Stinky stable mats

[pistolpete]

Since movint an American barn stable last year, i am having problems with a smelly stable. Yard owner thinks the mats make the problem. Anyone else have this? I used to mop old stable out with disinfectant, on part livery now so this is only possible at the weekend. I am worried about my horse breathing in ammonia. Any thoughts?

 

[maggy-may]

Are you on straw or shavings? I find with the shavings it soaks the wee better so didnt not really smell, however with the straw it doesnt soak the wet so well and so the wet tends to linger under the mats coursing them to smell. Since being on straw i only have mats at the front of my stable and straw covering the rest, i lift my bed everyday which makes it easier to maintain and stops it smelling so bad.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Depends on the structure of the stables. If they have perfectly flat floors, then the urine can lay in huge stinking puddles underneath the mats. If the floor gently slopes towards the door then any liquid that seeps through the mats should drain away. If you have just mats and no bedding, the probem will be worse because there's nothing to soak it up. Livery at my current yard used to put no bedding on top of her fully matted stable and a) the horse got a massive infection along the underside of her belly from having to lie in her own urine and faeces, poor soul and b) the stink of ammonia almost made you gag going into the stable. If you use absorbent bedding on top of the matting it should resolve the problem. My horse's stable is ex-dairy barn on concrete so no fancy construction. I have the back 2/3rds as deep litter shavings and the front 1/3rd rubber matting - shavings and matting overlap by about a foot. The stable always smells fragrant and sweet, never had a moments trouble, takes me 10 mins to skip out and tidy up every day and it's been down with no major attention for 4 years.

 

[Tnavas]

Lift the mats, wash the floor well and allow to dry, also wash underside of mats, then sprinkle a good thick layer of garden lime on the floor before putting back the mats.

Bed what ever is used needs to be thick enough to absorb all the urine.