What stable mat suppliers don't tell you

I wouldn't ever ask the manufacturers/sellers of any product about its pros and cons! Of course they will only tell you how wonderful they are - they want you to buy!! Ask people who actually use the product - such as the folk here. They will give you really good information. Personally I would never touch mats. The drainage problem is the biggest no-no for me. I used to holiday-sit my friends gelding who had them in his stable. He, his rugs and the stable always stank of urine. He liked to dunk his hay in the water bucket and the resulting dripping made the front of the mats absolutely deadly slippery. I use aubiose. You get a lovely thick, secure bed, minimal mucking out (just skipping out until the wet is taken out once a week), there is no smell and only a barrow of wet per week so half a bale top up per week.
 
I had a couple of rubber mats down and have just taken them up.

They were a blimmin nuisance; because my stable isn't particularly well drained they were beginning to honk of all the wee building up underneath, plus sawdust was getting underneath them which made them dangerous.

Soooo, I half killed myself and took them out! - result, a lovely sweet smelling stable and much easier to deal with.

I think they work only if you've got good drainage in the stable plus you have to have them fitted wall to wall so there's absolutely no gaps (according to local tack shop which sells and fits them!!).

I've put them outside the stable now and they're fab for tying up, grooming, farrier etc.
 
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