Stall mat experiences...good and bad please? NEW QUESTION 1-28-16

[fergusnc]

Planning ahead and starting my research. Looking at cost, availability, shipping madness as applicable, non traditional sized areas and stalls I will have...and trying to absorb it all.
Areas will have been professionally graded and packed, topped with gravel screenings also tamped, so doing my best to have a good set up for mats to cover.
Interlocking mats seem the best bet IF I can afford them and their shipping (depending on the company). Wondering about how companies really compare in pro's and cons.
And worst case scenario if I underestimate my threshold for hemorhaging money....what do I need to know about less expensive options and not buying a product/from a company I will later regret...like someone I know experienced in the last few months.
If it matters...I will have the horses out except for meals and really nasty weather. My boy isn't a big mover in his stall, nor does he stand in one favorite spot. He is a big 'un...about 1550 pounds. Not sure who his buddies will be so can't speak to their size or habits.

Please share the good and bad, the if you had it to do over again stories, etc. And thank you all for your continued support in helping this Type A girl try to gather info in advance and prep as best I can as I work towards the reality of this life long dream.

[DJR]

I just use the 4x6' stall mats that are 3/4" thick rubber with ribbing on one side (the bottom side, for better drainage underneath) and pearling on the topside for traction. I've used them over sand in one of my barns, over sand-on-gravel in another, and over cement in my oldest barn. They do a great job in each instance. The ones on cement I do have to drag out and air out once a year, and those ones shift a bit more because I didn't spend time cutting a strip to fit between the regular sized mats and the wall (approximately 6-8" gap). I now have some scrap pieces that I can use for that purpose which will remove the shifting problem. They are not interlocking but I'm quite happy with them.

[khall]

I've heard the inter locking mats are terrible and I can image considering how hard it is to keep mats with straight edges together properly. Still mulling over ideas that would fasten mats together to eliminate that issue!

I use the TSC mats, HEAVY mats but as with most mats except maybe soft stalls ones you need to bed deep enough so mats have good shavings coverage to help the problem of slipping.

[Saddlebum]

I love my stall savers. Had them for about 5+ years and they are holding up perfectly. But, I have 4 stalls in the barn which hardly get used except in extreme weather conditions and I happen to be home. I have a mat at the entrance inside the barn for them to stand on while grooming, trimming, etc. and this mat gets used the most inside the barn and it's just in perfect shape.

Then outside, I have mats in the two stalls in the run-in shed and here, the guys are hanging out daily -- same things, just like new but dirty. I have two mats under the feed tires and these get stepped on continously all day long as well as exposure to the sun daily and they're just like new but very very dirty and probably weigh a lot with all that dirt in the pours of the mat.

Check out the web site http://www.stallsavers.com/

Cons: I'm bad as I didn't prep the areas properly. I should have put down stone, then gravel (tamped down), then the mats for the best drainage.

Pro: The mats are porous and let urine and water drain right through, this is a positive feature for me. A 13' x 13' mat weighs 40#s, easy to manuver around. They are only 1/4" thick but are cushy and give to pressure which is easy on the horse.

[Red Barn]

I have thick mats over concrete, and I agree that they have to be fitted very tightly to deliver best results.

I'd recommend cutting them just slightly larger than needed, and then pounding them in with a mallet. You can't leave any gaps at all, even teeny ones, or moisture will get underneath, and it'll be stinky for sure.

Having done that, I love them.

[fergusnc]

Thanks gang, please keep it coming!

So khall...when you say slipping, do you mean the mats slipping around the stall or the horse slipping on the mat?

Saddleum...the friend with a recent mat failure is looking into something similar to what you use. Her question, and I guess mine too, is about how the pee drains through and into the gravel and dirt (here red clay)....how does that not lead to stinky smells during seasons when horses stay in more with bad weather?

Re proper fit of mats...if you have an odd size stall or an old barn where everything is not perfectly straight or square....what do you use to cut them so you wedge them in?

[Kelo]

I have the Tractor Supply Co 4x6 mats.

They have been in use about a year, and are working fine. Still too early to make a conclusion but they are good so far.

We custom cut them by measuring, marking the mats, then heaving them onto a work table and using an electric hand saw (saws all).

[dasher]

I have had 4X6 3/4" stall mats in my barn for years. Love them!
I installed them over black top.
I drove gutter nails thru them right into the black top to keep them from shifting. Never had a nail come up.
I have found that installing them in cold weather keeps the seams tighter.
By that, I mean, the mats shrink in the cold weather.
Never had them buckle when the temps got hot out.
Only ever had to take the mats out of one stall to clean underneath.
I love that the rodents cannot burrow under the mats like they can with the softer base materials like stone.
I use a hack saw to cut the mats to fit. Cuts them like butter! (just need someone to pull the pieces apart when cutting)

[Canyon]

Instead of mats, here is an idea for stalls that uses 2 x 4s laid on edge with 1 ½” spacings, gaps filled with screenings; FWIW, the farm is in NC. If you read down through that thread, the owner describes her method in detail. I have been fascinated with this idea since I first read about it.

