Rubber Mats: advice please?
sjqradcliffe
with supplies, one horse eats its bedding....) we are thinking about
them. Any practical advice?
Steve
imp
I pay £2 per week per box extra to have rubber matting at my yard and
wouldn't go back to concrete. We had to turn them over and hose them down
when we moved in, which was *very* disgusting (hadn't been moved since
laid *and* wrong way up!) - my other half felt physically sick.
I still use plenty of bedding (shavings) on top, just to provide added
comfort and warmth really (mare and 4-month foal) in one box, less in the
other (elderly pony with prior respiratory problems).
The only thing I have noticed is that the shavings tend to get much
dirtier much quicker on rubber than they did on bare concrete; however,
as I have two horses in one box (foal now at least 2/3 of mother's
height), that could be partly the problem.
If my boxes had better drainage, it would be perfect, so that would be my
advice - make sure you have good drainage and get the best mats you can
afford.
imp
>:)
Petra
create an unholy mess of the horse's rugs and I don't like the idea of them
having to lie in cold squidgy dung and urine.
However - you should be able to solve some of your problems using rubber mats
and a thinner layer of shavings (your bed-eating horse won't eat those - will
he ?)
I like them because they make the ground warmer - avoid the horse getting
through to the concrete, provide a more comfortable surface to stand on etc.
Petra
Petra
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Lou
sjqradcliffe <sjqrad...@netscapeonline.co.uk> wrote in message
news:3A1EEF74...@netscapeonline.co.uk...
> I know views on these are mixed but for various reasons (time, problems
> with supplies, one horse eats its bedding....) we are thinking about
> them. Any practical advice?
Some people like them some don't. I have had matting in my stables for just
over 2 weeks now and although it has it's pros and cons I wouldn't go back
to concrete. Look around at prices as they can vary enormously and I'm not
convinced the more expensive stuff is any better (anyone else have any
thoughts on this). Someone I know is getting his mats off the local council
for next to nothing - I think they have come out of childrens playgrounds.
Pros - saves loads of time when mucking out and is cost effective. I've
gone from using a bale of shavings a day to using 2 bales a week (on 3
stables)
Cons - horses are muckier - mine don't have rugs on but I imagine they would
get very dirty if they did. Need lifting and washing on a weekly basis.
Hope this helps
Louise & Horses
(Julie, Treena & Amy)
Janet & Tim Costidell
do make the rugs mucky, but most are washable anyway, and does this
compensate for not having to pay much for bedding? I have mostly used them
with no bed at all, and my horse was fine for years. However since he got
laminitis last year and had to stand in a lot, I put straw over one quarter
of the stable, away from where he does his droppings, and I hardly chuck any
out at all. I think they're really good and mine have paid for themselves
several times over.
Good luck.
sjqradcliffe wrote in message <3A1EEF74...@netscapeonline.co.uk>...
cla...@37traphunsdon.freeserve.co.uk
I agree with everything the others have said. I have 2 mats, no
bedding, at the front of Wellie's stable so he can drop his hay
without then stirring it into the shavings. It is also much better to
stand on than concrete if he wants to hang out of his door, while
saving the mess made when coming out of the stable if you stack
bedding right up to the door. He has just shavings at the back of his
box - one day I will put more mats. I use the Stable Mat which comes
from Canada, about £38 - one I have had for 4 yrs and it shows no sign
of wear. We have also got some horses on childrens playground mats
which came free when a builder friend had the job of replacing them
and brought them to us rather than the skip! They seem fine, but we
do use a small amount of bedding on them. No mess on rugs then.
Joe will probably add to this thread about quarry belts, should you
live near a quarry.
We have had lots of rubber mat threads in the last couple of years, so
if you can check archived stuff like Deja you will be able to pick
them up.
Claire and Wellington
sjqradcliffe
that. I've heard that the more porous ones that look like they've been made
out of mashed up tyres (eg Stabellite) get smelly quickly and need cleaning
more often than the Equimat type; anyone got views?
>
> Steve
cla...@37traphunsdon.freeserve.co.uk
It all depends how wet your horse is, and how good the drainage on the
floor. Most people you ask will only know what their setup is like -
I don't know anyone who has actually changed from one make of mat to
another. I think one of the horse mags did some reviews a few months
ago, e mail me if you want me to try and dig it out.
I have moved yards with my mat. At a previous yard, because of the
shape of the stable, the mat was longways from the front of the stable
i.e. short side parallel to the door. Wellie's favouirite wee patch
was by the back inside corner, so some did seep under the mat. I used
to sprinkle some bedding (I used Hemcore then ) under the corner, and
sweep it out daily.
At my current yard I have the arrangement described in previous post;
2 mats and the back half of the stable shavings. His wet patch is now
on the shavings.
I wouldn't say any of our stables are particularly smelly..
As I said earlier, do look at old postings from this newsgroup as we
have discussed the subject several times.
Claire and Wellington
P...@stamp.on.it&post.lt
snip
>Joe will probably add to this thread about quarry belts, should you
>live near a quarry.
Indeed !!
Quarry belt....cheap....cheerful....hardwearing...and tough as old boots.....bit
like me really :)
Joe
Janet & Tim Costidell
sjqradcliffe wrote in message <3A2145D6...@netscapeonline.co.uk>...
