Stabble Matting - wall to wall?

L

LusoLover

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 February 2007
Messages
196
Location
Worcs / Warks
Visit site
I'm thinking of getting some stable matting put down. The mats I'm thinking of are 6'x4' and will be either 16mm or 18mm thick. I've worked out that if I buy 5 then I'll have a foot gap, which I shall fill with banks. To do wall to wall starts getting expensive. So my question is, whilst the manufacturers recommend wall to wall , would my cheap skate alternative of using only 5 mats be ok?
 
I would imagine that you will probably make life harder for yourself as even with banks you are going to get wet under the mats- and they are really really heavy to lift to clean!
 
They are heavy to move if you are human but not if you're a horse. I would suspect that if you leave a gap the mats will move and you'll end up with gaps in the middle rather than under the banks
 
I woudl get them wall to wall and sealed, that way you dont have to worry about lifting them, they weigh a ton, or them being moved by the horse, or any wet etc getting underneath them.

Thas who they are done at our yard and it works perfectly, one lady has Equimats and she is foever having to lift them.
 
Depends on how you manage your banks. If they are seriously big, deep and heavy banks which you never remove then it can work but at the thickness of mat you are looking at I suspect they will slip so would go for the full wall to wall. If you went up a level to perhaps a 25 or 30mm cow mat they might stay where you want them but I wouldnt guarantee it!
 
i only have matting at front of stable in a L shape and then bedding in the L shape with no matting (so hard to explain)!!! so to eat from her corner manger and hay net she is standing level on the matts at front and then curls up at back in bedding. i find all the wee runs under the mats and i have lightweight ones that i lift and allow floor to dry each week
 
We have wall to wall mats that are sealed (using a B&Q off-the-shelf filler), as previously the urine was seeping under the mats and making everything smell - it would even find the tiniest gap! The mats are not particular easy to lift and clean.
We discourage the use of too much bedding as it defeats the object of putting down the rubber matter in the first place, which was to save on bedding and to reduce the size of the muck heap and the cost of its disposal.
 
I used to have ones with gaps, had to lift them regularly and never again and they get nasty underneath.......borrowed some off a friend which were from Quattro flooring, ordered some sealer from the same company and sealed them to the floor. Fantastic, and to lift them if you move yards, cut seals with a stanley knife, move to new stable and reseal. Would highly recommend. The company puts them in for you at first if you want them to but my husband put them down in my stable with 4 tubes sealant and am really pleased. Hope this helps
 
I have wall to wall, if they're fitted properly & tightly & there is a fall on your stable floor you shouldn't need them sealled. Leaving a gap of any size around mats will allow movement. Horses are heavy & just them turning around on them can cause the mats to slip....best fit wall to wall. Also go for a minimum of 18mm, any thinner can be too lightweight for a large horse & they will either move them or damage them over time.
 

I think some of this depends on how good your drainage is? If you don't have them sealed you need to be sure there is an outlet for any escapee urine

I had wall to wall matting to start with and when the urine seeped through it all sat under the mats - I didn't realise until it started to smell and then I got a complaint from next door stable (Lol - poor lass's banks were soaking up my mare's wee!)

I now have two mats in the middle with about a foot and a half for the banks and then every otherday I just flip the mats up, scoop any stray wee/shavings and leave to air. Think this way you make more work for yourself though!
Probably best to get them sealed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top