Using rubber mats on chalk....

[S_N]

.... base that is not very level, esp. at the door (bit of a hole tbh). Any advice? The stable in which I intended to foal B, has a lovely chalf floor, but being an OLD stable and and OLD floor (nowt wrong with it mind, fully functional and safe etc...), the flooring has worn in places, especially in the doorway. As the stable is about 17x15, I do intend to at least partially mat it with the 6 mats I already have - seems daft not to use them, but am worried about the flooring being unlevel. Has anyone any advice? Stable is currently half full of bales of shavings and hay, so I can't see the full extent of the floor atm. It should be cleared out by next weekend though, then I can disinfect it and leave it to dry out, before B comes in on Easter weekend.

 

[ajf]

Our concreted stable floors (very old) have unlevel floors and holes, some have been filled in but some still dip over an inch in places (especially Flynns), and we have rubber mats on top and they seem fine. You don't notice the dips at all then really.

 

[S_N]

Bet you have heavy mats though, not the kind that blow away if left outside - like happened in the high winds last week!

 

[Bedlam]

I would think if this is a foaling box the best thing to do would be to put down a really deep straw bed in all honesty.

If you want to put dow mats before hand then that's grand, but deep straw all the way for foaling in my opinion.

 

[zelli]

I would have thought that having something like rubber matting would be better for a foal than holes... but no harm in lying them down and seeing what its like! also... maybe you could fill the holes temporarily with something (dont know what, poss straw but that could smell, maybe more ideally gravel) then put mats on top.

 

[dwi]

Daisu has an old stable with a concrete floor and there is one dip in the front corner. I couldn't work out why the stable smelled when i was washing it every day until I realised that the wee was pooling underneath. I now have to lift that bit of mat when I muck out to sweep it out. Only adds 1min to the job but worth being aware of to keep an eye out for

 

[ajf]

Yes, very heavy mats. Hate havin to drag them all out to wash the stables in the summer!!!

 

[ihatework]

I'm not convinced I would lay mats over chalk.
I can't think of anything better than a chalk based stable, natural drainage!!!

 

[S_N]

[ QUOTE ]
I would think if this is a foaling box the best thing to do would be to put down a really deep straw bed in all honesty.

If you want to put dow mats before hand then that's grand, but deep straw all the way for foaling in my opinion.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's all very well if you are not allergic to straw like I am - to the extent that I can only just afford the prescriptions! And also am not allowed straw on the yard

 

[S_N]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not convinced I would lay mats over chalk.
I can't think of anything better than a chalk based stable, natural drainage!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, I was thinking this too. It just seems daft to have mats and not use them though - also thinking of cost here too.

 

[FRESHMAN]

Now you must be as old fashioned as me! We are presently going to great lengths in our new yard to lay chalk floors & have natural drainage. Dont like concrete, mats are responsible for a lot of bacteria unless lifted, washed, & disinfected very regularly. I think that quite often the old way is still best.

 

[shellonabeach]

I use rubber mats onto a dirt floor (was previously grass). It does dip in places where the ground is unlevel but once the bed is down this is hardly noticeable.

Unlike rubber mats on concrete the wet does not pool on or under the mats (they are not sealed) and it does not smell as all (smelt awful on concrete).

My friend used plastic mudflaps off lorries - look like a slab sized plastic curry comb - smooth one side and plastic spikes the other - she laid these in the dips of the floor - spikes down - to make her mats sit perfectly level.

 

[S_N]

[ QUOTE ]
Now you must be as old fashioned as me! We are presently going to great lengths in our new yard to lay chalk floors & have natural drainage. Dont like concrete, mats are responsible for a lot of bacteria unless lifted, washed, & disinfected very regularly. I think that quite often the old way is still best.

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL - this is also partly my quandry! Chalk bases are heavenly to work with - I SO wish I could use straw, as it would just be ideal!