Rubber Stable Matting

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suej102

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After almost a year of waiting my new stable will be ready for me on my yard at the end of this month. I am looking into stable mats as I have a big boy and he needs all the comforts, but the market is flooded with all sorts of advice and I thought I might try to get some from those people who have actually bought and used it, rather than the actual retailers. Have looked for articles in H&H archives but can't find any - I need around 18 square meters (it's a big corner stable - my boy is 17'3 ID). Questions include whether you would recommend laying it throughout, would you buy secondhand and from where, and is there a really good supplier that you would recommend, that won't need a mortgage application to fund it!!

Thanks anyone for your help.

Sx
 
After much thought, we bit the bullet and bought matting for all 4 of our stables. We bought Canadian Aquamats - 80mm thick and 6ft x 4ft with honeycomb on the top. Best thing we ever bought. We have two heavy horses - one weighs 850 kg and the other weighs 1 tonne and is 17.3. The other two horses are cobby types. In 5 years we have not had to lift the mats. We use half beds on the top of the mats - you need to use an absorbent bedding, straw is no good. Definitely fit the mats across the whole stable and fit them as tight as you can, making sure that there isn't a join in the doorway as this is the bit that gets the most use. Go for them, you won't regret it.
 
Would 100% say go for rubber mats, no question. We have got Kraiburg matting and Equimats. The Kraiburg ones are REALLY heavy but the Equimats are really light, even when wet. We bought the Kraiburg ones new, and the Equimats second hand from a horsey website. For any future stables we would use the Equimats as they are easy.

We use a small layer of shavings underneath a straw bed on top of the mats. The shavings catch all the wee and stop any smells. Fantastic! And in winter, it is so much better for horses legs than standing on cold concrete.
 
It's alot cheaper if you can get second hand mats however they don't come up for sale very often & very often they've been cut to fit a particular stable & won't fit yours as well.

I bought from this guy a couple of years ago & so did a nearby stables. At the time he only did the straight edged mats but once fitted they don't move & after 2 years are sill doing the job & my 16h2 hann hasn't managed to do any damage to them.

http://www.matman.uk.com/matman_stable_mats.htm

Good Luck in your search
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I have got Equimats and they are fab, used to have standard mats and the extra cost was so worth it
 
I use Fieldguard M2 mats and have had them for 8 years with no sign of wear or deterioration. The individual mats are small and interlocking which makes them easy to move and I was able to lay mine singlehandedly (I'm small and female!). The M2 mats are designed for minimal bedding and have little rubber legs underneath which allow for drainage and also make the mats springy. They are not the cheapest though. Fieldguard also do other mats which are designed for underbed use. They have a website which you can find if you do a Google - they have some interesting advice about the different types of mats and materials even if you don't end up using their products.
 
We have Kraiburg mats which are brill and cost about £250 for a 12x12", with fitting included. Just built two more stables where we will be buying Kraiburg again. If money was no object then we'd have the Fieldguard mats that are designed for use on their own - my OH's mother has them and they are luxurious.
 
i got rubber matting from a company called woody pets, delivery, fitting and 6 mats for my 12x12 stable was £250, bargain, 10yr guarantee, excellent quality, very pleased with it
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