Stable Mats - Dilema

AmyMay

AmyMay

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I am seriously considering investing in some good stable mats (Fieldguard). But wonder if it would be a mistake, given that I am on livery - and the mats will have to move with me if ever I move the horse.

But Thumper is costing me a fortune on bedding. I have spent over £300 on shavings so far this winter - and it's bankrupting me and I feel that he would be better off on matting.

What do people think? Good to invest or not???
 
Measure up and mess about with arranging them so that you dont have to cut them - that way should you move you can take them with you.
 
Sorry to hijack your posts AmyMay, but last night my horse moved into a lovely big stable with super mats in it. I have never had mats so was wondering can you really cut down on tha amount of shavings or do people in general just use what they would do without mats.
 
I recently got mats because when my horse is in for an hour it looks like he has been in all night, he has only stayed in a couple of nights, but it was so much easier, I only put a sprinkling of shavings down, then just swept the whole lot out in the morning, much cheaper and less work.
 
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Sorry to hijack your posts AmyMay, but last night my horse moved into a lovely big stable with super mats in it. I have never had mats so was wondering can you really cut down on tha amount of shavings or do people in general just use what they would do without mats.

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People do a bit of both. The reason I am going through so much bedding is that I have to take the wet out every other day as he just mashes the bed up otherwise. Obviously I don't want him going down to the concrete, so he must have a thick, dry bed.

My plan with mats would be to put 3 bales of shavings only down, and then top up weekly. For me there would be a massive saving financially.
 
Do it! Do it now!!

I put mats down over the summer from Quattro - professionally fitted and sealed and they have been a total godsend!

I was going through stupid amounts of shavings last winter, this year even though the bed gets thin on occasion, the mats mean I have only once added more than one bale a week since he came in.

Plus in the summer if he stays in for any reason I only have to chuck a bale or so down which saves a fortune rather than making up a full bed which he would then not use and would go musty.

Other plus point is no rubbed hocks this year, which he got last year no matter how deep his bed.
 
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Do it! Do it now!!

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But what if I move yards???? Won't it be a bloomin nightmare to move the mats, they are so heavy? (no don't want cheaper lighter ones).

Or am I just overthinking the whole thing??
 
They'll pay for themselves in the next few months anyway, so you can then either sell them to the yard or just rope in a friend and get them shifted!

Mine are big thick heavy ones and TBH the money I have saved means I would happily rope in people to help me shift them should I ever move (which I have no plans to do) - if you aren't thinking of moving then I would have no hesitation. After all - to get them in, someone has to be able to lift them, so someone will be able to get them out too.....
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I have cattle mats in my 3 stables and put lots of shavings down to start with. I poo pick at least 3 times a day and clean out the wet twice a week I add a new bale on Saturdays.
 
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My friend has the green ones from fieldguard and they are quite moveable, they weren't cheap mind but would be very easy to move to a new yard if you had to
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Yes all the stables at the yard (except mine - the livery's) have them. They are fantastic!
 
No dilema at all its the best thing I ever did round about this time last year. The only difference been my two are at home so my stables. I use a five inch covering over half the stable which I pickout the muck everyday, the wet at the weekends and put a fresh bale down in each stable.

My one point would be that seen as you are on a yard make sure that the YO is OK with the mats and understands that if you go they go with you. I speak from the experiance of a friend of mine that had good quality mats fitted and when the time came to leave there was a big dispute with the YO that my friend had not asked permission or something and would not let her take the mats because the in the YO opionion they had marked the stable floor and she wanted compensation or something along those lines it was just a ploy to keep the mats but I would just make things clear with your YO before going ahead but you will save loads of cash on shavings.
 
My friends got some mats that have moved around a few stables, and she hasn't had any problems, when they were first fitted they were done by the person she brought them from, but has since moved them and had to re cut some to fit a differnt shaped stable. If you move to a bigger stable you can just buy extra mats or a smaller stable they can be cut down to size so it shouldn't be a problem if you move yards
 
Have you tried putting a bale of aubiose down under your shavings?
Thats what i do and becuase its so much more absorbant and seems to form a better/firmer base they dont seem to be able to churn it up as much (well my horse hasnt managed to) then just take it all up once every 10 days - 2weeks and replace the aubiose. This way i get thru about 2 shavings and 1 aubiose every 2 weeks.

and I dont have mats
 
No, I really don't want to leave any wet in at all. Basically he's a big horse in a small space - and I've found that taking the wet out is by far the best way to keep him.

Thanks for the suggestion though
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My 16.2 is a larger lout & I'm sure he invites all his mates round on their way back from the pub going by the amount of mess & wet he makes in his 11 x11 stable. He has been on box rest since the first week of October & I use straw. I was getting out 4 wheel barrows of muck a day but at the start of December I had mats put down for him by a local company (160 including fittine). They are fantastic! I put down a thin layer of straw & sweep it all out daily, I think it is probably saving me 45 minutes work a day now. Definately recommend!
 
My mares stable has mats in takes 5 bales to make up and 1/2 to 1 bale every week to maintain. They leave a perimeter gap around the edge [the mats are pulled away from the wall] so that the pee will go there and soak into the bottom of the banks.

Full Muck Out [Sunday is my mo day] = 10 mins
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If I ever go DIY I would certainly buy some rubber mats.

Hb
 
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My 16.2 is a larger lout & I'm sure he invites all his mates round on their way back from the pub going by the amount of mess & wet he makes in his 11 x11 stable

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To be fair to Thumper, I think a lot of the damage is done by lying down and getting up again.

At least though - unlike most grey horses - he doesn't seem to lie in it
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My 2 stables at home have proper rubber mats but I needed to get some more on a budget to take to the livery yard at uni. My local feed merchant had some eva foam ones that were only £15 a sheet so it only cost me £75 to do a 12x12 stable. They have been just as good if not better than the proper rubber ones because they're softer and so light even I can carry all 5 mats at once
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I am on livery and I have mats, have moved once with them and although they are incredibly heavy which is a pain moving them was'nt a huge problem. They have settled well in my new stable. Well worth it IMO.

Off original post... My mare had the Fieldguard mats at the old yard... They were awful
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I swear by mine and the fieldguard ones with the feet are probably the best there is, however, some shavings will get between the mats and because they are smaller & there are more joins.

Personally if like me you intend to put a sort of 50-60% bed down then go for some of the cheaper ones, like from Carpetpac on ebay. They are still thick and if you lay them from the doorway backwards any excess will bend up the walls quite safely and they won't move/slip. This will also save you any cutting. Just make sure they are pure rubber and 18mm thick.

My set of Kraiburg mats have been all over the county with me in all shapes and sizes of stable.
 
Moving mats isn't too bad if you slide an old broom handle under the middle of them and get a friend to hold one end, you hold the other. You don't get covered in muck, and they are easier to handle.
 
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