Stall Flooring Recommondations - Around The Stable - Around The Stable - Horse Community, Horse Pictures, Horse Forum and Information

face

Posted : 6/29/2009 6:28:02 PM

I am preparing to build a horse barn and would like recommendations on stall flooring.

The debate is between dirt and rubber mats. My issue with mats is that urine has no where to go and in some situations I have seen it pool. Dirt can also be quite nasty when cleaning.

My primary experience has been with where I currently board my horses. They were at a facility that was dirt and then moved to one with rubber mats. In both situations, the people running the barn are HORRIBLE at cleaning stalls and wonder if the issues I see if more due to hem not cleaning the stalls on a regular schedule. My horses will primarily be outside and only in the barn when ill or during increment weather. The one exception would be a mare that will be breed from time to time, so her birthing stall will be another issue.

I appreciate your thoughts!

Broken A Ranch

Posted : 6/29/2009 8:41:43 PM

You know... I might do it this way if it were my barn.

Put a layer of lye ( I think its lye - could be wrong but what I am thinking of breaks down odor really well - they used to dump it on the bodies in open graves) over the dirt. Then a thin layer of gravel or sand or something that will filter for drainage. THEN put the stall mats over that. Then your bedding on top of that.

That way the urine has someplace to go away from the mats. You have something actively breaking down the odor factor which will help reduce flies.

theoldgreymare

Posted : 7/2/2009 4:05:19 PM

Our stalls are matted over compacted sand over stone dust. We have absolutely no problem with drainage or pooling as the mats are leveled and we use plenty of bedding that absorbs any urine. If your base and mats are installed properly, there should be no issue about where the urine goes. It is supposed to stay on top of the mats and be absorbed by whatever bedding you use. Eventually, some will seep into the seams where the mats meet but that is an easy fix. When you strip the stall, you spray the seam lines with whatever product you like that nuetralizes urine (we like Stable Fresh). Rebed and your ready to go.

Quirt

Posted : 7/3/2009 2:30:30 PM

yeah when it comes to stalls it also tends to depend on your climate.Here in one stable I worked at we had rubber mats and below them we layed bout 12 inches of cinder rock really porous. the water an what not that would wash off the mat once a week would go down thru it no prob while using wood shavings to do daily clean up. another Stable we had just a packed dirt floor with about a foot of shavings an as long as you where on it every other day you just went in like a litter box an picked out the clumps then every other week do a full stall clean out . 15 minutes was about the average clean up time.

PaintedChick

Posted : 7/6/2009 7:00:48 AM

[quote=Broken A Ranch]

You know... I might do it this way if it were my barn.

Put a layer of lye ( I think its lye - could be wrong but what I am thinking of breaks down odor really well - they used to dump it on the bodies in open graves) over the dirt.

I think you mean lime, or limestone. Lye will burn little feet if it gets wet! Well, big feet too. I had a lye crystal drop on my foot while making soap and it burned a hole right through my skin.