Who Has Rubber Matting And Is It Worth It?

[acorn92x]

I'm debating whether to buy some rubber matting for my horses stable.She is currently bedded on woodchip and I muck her out daily. She's not particularly dirty (I take out one wheelbarrow and a level tub-trug each day) but does not seem to lay down at all (She's piebald and never as poo stains/shavings in her tail or stuck to her rugs etc~) and I've been thinking about getting some rubber matting to make her stable more comfortable and to use a bit less bedding (I use a bale of Hunters every 5-6 days so not drastic but could be reduced). Is the initial outlay of rubber matting really worth it in this situation?

 

[AdorableAlice]

Countrywide farmers recently had a very good deal on. 10 x 6x4 17mm mats for £270. I put them in a large barn for an elderly horse that cannot use straw.

Mats are excellent quality and very heavy to move, google to see if the deal is still on.

 

[JillA]

I'm pondering the same thing. My stables don't drain well so I am a bit concerned about wee pooling under them, but after several weeks on box rest following laminitis they would have been ideal for sole support without being wet or mucky. Not sure if they are worth it now he is coming out the other side though.

 

[Merlod]

100% - I have them in all 3 of my stables. I used to use straw but with 3 ponies mucking out was taking forever so I decided to put mats down and change to woodchip. Best decision ever.

I can use less bedding and don't bother with banks so there isn't so much to sort through, mucking out time and wastage is less and the rubber can only be good - insulating and good for the joints. I have one old boy and one laminitic, my stables are fully matted with 18mm stuff, fitted really tightly - I have never had to lift them and they have never smelt in the 3 years I have had them down

Edit: my stables have zero drainage but if your layer of bedding is absorbant and good then it should be fine - also when my mats where new I emptied bedding all over them and then brushed back to get the bedding in any tiny gaps to absorb and wet that might get under!

 

[acorn92x]

Thanks guys!

Alice, I've looked on Countrywide Farmers and there is an offer on 12mm mats for £26.99. Is it better to go for something thicker? Drainage is neither good nor bad - I've never noticed pools of urine or anything like that at the front of her stable.

 

[Annagain]

I wouldn't be without mine. My stable is huge so putting rubber (or EVA in my case) matting down wasn't cheap but I only bed down the back 1/3 of the stable. He has a medium thickness bed rather than the sprinkling a lot of people use with matting but I do use less bedding because of it as I don't like bare concrete so would use 3 times as much if I had to bed down the whole stable. I give him a decent thickness bed as he's grey and will end up with yellow stains from lying in his wee if it's not soaked up adequately. He's happy to lie down on a thinner bed though.

EVA matting is much lighter and easier to deal with although it will stretch and flatten a bit especially in the early days so it does need a bit of trimming. My horse is fine on it and I barely needed to trim them at all but my share horse has made a right mess of his, it's ended up all lumpy and out of shape after about 4/5 years so his owner has bought the rubber countrywide matting AA mentions above.

ETA - our drainage isn't great - another reason I use a thicker bed. Last winter I switched to wood pellets and it's by far the most absorbent bedding I've come across. A decent bed of that and it'll be soaked up before it has a chance to get under the mats. For me the matting isn't about a thinner bed, more not needing to cover the whole floor with bedding.

 

[Morag4]

I have had lighter weight ones in a poorly draining stable and was happy for the protection from the concrete but they had to be lifted regularly and cleaned underneath also unless they were tightly fitted they moved.

Now i have 17mm mats in a well draining stable fitted well and they are an absolute dream, one doesn't need to use as much bedding and have never moved or been lifted by great feed yet!

 

[AdorableAlice]

Drainage needs to be considered if the mats are not bonded. I had a big box on a previous yard that was an odd shape so I had the mats bonded, worked well and no smell. Pig of a job getting them up when I moved out though ! 4 strong men doing a lot of cursing.

The mats I have just put down are on a earth/planings floor so no drainage problems.

