# What stable mat suppliers don't tell you



## debbier4 (15 October 2010)

Just wanted to share my learning so others don't make the same mistakes as me.
I have just had stable mats laid in my 3 stables (cost over £1000). I wanted to increase my horses comfort and hopefully save a little on bedding costs.
What nobody told me was:
1. The most important thing to think about is drainage - where will the urine go as it will no longer be absorbed by the bedding but will run under the mats. (In my case my drainage isn't good enough and it runs through the brick base at the front of my stables and looks gross!)
2. Really think about where the joins are going to be. This is linked to point 1. My mare happens to wee exactly where 4 mats join increasing problem 1.
To be honest I am not sure how I will rectify my issues but I am going to start by lifting all the mats and re-positioning with the joins in a different place and I will need to switch bedding as flax just isn't absorbent enough.
Hopes this helps those who are considering mats.......
Disappointed Debbie


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## Allover (15 October 2010)

Ah bless! 

I only ever like rubber mats if

a. You have a good full bed on top of it

or

b. The stable is huge so you can have a decent bed at the back and matting at the front

I also think they stink and the horses rugs get soaked in p if there is not enough bed on top!

Apart from that they are great!!!!!!


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## bonnie93 (15 October 2010)

i had the same problem at my last yard, urine everywhere, ended up spending more time mucking out, lucky i hadnt brought the mats tho, they were already there.

thinkin of gettin them now tho because i use bliss bedding, great for absorbin and deep litterin


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## spotless (15 October 2010)

Also everytime you move them they never fit back in, as they obviously spread!!


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## Rollin (15 October 2010)

How very upsetting for you.

I could not afford to mat my stables totally and so started buying small mats to put at the front of the box.  As you say urine is a real problem but because mine are less than a metre square I can lift them once a week and wash underneath.

Could you sell half and just mat the front of the box or cut them so you can lift them?  Mats do make less work, also they do protect legs.  I have Cleveland Bays who are prone to capped hocks so mats are a real bonus.

Don't feel too disheartened.


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## Honey08 (15 October 2010)

Do you bed on straw or shavings?  When we initially put our mats down they were great, and we were on shavings.  As shavings got stupidly expensive we changed to straw, which drains rather than soaking, so we noticed the pooling of wee much more.  I throw the bed up every few days, and throw a bucket of water over the mats - which takes the same route as the wee, and drains out, flushing a lot of the staleness out.  Could you knock a brick out of your row of floor level bricks so that the pee drains through?


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## Darkly_Dreaming_Dex (15 October 2010)

I find Liverpool wood pellets absorb so fast that even my mega wet cob only needs a 2" thick bed over his mats


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## Booboos (15 October 2010)

Don't worry and definitely don't shift the mats around, they are extremely heavy! Either bond the mats together so that there are no gaps, or use a more absorbent bedding such as wood pellets. I have used a litter system with wood pellets for more than 6 years now with no problems whatsoever.


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## maybedaisy (15 October 2010)

I have equimats for both of my horses and they are great. However I still put the same amount of bedding down as I would if there were no mats. I have them to prevent injury and because they are warmer than concrete. 

My horses are bedded on barley straw and I swill the floor down daily.


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## ElvisandTilly (15 October 2010)

When I first got mats it was in a stable that didn't have a sloping floor so the wee just pooled in puddles under the floor. 

I found where the pooling was by lifting all mats out and throwing buckets of water in and seeing where it all settled. I then got a big hammer drill and wide drill bit (stone drill bit) and drilled one hole in each puddle right down past the contrete base into the hardcore!!! It worked as a drain hole as long as no bedding got underneathe the mats to block the hole. If it did block, which occassionally it did, I used to lift the corner of mats and use a kebab skewer to clear it! Obviously never went in with the skewer when my horse was in!!


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## Ranyhyn (15 October 2010)

To be fair to the suppliers, what they don't tell you, common sense should do.

