Stable flooring for a mare who pees a LOT?

[ohmissbrittany]

Hi all, we have a temporary field shelter while I wait on planning to approve our permanent stable block, so I can't do concrete in this one. But I'm looking for some ideas because I'm tired of finding a "mud pit" in my mare's stall every day. She pees a lot (she's just a big girl, part draft), and she pees in the same spot like it's her job, and she doesn't like to use the field. The floor is not completely even which contributes to the "pit and puddle" effect. Since digging out the gate and shelter front to lay mats/gravel I do have an excess of dirt that I could use to level the stall, but should I mix gravel in that to help drainage? I was thinking to just get the floor flat and then put mats and deep litter it but if anyone has "pro tips" or hacks for a chronic stall soaker, I would be very grateful!

Edited to add- what we have currently is dirt floor with about 8" of shavings on top. I don't think the bedding on the dirt is great because I think the dirt is more absorbent... hence the "wee mud" under it.

 

[MagicMelon]

Definately consider hardcore. I had my stable block built onto flattened hard core because I like to leave the stable doors wide open so they can come and go from the field as they please, I also hardcored the yard out the front so thats where I put their hay feeder meaning its somewhere much drier for them to stand about in the winter. The huge benefit of having hardcore stables is that its free draining (make sure the layer is thick enough) so my stables are always bone dry. I just poo pick daily (they do use their stables a lot). If I need to bring one in at night then I just put some shavings down in one corner so they can lie down if they want. I used to have rubber mats in my last stables but found they could get slippy when wet (or with a bit of mud on) so not ideal for coming and going IMO.