Hi all

I'm thinking about buying some rubber matting for my stable and was wondering if anyone is already using it, peoples opinion on it, how much bedding people use etc. Any advice will be greatfully received.

Thanks

I invested in rubber matting last autumn. Love it, quick n easy mucking out, smaller muck heap.
Just wet smelly stable rugs, if your not up to scratch with the bedding.
Best I have found is Megazorb, wood pulp bedding, very light and absorbant, n fairly odour free, if you take all the wet out. I used 2 bags to set up and 1 bag every week to keep it nice. This is like Woody Pet, but with a lower carbon footprint as Megazorb is made in the UK and Woody pet is shipped from Canada!There are similar products on the market.

We have had rubber matting for about 10 years. It has never been taken up and was sealed with roofing sealant. I have one horse that doesn't wee in the stable (we have to let her out like a dog!) and one that lays in her wee. We find the best way was to experiment to find the least amount of bedding you need to use. We use chopped straw and sweep it up every day. If you are on comcrete you will feel the difference straight away.

Yes rubber is the way to go.. make sure they are thick and heavy so they stay put,
lay them with the pimples on top and cut them to fit carefully, sharp knife and use a water and washing up liquid mix , put a piece of wood under to cut i did'nt use any sealant been down 3 years now
I put in one big bale of shavings muck out daily and get wet out ( horses in at night) and a quick skip out last thing, I dont add anymore, just let shavings run low then shovel and brush the remaning out and start again, seems to still be a reasonble bed up to about 5 days.
if your horses are clean ie they do it in the same place may last longer I have one thats clean and one thats mucky hope this helps...

Post edited by: Roland, at: 2008/04/20 21:23

Post edited by: Roland, at: 2008/04/20 21:54

Rubber mats with Aqua max bedding is the best ive found so far.The aqua max bedding goes a long way and i only get half a wheel barrow at most a day from my very manky mare.

I have used both equimats and rubber crumb mats.
Equimats I found to be very good, offering a soft bed, they can be a bit slippery untill your horse gets used to them.
Crumb mats on the other hand, absorb quite a bit of urine, are heavy to handel and hold the smell
My friend used fieldguard mats which are also very good.
its true what people say about messy rugs and in the end I used a turnout rug as it can be hosed off.
you have to use quite a bit of disinfectant and preperation of the stable floor to get the fall right, so tht urine doesn't pool under the mats.
As for bedding I have used wood shavings and long straw.
My horse is no longer stabled but now has access to a field shelter( that he uses as a latrine ).
As and when my youngster is stabled in the future I think I would be more inclined to use either chopped straw or hemp bedding to improve on the absorbtion.
I hope this helps you