Where did you think the urine was going to go?  I am pretty sure it doesn't say anywhere on the advertisements that the mats will drain your stable for you and it stands to reason that where there are gaps there'll be leakage, where there's leakage there'll be mess and where there's hardly any fresh air and/or the ability to brush it away it'll just sit or drain to the nearest place it can...

Sorry, IMHO _not_ the suppliers fault.


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## Cinnamontoast (15 October 2010)

Hmm. I have shavings on matting, the more usual combination. You do have to check the suitability of your stable before investing in mats, really. Shavings absorb the majority so it doesn't matter that my box is not well draining. I certainly wouldn't want to lift my mats frequently as they are mega heavy.


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## Sheri (15 October 2010)

I have had my really filthy arab on matting for just over a year now and have just had my cob mares stable too.

I must say I love them, I use a sprinkle of 'Dri-mat' which is designed for use with Matting and every morning I sweep everything out and wash down with a diluted solution of disinfectant.  Neither of the stables smell, it saves me money (arab had to have 3/4 of his bed removed everyday as he just tramples everything), and all in it takes me the time they take to eat breakfast - to do 2!!


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## debbier4 (15 October 2010)

Many thanks for all the ideas and tips, I have been using flax as bedding and will certainly try switching to wood pellets.

To Kitsune - who is keen to point out how stupid I must be. My point is that despite researching many suppliers and discussing pros and cons noone ever mentioned these issues, which from the replies are pretty common.With a little more discussion at the time of laying the issues could have been avoided, e.g by turning the mats through 90 degrees or just putting the joins in a different place.

I just hope I can prevent others making the same mistake.

I am wondering whether the "sealed floors" like the one advertised at the top of the forum web page might avoid these issues as urine cannot get underneath it. Can't afford to do it myself but if i could turn the clock back I would certainly give it a closer look.


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## custard (16 October 2010)

debbier4 said:



			To Kitsune - who is keen to point out how stupid I must be. My point is that despite researching many suppliers and discussing pros and cons noone ever mentioned these issues, which from the replies are pretty common.With a little more discussion at the time of laying the issues could have been avoided, e.g by turning the mats through 90 degrees or just putting the joins in a different place.
		
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The trouble is most stable floors aren't laid with decent drainage in mind theses days.  I've had my mats on several different yards over the years and have yet to find one with a well draining floor that sends liquid out the back or to a properly constructed channel/drain, that said I wouldn't be without my mats.

I think you have two choices if you want to be able to clean under them.  The first would be to have the floors screeded with a proper 'fall' to the back of the stable and remove say half a brick to let the wee etc out, an expensive exercise but may be worth it if it's your own place.

The second would be to do as someone else suggested and having located the spots where it collects, drill a couple of deep holes right through to the hard core so's it soaks away.  This is what I would do and will be nagging the OH to get it sorted  for me asap, don't know why I never thought of it before!


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## Chestnuttymare (16 October 2010)

i had them on a previous yard with a full straw bed. I hated them. I woudl put straw under them to try and absorb the wee and then lift them as best  i could to drag out the pissy straw and replace with new. It seemed to be the only way that it worked for me. not fun, time consuming and heavy.


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## Penny Less (16 October 2010)

I feel your pain!  I put mats down as my horse scraping his hock even when good bedding, also thought it might help with his arthritis.(still scraping hocks, and cant keep a bandage or boot on him )
The joins are right where he wees, He is a super wee'eralso my stable floor is very uneven and doesnt drain.
I have put another mat on top over the joins to see if that will help. I tried cardboard bedding for two nights as it was supposed to be more absorbent than shavings, but it wasnt and I hated it. He is on deep shavings bed, but think I might take back mats out next summer and just leave front ones, where he stands at the door. Dont think they have saved me any money or work!


