I have researched these and would like to hear from actual users. Are they worth the $ layout? Do they save the bedding & time cleaning the companies profess? Do the horses seem more comfortable?
Many thanks
In March 2012 I installed Stable Comfort mats from amberwayequine.com in 34 of my stalls. It took approx 14 months, but the $$$ I saved in shavings alone paid for the mats. Other savings came in the form or less work for employees, too.
After 3 years, the mats are still in great shape despite the efforts of a couple naughty horses who like to paw! I would recommend Amberway and Brian Lynch to anyone consider new matting.
Please feel free to email me at Rhonda@Icon-Sporthorses.com if you more specific questions.
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My horse was stabled at a barn with stall mattresses. I don’t know the brand but they were having some issues with horses that pawed and ripped the cover.
The bedding was very minimal as in about 1" when spread out. Because of the mattress horses were not getting hock sores or scrapes that would have happened with concrete. However, horses and blankets / sheets would get covered with urine. So, although you can use less bedding because it is a nice cushiony base, the horses still need sufficient bedding to soak up the urine so it does not puddle near the hay, soak thier blankets and body.
Personally, my favorite base for stalls is no concrete, or mats. Good old fashioned dirt/sand. I leased, boarded and worked at a barn for 10 years and with yearly to every other year replacement it was the best surface. No sand colics, hock sores, great drainage, reduced bedding, no urine stains on horse or blankets.
We have “softstall” stall mattresses in our stalls. The top rubber covers in some of the stalls has ripped in a few places and will be replaced this year. But these covers have been installed for almost 15 years now so not really complaining. And these horses all have shoes with corks. I do not see a savings in bedding however as our staff still beds the same as on straight clay footing.
I bought the Thurobed from Ramm two years ago and I love it. Absolutely worth every penny and still in great shape. I bought it because my horse had hock sores for a year that never would heal.
Becky
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We have cow mattresses. I like them. Our neighbour has them too but they use them with straw…definitely not good with straw as there is nothing to absorb the urine.
Make sure they are on a firm base. You don’t want them too soft. We actually did a couple stalls with plywood over the mattress (but under the cover) to make firmer stalls. too soft a stall is not ideal for horses with tendon/ligament issue (according to our vet at the time) as the horse has to readjust its balance more (like standing on a bed mattress)
We have had them 10 years and only one has a tear which we easily patched.
My farrier shoes at a barn that has stall mattresses and regular mats. They use more shavings in the stalls with regular mats, and less in the stalls with the mattresses (that’s a main selling point right?). He has found the hoof quality in the horses stabled on the mattresses to be much poorer than the horses on regular mats. His theory being they are in contact with urine more than the heavier bedded horses. No science here, just a really good farrier’s observation and opinion!
I have had them in the past and really liked them, especially for old, arthritic horses. However, I do bed just as heavily on the stall mattress as I do in a regular stall. I never really bought into the “uses less bedding” part. I tend to bed deeper than most barns with or without the mattresses.
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[QUOTE=Gainer;8072921]
I have had them in the past and really liked them, especially for old, arthritic horses. However, I do bed just as heavily on the stall mattress as I do in a regular stall. I never really bought into the “uses less bedding” part. I tend to bed deeper than most barns with or without the mattresses.[/QUOTE]
I boarded where they had the mattresses. Loved how sound my horse stayed. It didn’t seem to be any less bedding and did seem to hold a slight odor. I would definitely go for it if I had the chance because the soundness was so different on them.
After being in a barn with stall mattresses and seeing them in several others I would never have them. I hate how the horses were always standing on uneven footing. They were lumpy and there was the potential for the top covers to tear. I didn’t think it was beneficial for horses to be standing on such soft surface at all times as their feet were often at an unusual angle.
I did want something that provided excellent cushion though so that I could use less shavings. I went with EVA mats and am extremely happy. They have as much cushion as the mattresses but provide a level, firm surface. They can not tear and are very lightweight. They are the same surface as is used in dairy barns. They are about the same cost as mattresses but the installation is much easier. They can also be moved. I hated that the mattresses were attached to the stall walls. I have had many horses with improved soundness after being stabled on the EVA mats.
I have concrete in my (converted) barn and purchased the Thurobed mattresses from Ramm for my stalls. My horses are largely out 24x7 3 seasons and in at night during the winter. After 5 years we love them. I’ve had no issues with tears/durability. In our large 12x14 stalls I use 2-3 inches of pellet bedding and it takes me about 5 minutes per stall to clean. The horses like them and there have been no issues with their feet.
I managed a farm that used stall mattresses. I don’t know what brand they were as they were installed before I worked there. You can use less bedding in the hock sore department, but urine tends to pool on the stall mattresses, so you have to use more bedding. Also, the mattresses at this farm became slick when wet, so urine pooling was definitely an issue at this barn. I wish I knew the brand to tell you which ones to steer clear of as I am sure there are some better ones on the market!
I have them and love them. I still use plenty of shavings because I dont wAnt smelly stalls. I can especially tell when new horses come in… They love them!
Hand to God I visited a barn once that was being built by very rich people with very little clue.
Their plan was to hose out the stalls every day to clean them, so of course they needed drains in each stall.
So they cut a 6" diameter (exactly horse leg size) hole into each stall mattress so that the drain a foot below would be clear, and covered the hole with a little removable plastic cap.
I swear this is true.
[QUOTE=meupatdoes;8089569]
Hand to God I visited a barn once that was being built by very rich people with very little clue.
Their plan was to hose out the stalls every day to clean them, so of course they needed drains in each stall.
So they cut a 6" diameter (exactly horse leg size) hole into each stall mattress so that the drain a foot below would be clear, and covered the hole with a little removable plastic cap.
I swear this is true.[/QUOTE]
As a barn designer who listens to what people, who have never owned a barn before, say what they think they want, I KNOW this is true.
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I was curious about stall mattresses vs stall savers.
Whatever you do, don’t buy Soft Stall Advantage. All of mine failed completely - falling apart, peeling, soaked in urine in no time. Company refused to honor the warranty and blamed my installation. I followed their directions to the letter. I am aware of several other barns with a complete failure of the Soft Stall system. Comfort Stall and Stable Comfort (same as Ramm Fence) product are the way to go.
[QUOTE=winter;8075945]
I did want something that provided excellent cushion though so that I could use less shavings. I went with EVA mats and am extremely happy. They have as much cushion as the mattresses but provide a level, firm surface. They can not tear and are very lightweight. They are the same surface as is used in dairy barns. They are about the same cost as mattresses but the installation is much easier. They can also be moved. I hated that the mattresses were attached to the stall walls. I have had many horses with improved soundness after being stabled on the EVA mats.[/QUOTE]
I have purchased but not yet installed EVA mats, am very excited about them.
Do you use bedding on top of your mats?
I have had Stable Comfort stall mattresses in my 4 stall barn for about 10 years. LOVE THEM…at that time, the added cost per stall was approx $400. I had a horse with a suspensory ligament injury and I am VERY happy with the comfort they provide all of my horses. Also, if you have a digger, pawer or stall walker, they stay in place as they are attached to the stall wall and the cover is one-piece. We installed them ourselves 14 X 14 stalls…if you can afford them do it…it adds value to your barn, I think. It also is possible to get away with less shavings, although I still bed deeply at times. You can view online videos at the Stable Comfort website
Which kind of those are good for horses?
Their web site has them used for all kinds of flooring but horse stalls?