Go to her Facebook page and click on the Photo tab; the barn and floor photos are at the bottom of the 2014 group.

[khall]

I mean that the horses can slip on wet (urine puddles) mats, even the best ones with traction on them. When we built our barn over 10 yrs ago now, we had mats from the old barn which were actual belting from a quarry, mats that we purchased from Barnmaster (very $) and one stall with TSC mats. They all hold up pretty much the same. I do have screenings under the mats which can shift and I have pulled them up once to redo all of them. I still will have issues with some mats that will curl at the edges and are big PIA. To be honest the best mats are the quarry mats, they are full stall length and if they curl I just flip them over. BTW they were very economical!! The mats that I purchased have been much more difficult to deal with. Still would not have a barn without mats and if I could afford expensive pour ins I would go for those.

[redsoxluvr]

We have an open mare motel barn and the decision to get mats was an epic failure. When rain would blow in they got incredibly slick. They lasted less than a month before we ripped them up.

Never again. Oh, and if you do get them make sure your base is perfectly level and drains well. Otherwise you will have a disgusting quagmire of urine in no time.

[Red Barn]

Re proper fit of mats...if you have an odd size stall or an old barn where everything is not perfectly straight or square....what do you use to cut them so you wedge them in?

All my stalls are odd sizes, so we did have to buy several extra mats. Leftover bits and pieces ended up in Mr Reds Barn's shop, if I recollect rightly.

Anyhow, Mr RB and a friend did the whole thing by themselves, measuring with a tape and then cutting the mats by hand. I think they used a plain old box-cutter, though I could be wrong about that. In any event, I remember that the jigsaw was a complete failure, as the blade over-heated, and everything got gummed up . . . not a pretty picture, and much swearing.

[Tuffytown]

When we have cut we have used a box cutter- utility knife against a metal straight edge with a board underneath the cut to facilitate spreading while you re scribe the cut area.

[DJR]

When we have cut we have used a box cutter- utility knife against a metal straight edge with a board underneath the cut to facilitate spreading while you re scribe the cut area.

That's what I have done, too. Easy peezy.

[Canyon]

Any comments on whether or not buying something like EZ Grip Mat Mover is worth the price?

[Tuffytown]

We use plain old slip joint pliers which have lots of other uses. Or adjustable locking pliers.

[DJR]

Any comments on whether or not buying something like EZ Grip Mat Mover is worth the price?

That's what I use to move my rubber mats. They are big, heavy, and awkward, and with the EZ Grip Mat Movers I can move 30+ mats in one go without getting too tired. I tried vice grips but they were harder for me to hold onto when dragging the mats. I love the EZ Grips.

[bits]

Has anyone ever used the Ultimat from this company? https://www.facebook.com/equimat/?fref=nf http://equimats.com/

[ironbessflint]

We use the TSC mats as well. Fairly inexpensive and easily obtainable when we decide we need just a few more over there! Ours have been in use for about five years, over dirt and now over concrete, and still look great. There is some shifting around, but we cut to fit pretty closely and the movement is minimal.

If you're not over concrete, I saw these at a local tack store and they looked great! http://www.stallmatklips.com/products.html

[fergusnc]

Local Southern States store has mats that are 6x8' and 3/4" thick. Only ones they carry. 15 yr warranty, all parts made in USA! All recycled materials. Only $39.99 each. Good reviews. Will bigger size be harder or easier to get tight fit?

[Quelah]

If you want to do stall saver stall skin type things, see if you can buy some direct, it will likely be a big roll, from a place that sells geotextiles. That's what they are, they're not made for the horse industry. Downside, you can't just buy a couple of stalls worth, upside, you can save a bunch of money. I did all my stalls in them initially, and have gradually changed over to rubber mats which I prefer.

[fergusnc]

I don't think I like the skin type idea... Plus these are in stock locally, and we have hit a gigantic and unexpected bump in the road and need to take the 6 months I planned to use to get the farm horse ready and boil it down to, now, 27 days.

Just wonder if the larger size would be helpful or a hinderence (sp?)...most all others I have seen are two feet shorter.

[fergusnc]

DJR and anyone else that uses the EZ grip...do you use two?

[Tarlo Farm]

Use channel locks or vise grips to move mats. No need for something special.