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## mossposs (16 October 2010)

I too spent a long time researching the various options when I rubber matted my 2 internal stables. I would say to be fair, that what made me pick Fieldguard was the conversation I had with them which explained exactly what you are talking about! They have several different types of mats, and you need to choose depending in part on your drainage. I was lucky as the builder doing my stables pointed out the value of having proper drainage - very simply I have 2 internal stables and the floor slopes forwards to a gutter in front of them with a drain on one side. The set up is totally amazing and worth every penny if you are a working rider!! Literally within 10 seconds of them urinating the pee appears in the gutter and runs into the drain. I have now almost been able to abandon bedding - both mine prefer to lie directly on the mats and avoid the bedding when I was giving them a bed on one side - I now just put paper down for a "pee corner". Dirty rugs really not an issue. I sweep the beds out completely every morning and there is no smell whatsoever, have not ever cleaned underneath in a year.
All my experiences with this company have been excellent - the electric fencing is also brilliant.


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## debbier4 (25 October 2010)

Thanks so much for all your tips - thought I'd give you an update.....

On Saturday removed all the mats and washed out table. Good job I did. i have wooden kicking boards all around my stable which were saturated.

In the other two stables where problem not so bad I have switched to wood pellet bedding and seems to have made a difference.

I am now considering sealing the joins with bitumen (as used in roofing felt to prevent urine seeping through.)

Also wondering if I should have gone for a sealed rubber flooring instead - anyone tried it?

Debbie


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## custard (25 October 2010)

debbier4 said:



			Thanks so much for all your tips - thought I'd give you an update.....

Also wondering if I should have gone for a sealed rubber flooring instead - anyone tried it?

Debbie
		
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Rubber tends not to seal all that well, seriously I'd drill some holes in the floor to let the urine drain, if that doesn't work you still have the screed option.


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## Amymay (26 October 2010)

Actually I would argue that it really doesn't matter what the drainage is like in your stable - _if_ you have well fitting mats, and a very good bed laid on top.

My Equimats were laid in two different stables.  The first had an excellent floor - level with no bumps, the second was shocking.

When the mats were lifted to move yards and then subsequently for cleaning there was virtually no seapage (regardless of the floor).  

I always had a decent amount of shavings on top of the matts (practically a full bed in the winter actually), which absorbed any wet, and which was mucked out thoroughly daily.

So, my theory is - rubber matting is fantastic, but you do absolutely need plenty of shavings type bedding on top as fluid will always take the most natural course otherwise.


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## dibbin (26 October 2010)

Only time I've ever been able to work with rubber mats was in my friend's horse's box, and he had a huge full bed on top of them!


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## applecart14 (26 October 2010)

debbier4 said:



			Just wanted to share my learning so others don't make the same mistakes as me.
I have just had stable mats laid in my 3 stables (cost over £1000). I wanted to increase my horses comfort and hopefully save a little on bedding costs.
What nobody told me was:
1. The most important thing to think about is drainage - where will the urine go as it will no longer be absorbed by the bedding but will run under the mats. (In my case my drainage isn't good enough and it runs through the brick base at the front of my stables and looks gross!)
2. Really think about where the joins are going to be. This is linked to point 1. My mare happens to wee exactly where 4 mats join increasing problem 1.
To be honest I am not sure how I will rectify my issues but I am going to start by lifting all the mats and re-positioning with the joins in a different place and I will need to switch bedding as flax just isn't absorbent enough.
Hopes this helps those who are considering mats.......
Disappointed Debbie
		
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I have a deep bed (approx 6-8 inches always) on top of my matting. My mats have been down for three years without being removed. There is no smell coming from under them.  Every day I would take the bed up (apart from the banks) and sweep through and never noticed any smell.  Goodness knows where the wee has gone, I expect some has pooled underneath but the majority will have gone out in the dirty bedding.  Only recently have I started deep littering my horses bed and his bed is now 9-12" deep (shavings are free) and have noticed more of a smell.


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## springer1021 (26 October 2010)

I've never had a problem with the urine running under the mats, but mine are non porous and I've got them very tightly fitted so any gaps are around the outside of the box.

