Rubber matting...

Prjsmk

Prjsmk

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Dec 1, 2017
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so got a 10x12 shelter which i am going to have properly converted in to a stable type shelter with a small slabbed outside area that will be fenced so this winter my cob isn't permanently in The wet and sludge will be on the slabs/shelter over nights but as he doesnt like to be shut in a stable he will still be able to have a small outside area

i have some rubber matting for inside the shelter... So my question is, how hygenic is it? If he pees/poos on it does it stay wet? Will it need regular washing down? His stable was a state every morning and needed washing down every other day, but that was concrete so dried pretty quick.... Soooo... Pros and cons for rubbing matting please?

oh will also be using the rape straw bedding
 
No need to be rude!

It will be exactly the same as it is in a stable, hygiene wise. The additional problem if you plan to put it straight on the dirt is that it will sink under his feet, especially when its wet underneath, so will end up quite unlevel and the mats moving. The ground underneath will also likely end up wet, muddy and stinking of pee, unless you put a really deep bed on it to stop any pee soaking down as far as the mats.
 
I lifted my mats start and end of winter when stabled and used a disinfectant powder after washing down under the mats. I use shavings or sawdust as it's more absorbent than straw imho and I don't stink of wee after mucking out. Now I have such a huge area both stables and the walk in part I'll be lucky if I lift them once every couple years they are laid on dry earth floor. Couple times a year I slosh the tops off with a virkon s disinfectant mix and just scrub with my broom,works a treat. Leaving your bed up will help dry and air the same on rubber as it does concrete just try to have them levelled in a way that you don' get a pool anywhere.
 
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To add my areas are huge so I don' really get a high collection of urine in any one part, you will have to manage your stable as you feel is needed.
 
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It does depend on the type and quality of matting that you use in the first place. If they are fitted properly with no gaps then it is harder for wee to get in underneath them. Mine are a mix of old mat cut off and I take them out every 4 months or so to give them and my whole stable a proper clean. It is a heavy disgusting job to move them and I end up covered in wee every time.
 
Ooo i dont like the sound of heavy disgusting job in winter :(

they wont be properly fitted, hopefully i get enough slabs to do the whole inside then, concrete sounds the better option lol. Its a 10x12 shelter but he will have a small slabbed outside area too... Im hoping he will do his toilet buisness outside but knowing him he will do it where ever and just lay in it!

@Jessey wasnt being rude was assuming no one used matting... Itl all be put on sand and i was thinking the pee would soak through the gaps and soak it all underneath...

hmm think il have to try both options before winter and see which is going to be best for long term use... Heres to hoping this winter doesnt last as long as the one we just had!
 
Prjsmk said:
Im hoping he will do his toilet buisness outside but knowing him he will do it where ever and just lay in it!
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Most horses will always choose to pee on something soft (like bedding) rather than a hard surface (like slabs) as they don't like splash back, chances of him choosing to pee outside are slim to none. I made the mistake of bedding my shelter once, they just started using it as a toilet which they never did when it was just a dirt floor, they would actually walk up from the field to go in and toilet then leave again, so that came out again pretty quick :rolleyes:

Prjsmk said:
Itl all be put on sand and i was thinking the pee would soak through the gaps and soak it all underneath...
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It will, it will be wet and stink unless you put something pretty solid down so it doesn't soak in.
 
@Jessey not liking the sound of it lol, probably rethink that then! Thankyou all for the info.

hardwork this cob is, extra hard work! Lol
 
If your thinking of paving slabs I know that under heavy cob weight they can break. But if you have the heavy duty rubber mats over the top they might be protected.
I recently put my rubber mats down in the yard so the horse could stand on it whilst I tacked up as the yard was a mud pool. The rubber mats sunk in the mud under horse weight and they just ended up covered as well.
 
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He has slabs on his tie up area, they are big sturdy ones for in the shelter, at his tie up area he has little crappy ones and so far havent broke (fingers crossed) the rubber mattingon the slabs however is a good idea! Thankyou

i cant think of anyother none permanent solutions other than slabs... He needs a little outdoor bit hes not a fan of being shut in completely
 
I'd leave the shelter as a dirt floor, put a slabbed area so he can get out of the mud and leave a small bit in the outside pen as just dirt, then he can go in to shelter, stand on the slabs and have an outdoor pee area. As I mentioned bedding my shelter was the worst ever, but once the bed was out of it, I put some permeable rubber mats (ex childrens playground, water runs through them so they don't get slippy and they are about 6" thick and packed onto sand so they don't sink into the mud so much) outside it and the horses just used it as a shelter again and stood on the mats to get out of the wet.
 
Reason i want him in is so hes not in the mud/dirt to avoid mud fever this year, he eas out in knee deep (onhim) snow for 3 days, then that ended up being knee deep sludge as the water ran off the hills it just got worse, so i wasthinking of him having over night on the dry givetheskin and feather (if it ever grows!) chance to dry out. I so dont want a repeat performance of mud fever :(
 
Good point, so i might leave it as dirty, see how it goes and then add a form of floor if i need to, il still put bedding in on the dirt so hes cosy and comfy (
 
Prjsmk said:
Good point, so i might leave it as dirty, see how it goes and then add a form of floor if i need to, il still put bedding in on the dirt so hes cosy and comfy (
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He will pee in it if there is bedding, then it will be wet and even worse, wet with pee. They sleep on dirt just fine, they manage it in the field :)
 
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I have tight fitting mats In the stalls
The floor in there is cement

So the mats won't shift

The old house and at Virginia's were on dirt
Over time they did have to be reset a bit and pee worked it's way under

At the old house we also had out in front of the stalls all matted as well.
 
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