[demi]

I had the 6x8x3/4 TSC mats and wouldn't do it again. They are very difficult for one small person to move alone. I had to do it in a hurry also and because of the rush the base wasn't prepared well. In put in caliche base and only wet and rolled it once. Should have been wet and rolled several times. The big mats were difficult to cut and some cutting was necessary to get a good fit.

Anyway, the mats shifted a lot and I was always having to adjust them. Maybe if the base was perfect, as in concrete, they wouldn't shift as much but I am skeptical... I finally took them out (and used them as flooring in the tractor shed). My horses are rarely closed in their stalls so the mats weren't as important as for horses that spend a lot of time in stalls.

[demi]

I tried used channel locks and vice grips and it was still hard to move them. The shavings were in the way and had to be swept out of the way first.

[angela9823]

Fergusnc, not sure what part of NC you are in, but there is a place called Carolina Fitness Equipment in Charlotte that occasionally has the same mats TSC has for $5 less each. They also OCCASIONALLY have them used for half the price. And by used I mean they were used in gyms so they don't get the same kind of wear that a normal horse mat would get nor are they normally exposed to the weather so they don't look used as horse people normally know as used. If you are close enough, you might reach out to them to see what they have.

[DJR]

DJR and anyone else that uses the EZ grip...do you use two?

I bought two, but prefer to use only one.

I attach one EZ grip in the middle of either the long or short side of the mat depending on my end placement. I then hold the EZ grip handle with one hand and hold the "latch" of the EZ grip with the other hand and pull with both hands. This clamps the "latch" even more strongly down onto the mat and prevents awkward slippage partway through a move.

I have the 6x4x3/4 mats on three different surfaces. One surface is concrete. One is sand over gravel. And the third is sand over dirt. Here's my experience with the mats on these three different surfaces:

1. Mats shifting.
Worst on concrete - fixed by ensuring a tight fit of the mats (but not too tight otherwise rippling can happen).
Least on sand over gravel or sand over dirt - any mild shifting results in the cracks filling with sand from below and that acts as grout to prevent further slippage. From time to time I have to sweep the bare mats to remove excess sand that has surfaced, but it isn't a big problem.

2. Drainage.
Worst on concrete. I find that I have to remove all mats at a minimum of annually, optimally 2-3 times a year (but I rarely get to it that often), then dry out the concrete and the underside of the mats before putting the mats back in place. The area where the mats are used on concrete is a big run-in (30' deep x 12' wide) and the horses are never locked in overnight - they come and go - so they have the option of going out to lie down in the pasture vs. in the shelter. I used to bed it down deeply to help sop up the urine (why oh why do horses pee on shavings when they have an entire lovely pasture to pee in???). Now I don't do that because I found that a light bed was enough to soak up urine since they seem to prefer to pee in the shelter and lie down in the pasture (the rotters).
Best on sand. I've had zero issues with odor or drainage and have not had to remove the mats since they were laid down (4 yrs now).

3. Moving mats.
Easiest on concrete as they slide well, but it really isn't much harder on sand.
I did NOT tamp down the sand before adding mats. I just raked it to a reasonably level plane and slid the mats on top of it. Over time, with the horses on top of the mats, they've settled but without any major ripples or problems with corners coming up. When a corner comes up from time to time, I just lift the mat and re-excavate the sand and then settle the mat back down.

I single-handedly put 37 mats down in my new barn recently. I collected the mats myself, loaded them in the trailer, unloaded them, and placed them including cutting them where needed. It was hard work because the mats are heavy, but very feasible (I'm a semi-fit 5'7" slightly overweight 50-something year old). I used a single EZ grip for all of this. I got quite good at it as I went on, including learning just where to attach the EZ grip to make the final placement go well. The end result was very pleasing (and personally gratifying!) and is holding up well.

[Abby Kogler]

Have had several barns and mat/floor combinations through the years.

An excellent stall floor that I made when I lived in MA and converted a dairy barn with a concrete floor: we brought in about five inches of sand and then used 2x12 red oak boards. No mats. Shavings on top of the boards. We did this in 1990 and I know from our old neighbors that they are still solid and intact and in daily use.

I have used every configuration of mats and 4x6 and interlocking and conveyor belt and... Mats over concrete. Mats over sand. Mats over screenings. They always, over time, no matter how we prepared the base, over time would get pee in between which necessitated taking them out and redoing the base. Even if you only have to do that every couple of years or so it is such a PIA.

So when I had to take the barn down and move it and started over I bought stallskins. It comes in rolls and you can buy as much as you want or one stalls worth. I brought the horses home in May. My bedding costs are less than half what they were with the mats. There is no pee hole if you are on screenings. They are the driest most wonderful things I have ever had in my entire life. They have paid for themselves already with reduced bedding costs and time and I no long need the dumpster emptied three times a week. I love the stuff. I would never ever ever ever ever go back to mats >;-> Did I say ever?