This company do a sealant, not sure what you call it though so you might have to ring and ask.

http://www.quattro.org.uk/repair/

If you had the mats fitted by the company that provided them why not ask them to re do them?


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## cumbriamax (26 October 2010)

if you are on a pro yard which would probably have drainage in stables you probably will need full bed on top (I do in my stables).


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## ElvisandTilly (27 October 2010)

debbier4 said:



			I am now considering sealing the joins with bitumen (as used in roofing felt to prevent urine seeping through.)


Debbie
		
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A friend of mine actually sealed all the joints and edges with bathroom/kitchen sealant. Its rubber so moved with the mats without loosing the seal and it comes in a few colours too!


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## Ranyhyn (31 October 2010)

Sorry Debbie, I didn't mean to imply you were stupid, just that you didn't think before you fitted the mats - as it seems a very simply equation to my mind and is the reason why I wouldn't use mats myself.


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## debbier4 (15 November 2010)

Quick update on my mats dilemma (with a big thank you to everyone who has contributed).

Today a company called Quattro came and sealed the mats in one of my stables. They were thorough and professional. They offer a choice of two types of seal - just the joins or a full seal which sticks the mats to the floor then seals all the joins and around the edges. I chose the latter.

Interestingly they told me they rarely ever fit mats without sealing them these days!

So the jurys out. have only had one stable done so that I can see if it makes a difference.

Also switched to the wood pellets and they are much more absorbent than flax so thanks for that tip - though a bit fiddly to have to damp them first.


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## TGM (16 November 2010)

mossposs said:



			I too spent a long time researching the various options when I rubber matted my 2 internal stables. I would say to be fair, that what made me pick Fieldguard was the conversation I had with them which explained exactly what you are talking about! They have several different types of mats, and you need to choose depending in part on your drainage. I was lucky as the builder doing my stables pointed out the value of having proper drainage - very simply I have 2 internal stables and the floor slopes forwards to a gutter in front of them with a drain on one side. The set up is totally amazing and worth every penny if you are a working rider!! Literally within 10 seconds of them urinating the pee appears in the gutter and runs into the drain. I have now almost been able to abandon bedding - both mine prefer to lie directly on the mats and avoid the bedding when I was giving them a bed on one side - I now just put paper down for a "pee corner". Dirty rugs really not an issue. I sweep the beds out completely every morning and there is no smell whatsoever, have not ever cleaned underneath in a year.
		
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This is almost exactly the set up we have using the Fieldguard M2 mats.  We had two existing stables with the floor sloping to the front, so OH created drainage gullies in front of each one, running to a soakaway.  The third stable was built by us so we arranged for the floor to slope to the back with drainage at the rear.  But obviously easier to do in your own yard than at livery!


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## Maesfen (16 November 2010)

Kitsune said:



			To be fair to the suppliers, what they don't tell you, common sense should do.

Where did you think the urine was going to go?  I am pretty sure it doesn't say anywhere on the advertisements that the mats will drain your stable for you and it stands to reason that where there are gaps there'll be leakage, where there's leakage there'll be mess and where there's hardly any fresh air and/or the ability to brush it away it'll just sit or drain to the nearest place it can...

Sorry, IMHO _not_ the suppliers fault.
		
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Nods head wisely.  Don't blame the suppliers for your mistake, you should have been aware how and where your box drained to so you could have told them and they might have fitted them differently on account of that.  But at the same time, I would have also expected them to be experienced enough in fitting the mats to see at a glance what problems you might have so a bit of blame on both sides I think, sorry.

Wood pellets absorb far better though.  It's not the end of the world if your mats aren't sealed, they will filter down to any cracks and absorb the over run if you use anything else that doesn't drain as well.  You can just run a fork along the grooves to clear them out, wash down and start again; it's what I have to do with my self fitted mats and someone is right, they never seem to fit back as closely if you move them so I only do that once a year when spring cleaning; seems to have worked well so far.


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## fatpiggy (16 November 2010)

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.


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## MiJodsR2BlinkinTite (16 November 2010)

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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