>Thanks all; we'd certainly use some shavings on top, I should have said
>that. I've heard that the more porous ones that look like they've been made
>out of mashed up tyres (eg Stabellite) get smelly quickly and need cleaning
>more often than the Equimat type; anyone got views?
>
>
>>
>> Steve
>
Petra
>Quarry belt....cheap....cheerful....hardwearing...and tough as old
>boots.....bit
>like me really :)
Joe - how cheap is cheap ? Bearing in mind the size of our stallion boxes ( 23
by 15 ft ) price has been my main concern !
P...@stamp.on.it&post.lt
>Joe - how cheap is cheap ?
What, me or the matting? :) Half of lager and I'm anyone's!!
>Bearing in mind the size of our stallion boxes ( 23
>by 15 ft ) price has been my main concern !
Crikey, they're big. Well, the belt comes in about 6' widths, and being belt,
it's as long as you want (or can handle, it's heavy stuff). When we got ours we
cut it in 12' lengths, two strips making up a 12x12. With your boxes I guess
you'd do 23'x6' twice, with a 3' gap somewhere. It's hefty stuff to cut by the
way, so the fewer cuts the better.
Cost? Well, it really does depend. The rubber is recyclable, and the usual
outlet for it is the same place that take away old car tyres. If they pay
anything it would be peanuts, I think they take it away as a disposal service to
the quarries, no money either way.
Not being sexist here, but a nice smile and a 'drink' (? £20'ish) for the
foreman will probably get you as much as you want....and loaded into the trailer
into the bargain!
>
>Petra
Joe
Petra
Erm - I'll come back to you on that one when you've sent a picture :-)
>Crikey, they're big.
Oh yes they are. But stallions have a more restricted life so they ought to
have as big stables as possible - and bars between the stables instead of walls
so they can socialise a bit.
>, but a nice smile and a 'drink' (? £20'ish) for the
>foreman will probably get you as much as you want....and loaded into the
>trailer
>into the bargain!
REALLY !!?? Have you got a phone-number I could call maybe please ?
Thanks a buch !!!
cla...@37traphunsdon.freeserve.co.uk
wrote:
To add to the mat debate, a friend in Ireland has just bought what was
called "cow mats" for £30, I assume 6'x4' like the ones we are talking
about.
>
>Claire and Wellington
P...@stamp.on.it&post.lt
>REALLY !!?? Have you got a phone-number I could call maybe please ?
Well, not really P, it's more a case of pop down to your local quarry and ask
around. It's unlikely they'll be something just like that, but you can find out
when they are changing a belt and arrange to go back. It's all a bit informal if
you know what I mean, not like a shop.
Joe
Janet & Tim Costidell
done in quarry belt that was free! The ones we've got have no texture to
them, if you know what I mean, they are just smooth belt like supermarket
ones, I thought they would be slippery when damp, but no accidents yet.
It's worth ringing around a few quarries, deffo!
Petra wrote in message <20001127142910...@ng-mg1.aol.com>...
>REALLY !!?? Have you got a phone-number I could call maybe please ?
>
P...@stamp.on.it&post.lt
<ja...@costidell.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
>We live in quarry land (look at the OS map!), and some of our stables are
>done in quarry belt that was free! The ones we've got have no texture to
>them, if you know what I mean, they are just smooth belt like supermarket
>ones, I thought they would be slippery when damp, but no accidents yet.
>It's worth ringing around a few quarries, deffo!
We've got the smooth slippery side underneath, and the pitted used side on top.
Anyway, how did you get yours for nowt? You must wear shorter skirts than me :)
Joe
Bernard Northmore
<cla...@37TRAPhunsdon.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:3a217ae6...@news.freeserve.net...
> It all depends how wet your horse is, and how good the drainage on the
> floor. Most people you ask will only know what their setup is like -
> I don't know anyone who has actually changed from one make of mat to
> another. I think one of the horse mags did some reviews a few months
> ago, e mail me if you want me to try and dig it out.
>
Hi there - we deliberately chose two different makes of mats for two 12' x
12' stables, and the more expensive one is definitely better.
The better one ("Fieldguard") consists of black sections (each about 3' x
1', I guess), with studs underneath to keep it off the floor and to provide
more spring and better drainage. You interlock the mats tightly together
with special locking plates which fit over the studs in the corner of each
mat. The other one is "Equimat", which is thinner and green, with no studs;
each sheet is about 6' x 3' and they have jigsaw-like cutouts along the long
edges only. You're supposed to lay them with a 3" gap all round to allow
for them to spread as they're used, but unfortunately they move a bit too
easily so that there is a gap right down the middle of the stable - and that
gap has of course filled up with you-know-what. In the opinion of "her
outdoors", they are both much much better that none at all.
The stables only have a very gentle slope (1" over the 12'), and that's
towards the front, so it does mean that the yard outside gets messier, and
of course you want to make a hole somewhere at the base of the front wall so
that all the liquid doesn't run out through the doorway. In both cases we
put down a little straw or shavings to soak up some of the liquid, but
mainly to prevent splashes. We will have problems with the third stable
(which we haven't yet done), 'cos that's a corner box, so I guess it will
have to drain out through the door.
It's only our first winter with them down; it will be interesting to see how
they wear. Both will be difficult to lift to clean underneath, particularly
the heavier Fieldguard.
HTH,
Bernard