rubber matting

[RubysGold]

I was looking at rubber matting, I very much doubt I can afford it any time soon.
But I just wanted to know where you can buy it from? What are the different types? Are there pros and cons of the different ones or do they all work the same?
I don't have a clue how big my stable is but would like an approximate price, for a stable to be matted out.
Any other information you can think of? I know nothing about rubber matting

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

To have rubber matting ideally you need a slight slope on the concrete floor so that pee doesn't pool under the mats & smell.
A standadr 12' x 12' stable will need 6 mats, most being 6' x 4' in size. For a horse I would not go any thinner than 18mm thick. Any thinner & they can be damaged by the twisting 7 turning a horse naturally does in the stable.
You can buy them from numerous outlets depending where you are in the country. Depending on where you buy & if you want a particular make they will cost you from about £28 per mat & upwards.
Providing the floor has the required slope then a horse is normally quicker to much out, uses less bedding & the matting helps to prevent scrapes to hocks when the horse gets up from the floor.

 

[lauren_237]

We've recently built our stable and put rubber matting in there...it's a 15' x 15' stable and it cost about £400, but we ended up having some spare! We bought ours from Robinson's and they were delivered two days later by a courier - £12 delivery charge. There are different types but don't really know the difference between them...we just bought the standard matting!

Our stable does have a slope so no liquid stays under them. Really easy to muck out and keep clean! The only slightly bad thing about them is they do tend to move about a bit every now and again, but I just push them back if the gap gets too big! Worth the investment as you do save lots on bedding!

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

We matted out our mini barn stables and had to cut to fit as one stable was 18x12 and one 10x12 as well as 2 x 12 by 12. None of the mats have moved a centimetre too, its worth being really careful with cutting them as they are very heavy to shift once down.

18mm min depth as previously said. They mean you need to use much less bedding, and are warmer and more like outdoor ground in terms of 'give' than concrete. I like the ones with the round bumps on the top, with the grooved side underneath.

I never need to lift mine. You should only have to lift them if the stable is poorly draining, and even then only when they really need it. Bear in mind if you lift one and its whiffy under it, that its exposure to the air that creates the whiff! Unless dirty bedding is getting down the cracks and pushing the mats out of shape or there is stinky leaking out the sides then and annual lift and scrub out is fine.