 

[paddy555]

101% worth it. I put down 5 stables of fieldguard mats (in draining stables) nearly 20 years ago and they are still in good condition. Saved a small fortune on bedding and an even greater fortune in the effort needed to muck out.
Brilliant for laminitics and for the oldies with arthritis.

I would never be without mine. I also put down 6 x 4 mats in the remaining stables and in the outside yards attached to shelters.

If you can have drained stables then fieldguard are brilliant, otherwise get the best quality thick 6 x 4's. Quality counts if you want a long life from them.

Moving heavy 6 x 4 mats is a pain so we put G clamps (used in carpentry) or welding clamps on a couple of the corners to provide a handle then we can drag them round very easily.

 

[acorn92x]

101% worth it. I put down 5 stables of fieldguard mats (in draining stables) nearly 20 years ago and they are still in good condition. Saved a small fortune on bedding and an even greater fortune in the effort needed to muck out.
Brilliant for laminitics and for the oldies with arthritis.

I would never be without mine. I also put down 6 x 4 mats in the remaining stables and in the outside yards attached to shelters.

If you can have drained stables then fieldguard are brilliant, otherwise get the best quality thick 6 x 4's. Quality counts if you want a long life from them.

Moving heavy 6 x 4 mats is a pain so we put G clamps (used in carpentry) or welding clamps on a couple of the corners to provide a handle then we can drag them round very easily.

One of the other liveries at my yard has the Fieldguard mats (The ones with holes in) and rubber matting and it seems to work well for her huge, very dirty horse so I did think about this. All stables are relatively well drained.

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

is she in during the day or at night ?

I was worried that mine was not laying down during the day whilst in. However, when he had to be in for worming for 30 hours I found out nothing to do with his stable, he just saves lying down sleep for at night ! It was such a relief

I have rubber matter and a average sized bed and muck out fully each day

I do prefer them, his stale floor is not flat so it helps with the nobbles !

 

[acorn92x]

She is in at night. I usually put to bed at about 6:30-7:30pm and then YO turns out at around 7:30-8am the next morning.

 

[criso]

I'm pondering the same thing. My stables don't drain well so I am a bit concerned about wee pooling under them, but after several weeks on box rest following laminitis they would have been ideal for sole support without being wet or mucky. Not sure if they are worth it now he is coming out the other side though.

I had them in a couple of places where the stables didn't drain well and they made things worse, you could feel them squelching as you moved across and I was using 4 bags of hunters a week so weren't exactly keeping costs down. At another yard where the stable was on a slight slope and everything drained well, they were fine.

 

[ElleSkywalker]

Yes they are great. I've just had some equimats for one stable and my walkway/wash box/pony pretty parlour. They have worked so well I now need to sell a kidney to get the cash for the other 4 stables *sigh*

 

[kc100]

My youngster didnt lay down when he had straw on concrete - now I have rubber mats down he's forever laid down snoring away (being a 2 year old is clearly very hard work!).

I bought mine second hand, got 6 mats for £90 I think - I was dead against paying out big money for brand new ones, but I must say now I have them I love them so much I'd probably pay for new if I had to - I'm a total convert! Found mine on Facebook in a local horsey group but you also find people advertising them on Preloved.

I dont use significantly less bedding so I'm not getting a vast cost saving, but I have noticed the difference with how it feels underfoot - if I can feel a difference through the straw I know my horse will be feeling the difference too when he's in there for the day (he's out at night). So in terms of comfort, less strain through the legs from the concrete and warmth through winter they are worth it - and I'm sure you will get cost savings on the bedding if you are a bit better with it than me, I just like a fluffy straw bed!

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

If drainage isn't too good, then a good layer of Jeyes power under the mats when they go down, can help.

