also his joints as he is arthritic and would be better stood on matting.

I really put loads of shavings in this area where his back feet are but he just ends up going straight through it!
 
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