Yes or No - stable mats?

Bernster

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Am moving yard in a few weeks and am wondering whether to put my stable mats in the new stable - what do you think?

New stable has a concrete floor. Bedding will be some form of shavings (could be a straw/shavings mix, a woodchip or standard shavings - tbc). I have rubber matting at the moment on a woodchip bed. He goes through 6 bales a month but still has a pretty poor bed. He is quite dirty and it smells. I'm not very good at cleaning the matting once they are down either!

So in these circs., would you use matting? Thanks
 

ester

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Yes.

had no mats for 8ish years? only got them because moved to livery that already had them installed, then we installed in ours too when we went back 'home'. Albeit a different type.

Have not had a cleaning issue with either though, I think the ones on livery had been down so long they had welded together. We do get some run under from the mare with the mayo ones at home but not particularly so.
 

outdoor girl

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….and me too. Have one horse who loves to drag his feet around his bed. Luckily he wees at one end and sleeps at the other, so nice to know he's lying on the mat and not on the floor.
 

tatty_v

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I’m a no mats person - hate the smell and the way that the fork gets caught on them when I’m mucking out! But I do use a HUGE straw bed (princess and the pea style) so I would probably consider them with shavings. I think if you’re going to go for them, the best ones are the wall to wall ones with sealant so you don’t get stagnant pee underneath.
 

SpringArising

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I have mats and they are so bloody annoying. They weren't put in properly and there are holes from the previous horse's digging - nothing gives me the rage more than when my fork gets caught in a hole! Saying that I would rather use them than not - they're warmer and a little softer.
 

Bernster

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Thanks everyone. I don't think mine are fitted right or they might not be the best ones to use, as stinky stuff def gets in them as the stable does get a bit honky. But he does sleep in there and likes to roll so am thinking I will use them but try and fit them better. If nothing else, moving him does mean they get cleaned now!
 

Pinkvboots

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Can't stand mats the fork gets caught then bedding gets caught underneath, both of mine have huge shavings beds almost up to the door and a small mat at the front where there is no bed, I much prefer this yes it's a big expense to start the bed off but if kept clean you don't use any more shavings weekly and I like them to be comfy, my motto is if I wouldn't sleep on it I wouldn't expect my horses to.
 

windand rain

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Unless you put a huge bed on top, mats and consequently horse and rug stink. Either those that tell me thet dont, have no sense of smell or are used to it. I have never been to a yard that used mats that I couldnt tell within seconds that they did because of the smell usually as I stepped out of my car. Only using a tiny amount of bedding is even worse as the stink carries miles
 

ILuvCowparsely

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Am moving yard in a few weeks and am wondering whether to put my stable mats in the new stable - what do you think?

New stable has a concrete floor. Bedding will be some form of shavings (could be a straw/shavings mix, a woodchip or standard shavings - tbc). I have rubber matting at the moment on a woodchip bed. He goes through 6 bales a month but still has a pretty poor bed. He is quite dirty and it smells. I'm not very good at cleaning the matting once they are down either!

So in these circs., would you use matting? Thanks
My answer yes. We have mats in all, def makes stable warmer, and less risk of injury
 

milliepops

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I put a normal sized bed on mine. I have one that boxwalks so I need to sweep her a clear gangway or she turns it all to mush, and the other drops his hay all over the place and will only eat it if it hasn't touched any bedding. so mats are a better option for both than having them on a plain concrete floor, the floors at my yard are awfully slippery and having had one soft tissue injury caused by slipping when getting up from rolling in another stable, I'm neurotic about footing at all times now.
 

ester

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I too have always used a normal/big bed on top of them (weekly deep litter) and I've never had issues with either the hard or eva version getting forks stuck in them.

We don't need them as such, they weren't installed to reduce bedding quantity, more to keep a pair of oldies a bit happier.

I only have a bank photo atm, we have those too ;)
83814939_10163027783060438_4084403311678062592_n.jpg
 

splashgirl45

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yes to mats with shavings, no with straw as straw doesnt absorb as much of the wee so it runs under the mats if you dont have them sealed. i used to have mats all over the floor and the bed covered 2 thirds leaving the front clear of bed for hay and water. i only used a fork to get the droppings and then used a snow shovel to take out the wet so never got caught in the mats...i dont think my beds smelt but the other beds in the yard that had straw did pong...
 

eggs

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My stables are 18' deep and 12' wide and are all fully matted bar one. I put a deep bed down in the back half of the stable (1 horse on flax and the others on wood pellets) and don't have a problem with mucking the beds out or them being smelly. The one that isn't fully matted is for my wee monster who is on straw so he only has mats in the front half. As straw is not particularly absorbent I find if you have mats under that a lot of the wee gets in under the mats. I prefer them to be standing on mats than on concrete.
 

windand rain

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While I dont like them the biggest advantage as long as they have a big bed on top is their insulation properties shavings beds are very very cold so rubber underneath is warmer and softer
 

Cragrat

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i would be very reluctant to do without mats - I like the extra layer of protection against slipping/bruising/cold/concussion from bare concrete. Even the deepest beds can move if the horse does something daft enough.

However, I would never have unsealed mats. I sealed all mine myself using various exterior sealants, and I check /redo the seals every summer. Definitely worth the time and effort. No lifting/ curlling mats, and no stink.
 

Goldenstar

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Can't stand mats the fork gets caught then bedding gets caught underneath, both of mine have huge shavings beds almost up to the door and a small mat at the front where there is no bed, I much prefer this yes it's a big expense to start the bed off but if kept clean you don't use any more shavings weekly and I like them to be comfy, my motto is if I wouldn't sleep on it I wouldn't expect my horses to.

I have sealed mats they are wonderful .
 

Goldenstar

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I love love the sealed mats and sealed mats on walls i have in my bottom barn it was worth every penny they cost .
Naughty SKy has eaten the corner of a wall mat I will sort it in summer he’s a bad lad .
 

oldie48

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Another who loves my rubber mats. When I stay away I hate Rose having to bed down on concrete, even with a big shavings bed she still manages to have places which are bare of bedding in the morning and they are just so cold.
 
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