Straw and rubber matting?

PolarSkye

PolarSkye

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Been offered the chance to move Kal into a stable with a fab sealed rubber matting floor . . . but I'm just wondering about managing it? I've never used rubber mats before, but I do like a nice deep straw bed and I'm wondering how to muck it out/dig up the bed without ruining the matting? I know this sounds like a pretty basic question, but I'm a matting virgin and am used to straw on concrete.

What tools and method should I use to muck out?

Any ideas? Also, does it become slippery? The matting in question is smooth, but I do make a bed right up to the door.

Thanks in advance.

P
 
Hi.
I have used rubber matting, however only with shavings as a bed.
It is important to make sure you dont pierce it. So for stripping the nice fluffy straw i would use a ordinary straw fork, then once i have got down to the wet I would use a shavings fork or shovel to remove it.
The mats when wet are very slippy so would be better if it had grips on it, but if you remove the horse before hand and only put them back once the bed is down i can not see it being a problem, especially if you like nice deep beds.
If possible leave the bed up for a couple of hours every day, so it can dry out nicely as it does tend to get a little smelly so once every week use a gentle disinfectant and give it a nice scrub and airing out as well.
Hope this helps!!! X
 
Jenna c bigg said:
Hi.
I have used rubber matting, however only with shavings as a bed.
It is important to make sure you dont pierce it. So for stripping the nice fluffy straw i would use a ordinary straw fork, then once i have got down to the wet I would use a shavings fork or shovel to remove it.
The mats when wet are very slippy so would be better if it had grips on it, but if you remove the horse before hand and only put them back once the bed is down i can not see it being a problem, especially if you like nice deep beds.
If possible leave the bed up for a couple of hours every day, so it can dry out nicely as it does tend to get a little smelly so once every week use a gentle disinfectant and give it a nice scrub and airing out as well.
Hope this helps!!! X
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Thanks for this - it certainly does help . . . unless he's on strict box rest, I prefer to muck out without him in the stable with me . . . he's too much of a fidget and too nosy and always seems to get in the way - so it sounds like the slippiness won't be an issue. Also sounds like I need to invest in a shovel! Interesting that you say that the bed gets smelly if not left up every day . . . with his concrete floor I can muck out and put the bed straight back down and it doesn't smell. I do, however, dig the whole thing up and leave it to air once a week.

P
 
I have rubber matting and use straw i put what id normally put down if you normally do it up to the door you can do but i generally leave about half of the stable free for him to walk around on and then a nice banked cosy bed at the back - its not slippery and mine loves it i have a stable without it that i put him into sometimes while i muck out and he paws the ground on the concrete trying to work out where his squishy floors gone!! lol
its lovely for them especially in winter its soo much warmer
 
[ Interesting that you say that the bed gets smelly if not left up every day . . . with his concrete floor I can muck out and put the bed straight back down and it doesn't smell. I do, however, dig the whole thing up and leave it to air once a week.

P[/QUOTE]

By the way just read this - i muck out and put mine down straight away and never had any issue with smell mine get a total overhaul every month but other than that not smelly at all never had a problem with that - i suppose it might depend on the surrounding and where the stable is etc. Ps i use a normal fork on mine and a brush and shovel and its not pierced or anything so again maybe different thickness or brand of matting but mine is holding up fine after three years still!!
 
LaCheval said:
Plastic forks. Maybe won't last as long as metal but will poss do less damage if they catch the matting.
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Plastic forks and straw? I really don't want to rethink his bedding . . . the straw works for him, but perhaps deep straw beds and rubber matting don't mix?

P
 
Honestly Polarsky mine has deep straw bed and i use completely bog standard fork and its fine - my friend does the same and we've both had the rubber matting for three years and had no splits or fork incidents in that time
 
StormyGale said:
Honestly Polarsky mine has deep straw bed and i use completely bog standard fork and its fine - my friend does the same and we've both had the rubber matting for three years and had no splits or fork incidents in that time
Click to expand...

Thanks for this SG . . . just to clarify . . . straw fork or shavings fork?

P
 
In some ways I prefer straw without mats as straw drains rather than absorbs like shavings and it can get quite wet underneath without anywhere for the pee to go.
It worked better in one stable I was in where there was a slight slope and the pee drained out but I had another where it just pooled in the middle.

When it gets wet my tb does find it slippy though he's a bit better now he's barefoot so I try and make the bed nice and deep so he never gets through to the mats and always has a dry layer on top.

I just use an ordinary straw fork, (not a shavings fork) as I find that the easiest to muck out straw with and I've never had a problem with damaging mats, you tend to lift not dig with straw.
 
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