Trying to determine best material to create a level dust-free base in our barn. I don’t want to use concrete. I’ve been hearing that clean, recycled asphalt millings compact well and are the least dusty (compared to something like road base). My concern is, if I use this material in the stalls, will it be too hard on their legs, like concrete. Stalls will be matted and bedded with shavings. I realize that I can just add and compact more clay but I may be reconfiguring things over time and would like, if possible, to have one uniform surface. TIA for helping me (over)think this thru! 
I find most of the dust in the barn comes from horses walking on and crushing the bedding, and from hay, and a little from grooming.
Concrete in the aisle, and packed clay covered with mats in the stalls is my favorite.
I would shy away from the asphalt due to…
The smell, if you have an enclosed tack/feed room with an asphalt floor,
It will burn, an issue if you ever need hot shoeing done.
If it gets hot enough in your part of Texas it will soften in the summer heat.
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If you are doing a good job matting the stalls, I don’t think it matters much what is underneath. Plenty of sawdust will soak up all the urine, although that will contribute to overall dust levels.
I have rubber pavers in the aisle. If you are going to “reconfigure” the barn, maybe just have packed clay with some shavings on top for the aisle, and sprinkle before raking to keep down the dust?? Not sure of your timeline or overall situation.
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I can speak with experience here: you do not want millings under your mats. The varied “particle” size makes it exceedingly difficult to get a consistent, level surface, and dragging the mats in to install them pulls up the larger chunks. Just no. Seriously, don’t do it.
I really like millings elsewhere and had them in a run in shed in a boarding barn where I kept my horses several years ago. It was great! I am very pro millings! But they are really unsuitable for stalls.
You want screenings for your stalls. Lime screenings, stone dust, decomposed granite…whatever the product is where you are. Call your quarry and ask for screenings, and they will bring what you need. Compacted screenings would also be suitable for your aisle.
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Great advice, thanks all!
:yes:
What Simkie said.
I had stonedust put down in my aisle & stalls 13yrs ago.
No mats, I use pelleted bedding right over the stone.
In the aisle it has hardened/compacted so it feels like cement to me, but horses still leave shallow hoofprints so it has some give for them.
It can be easily swept, even hosed & dust from the product is never a problem in stalls or aisle.
The only problem is rodents have tunneled some in the stalls - mostly near the doors - but not enough so refilling is an issue.
A topic near and dear to my heart … still getting used to a place I bought in June. The garage-o-barn (too small for stalls, so storage of equipment and hay only) has no concrete floor. Rodents and bugs abound. They are tunnelling under the walls to get inside. I’m trying to figure out what I can do that might possibly be effective, short of having it all concreted. Seriously the spaces near the walls look like swiss cheese they are so dug up. Dirt and crushed lime are what I’ve got, and it does nothing to stop them.
So if you are building new, and you have options, make sure your wall areas are protected somehow, whether it’s gravel or asphalt millings or something else.
Good luck!
Hi all, just wanted to circle back with an update. We ultimately decided to pack screenings to harden and level the surface and lay wall-to-wall 3/4" mats. I’m really liking it!
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I have concrete in stalls then rubber mats. I have had no issue in 20 years. However, the horses generally have a run or are turned out during the day.I have had those on stall rest up for weeks without issues.