 

[spotty_pony2]

I have recently bought 2 6x4 17mm mats for each of my stables to go at the front of my stable. Main reason for doing this was because my stables have a drain down the middle of them and I didn't like the wee running to the front of the stables where they were standing. It now still drains away under the mats so is much better. Also bought them, to save having to put their beds so far forward and because it is better for their joints to be standing on rubber mats than on concrete. I don't need them to cover the whole stable as my horses have full deep straw beds so just having rubber matting at the front is sufficient.

 

[Suzie86]

Yes except when you end up moving stables or even yards! Heavy and it takes ages to get the smell off your skin!!!

I love my mats - still have a nice cosy straw bed but I tend to do a big fresh bed at the weekend and just skip out and almost run the bed down through the week to save time. Having the mats means I never worry about him not having enough bedding in there.

 

[Abby-Lou]

Would not be without my matting very warm for horses use a light covering to catch the wet and take ot wet by one wheelbarrow full for two ponies

 

[Cinnamontoast]

It doesn't save me bedding, TBH, because I like a decent bed, but I much prefer it to a bare concrete floor when he inevitably shifts all his bedding round. No capping of hocks.

 

[Catherine94]

I have rubber matting in my stables with a small amount of straw on top just to give them something to lie on. I find it really good, makes mucking out quicker and saves of straw. I also find that my horses have a better grip on it and I also think it acts as a bit of insulation. Definitely worth it in my opinion

 

[Clannad48]

Moving heavy 6 x 4 mats is a pain so we put G clamps (used in carpentry) or welding clamps on a couple of the corners to provide a handle then we can drag them round very easily.

OMG why did I never think of this - what a brilliant idea for when you need to move them. I have broken so many nails moving really thick heavy mats. Definitely going to get a set of clamps for the stable spring clean.

 

[Fiona]

We've had 25mm EVA mats down in our stables now for 13 years, and they have never moved or smelt.

One stable drains well, and we have never had to lift the mats..

The other one isn't so good, but mare pees in same place, so 2-3 times I've levered one mat up, brushed underneath and put mat back down again. Not a long job..

We do a nice 6" pellets/chopped straw bed on back third of stable for clean mare (deep litter lifting wet bit 2 x week), and much less bedding for the other box walking so and so (wet bit lifted daily), both methods work well...

Fiona

 

[L&M]

Definitley - my two only now have half beds and has cut bedding costs. Also, by only having shavings down in the back half of the stables this leaves a clear area of matting to put their haylage on, so less wastage in forage too as not mashed into their beds!

 

[WelshD]

I have one matted stable and another where there are mats at the front, both ponies lay down far more than they used to and one has become a lot sweeter for having the mats, he gets very grouchy when he doesn't sleep properly!

I use the same amount of bedding, the mats are more for the comfort of the ponies and to prevent blemishes from concrete

 

[WelshD]

I have one matted stable and another where there are mats at the front, both ponies lay down far more than they used to and one has become a lot sweeter for having the mats, he gets very grouchy when he doesn't sleep properly!

I use the same amount of bedding, the mats are more for the comfort of the ponies and to prevent blemishes from concrete

 

[OldNag]

I have recently gone for (heavy) 18mm mats. I use a layer of wood pellet underneath and shavings on top.

Because the wee gets absorbed so well by the pellets I am not getting stinky mat syndrome.

Wish I had bought then before! Up to now I have deep littered or weekly deep littered but this way I am using less bedding and it gives a good bit of insulation from the concrete.

 

[Nicnac]

Wouldn't be without them. Use Hunters too and only have bedding on back half of stables in winter (mine still out 24/7). Use around 1/2 a bale a week of shavings per horse after initial beds.

 

[acorn92x]

Thanks so much guys! This has been so helpful! I think I might get 2 or 3 for the front to start off with and see whether having coverage on the whole floor makes her more willing to lie down. Her stable is 10ftx11ft so some cutting of mats would be necessary if I was to cover the whole box.

 

[YasandCrystal]

I have mats in all of my stables and use wood pellet on top, not really deep and its cosy and quick to muck out too.