stable dirt floor or mats?

[meleeka]

I’m setting up a new stable and am unsure whether to buy mats or not if using wood pellets. All my other stables have mats, but I’m thinking if I’m semi deep littering with pellets, will mats make a difference as the bed will be fairly deep, or will a dirt floor make drainage better?

Horse is incredibly tidy, but is a big mare so wee patches will be large.

 

[HollyWoozle]

We have wood pellets on grass mats as opposed to rubber mats on a dirt floor in our shelter. This seems to work really well - good drainage but the grass mats just give a bit more structure to the floor and a better base.

 

[ycbm]

Dirt floors are brilliant of they are on dry ground, they drain and save you a ton of bedding. Especially if the bed is straw and the wee can run straight through.
.

 

[milliepops]

I love a dirt floor, best stable I ever had on a yard had a dirt floor. I put mats at the front though, as the others ended up with depressions at the front where the horses came in and out or stood at the door. the mats protected that area. then a bed at the back which drained brilliantly. I'd probably do similar in your shoes.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Our stables with earth floors drain brilliantly.

 

[meleeka]

I love a dirt floor, best stable I ever had on a yard had a dirt floor. I put mats at the front though, as the others ended up with depressions at the front where the horses came in and out or stood at the door. the mats protected that area. then a bed at the back which drained brilliantly. I'd probably do similar in your shoes.

That’s what I thought, a row of mats in the front in any case.

Thanks ladies, it looks like I’ll be saving money too to by not having to buy mats.

 

[PapaverFollis]

In my experience... a dirt floor stable with mats and shavings... STANK. Dirt floor stable with straw bed... not that smelly even deep littered, even though it was straw. Different places though so might have differences in drainage.

 

[HollyWoozle]

In my experience... a dirt floor stable with mats and shavings... STANK. Dirt floor stable with straw bed... not that smelly even deep littered, even though it was straw. Different places though so might have differences in drainage.

We did just have shavings on dirt floor in our shelter originally and it was awful too!

 

[meleeka]

We did just have shavings on dirt floor in our shelter originally and it was awful too!

Oh that’s a shame . This mare has a habit of weeing in the same place,
even in the field and those patches stink, so I’m not sure now. Oh well I suppose I can always see how it goes and get mats if necessary later on.

 

[Birker2020]

I’m setting up a new stable and am unsure whether to buy mats or not if using wood pellets. All my other stables have mats, but I’m thinking if I’m semi deep littering with pellets, will mats make a difference as the bed will be fairly deep, or will a dirt floor make drainage better?

Horse is incredibly tidy, but is a big mare so wee patches will be large.

Dirt floor is great, its good for drainage and is warm but it can also compact and cause sores and can also over time create holes so if the horse stands in the same way and at the same angle whilst eating its hay for example you care going to find holes after a period of time where the front and hind feet are.

This was the problem I had with the stable floor at the one yard I was at, the YO wouldn't have stable mats.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Oh that’s a shame . This mare has a habit of weeing in the same place,
even in the field and those patches stink, so I’m not sure now. Oh well I suppose I can always see how it goes and get mats if necessary later on.

Wood pellets make huge difference compared to shavings though so I expect it’ll be fine.

 

[FestiveG]

We fill any hollows with sand in our dirt floors

 

[GoldenWillow]

I had a dirt floor in my shelter, J wees in the same place and even with bedding it turned into a mushy smelly mess. Must be very dependent on drainage.

 

[Cragrat]

Grass mats as opposed to solid mats definitely!

 

[SEL]

I was planning aubiose hemp bedding straight on the floor of one of my shelters. Will be a trial for this winter I think.