I second the single ezgrip. I have dragged the (expletive deleted) things all over creation and its as easy as it gets.

[jeniferkey]

I have the 6x4x3/4 on the concrete apron around and in the barn. I also have 4 6X12 in my 12X24 stall. I like the larger ones because they cover more area and don't shift as much. They are expensive new though. I got mine used. I've noticed the 6X4 breaking apart as the glue seems to give way. Pieces are coming off some of them. The larger ones are supposed to be solid rubber and not pressed particle and I don't see that issue with them. I overlap my large ones in the stall and it doesn't seem to bother the horses any more than the uneven ground outside. They don't stay in the stall much but it makes clean out so much easier and keeps them from wearing holes anywhere.

[Chisamba]

Have had several barns and mat/floor combinations through the years.

An excellent stall floor that I made when I lived in MA and converted a dairy barn with a concrete floor: we brought in about five inches of sand and then used 2x12 red oak boards. No mats. Shavings on top of the boards. We did this in 1990 and I know from our old neighbors that they are still solid and intact and in daily use.

I have used every configuration of mats and 4x6 and interlocking and conveyor belt and... Mats over concrete. Mats over sand. Mats over screenings. They always, over time, no matter how we prepared the base, over time would get pee in between which necessitated taking them out and redoing the base. Even if you only have to do that every couple of years or so it is such a PIA.

So when I had to take the barn down and move it and started over I bought stallskins. It comes in rolls and you can buy as much as you want or one stalls worth. I brought the horses home in May. My bedding costs are less than half what they were with the mats. There is no pee hole if you are on screenings. They are the driest most wonderful things I have ever had in my entire life. They have paid for themselves already with reduced bedding costs and time and I no long need the dumpster emptied three times a week. I love the stuff. I would never ever ever ever ever go back to mats >;-> Did I say ever?

I second the single ezgrip. I have dragged the (expletive deleted) things all over creation and its as easy as it gets.

So how did you avoid getting pee between the oak boards to avoid having to take them up to clean underneath. If urine soaks between two or three giant mats with seams, how is it not going ti soak through boards with seams every few inches? Your logic escapes me.

[fergusnc]

Fingers crossed...I bought the big mats yesterday, and ordered an EZ Grip online yesterday as well. Had to research as best as I could but also go with what was available quickly. This week I got basically 30 days notice that our boarding barn no longer wants to board. So...DH and I are looking at our six months plan and condensing to 30 days just so that I don't have to endure the search for a new barn and put my boy through another change. Overdrive to say the least!

[Abby Kogler]

Have had several barns and mat/floor combinations through the years.

An excellent stall floor that I made when I lived in MA and converted a dairy barn with a concrete floor: we brought in about five inches of sand and then used 2x12 red oak boards. No mats. Shavings on top of the boards. We did this in 1990 and I know from our old neighbors that they are still solid and intact and in daily use.

I have used every configuration of mats and 4x6 and interlocking and conveyor belt and... Mats over concrete. Mats over sand. Mats over screenings. They always, over time, no matter how we prepared the base, over time would get pee in between which necessitated taking them out and redoing the base. Even if you only have to do that every couple of years or so it is such a PIA.

So when I had to take the barn down and move it and started over I bought stallskins. It comes in rolls and you can buy as much as you want or one stalls worth. I brought the horses home in May. My bedding costs are less than half what they were with the mats. There is no pee hole if you are on screenings. They are the driest most wonderful things I have ever had in my entire life. They have paid for themselves already with reduced bedding costs and time and I no long need the dumpster emptied three times a week. I love the stuff. I would never ever ever ever ever go back to mats >;-> Did I say ever?

I second the single ezgrip. I have dragged the (expletive deleted) things all over creation and its as easy as it gets.

So how did you avoid getting pee between the oak boards to avoid having to take them up to clean underneath. If urine soaks between two or three giant mats with seams, how is it not going ti soak through boards with seams every few inches? Your logic escapes me.

Since when is relaying an experience a logic issue?! >;->

They were utterly tight with zero seams. They were twelve feet long and we used twelve of them for the 12z12 stalls with run ins. We banged them in with a mallet on the sides each one. Then we nailed a furring strip along all four edges. They were two inches thick. over a prepared sand/dg base. There was no movement at all. Mats are only 3/4 inch thick, and are usually 4x6 and they bend, are flexible. IME there will always be some leak, some shifting, they are heavy and are a gigantic PIA. I have them in the wash racks and I put a row of them in the front of each of the larger outside paddocks, on top of the stall skins, where I hang the hay nets and the gate in. Don't think I needed to but I have them left from the old configuration so I put them there. But every day as I zip through stalls and use a third of the bedding and Dri Stall that I used to use when everything was matted I sing a little happy song >;->