Insanely slippery new stall mats -- used in barn aisle

[danacat]

I just re-matted my entire barn aisle with these mats from Tractor Supply. Big mistake! They have some sort of a coating on them – very shiny surface – and my horses are slipping on them. So dangerous!

I thought the coating might wear off in time, and/or that the surface would ‘dull’ and be less slippery but that hasn’t happened. I’m going to turn some of them over and see if the other side is less slippery – if not, they have to go!

Warning to others – do NOT buy these mats! Even though they appear grippy due to the raised pattern they are not grippy at all. Serious liability.

[GraceLikeRain]

I’m so sorry. That sounds dangerous and frustrating.

If the other side isn’t better before you chuck them I wonder if some type of rhino liner esque spray might help?

[danacat]

I’m not sure if anything will actually stick to these mats. I thought about sprinkling a very gritty sand all over them and letting the horses grind it in. Maybe?

[4horses]

You probably want some sort of fiber roof coating material to give texture to the mats.

[danacat]

Interesting idea!

[Demerara_Stables]

Super frustrating to have a “non slip” product arrive and be, in fact, very slippery. I experienced this with a wash stall product.

It might be a ton of work, but do you think you could take sand paper to them to grind off some of the coating and get down to the bare rubber? You could test a small spot by hand and if that works use a belt sander, or rent one of those floor polishers and put a sand paper pad on it and use that. At least it would save you having to chuck them. 🤷

[Simkie]

Ugh, how sucky

Totally the wrong time of year but I’d consider pressure washing with a degreaser, to see if that helps.

Or if you can wait on em for awhile, and have the space, chuck them outside to weather in the elements for a few months

[LCDR]

That is interesting. I put down TSC mats ten years ago (at least from TSC and same pattern) and they were not slippery, and they weren’t shiny either. I have been told the new mats are USA manufactured while the older TSC mats were produced in Canada. Maybe the new production process involves a coating, or it is a releasing agent used to aid mat removal from the production mold.

The picture reminds me of the times I have gotten silicone tire spray on my running boards and they were dangerously slick, but only for a few days until the coating wore off.

If these were mine, I’d sprinkle some coarse sand over the top and scrub away with a stiff push broom to abrade the surfaces. I think once the tops of the nubs are abraded the slickness will be reduced.

[PaddockWood]

What a bummer and yes, how dangerous! What about a round sander type tool - electric? I bet in no time at all you could buff up a rough surface.

[ZuzusPetals]

I’d call TSC and the manufacturer pronto and get a refund. This could be a production issue that neither is aware of. Perhaps you got the sole odd batch. If not, loads of people and animals could be at serious risk. Don’t try to salvage these mats. You’ll never trust that you altered them sufficiently to be safe.

[NaturallyHappy]

I’m w @ZuzusPetals. And sanding that rubber… even in a mask that can’t be good for you. I’ve never seen mats like that. And if they get wet…yikes!

[skydy]

@ZuzusPetals

I’d call TSC and the manufacturer pronto and get a refund. This could be a production issue that neither is aware of. Perhaps you got the sole odd batch. If not, loads of people and animals could be at serious risk. Don’t try to salvage these mats. You’ll never trust that you altered them sufficiently to be safe.

Definitely. If they are being marketed as stall mats you need to make a fuss.

[PaddockWood]

@NaturallyHappy

I’m w @ZuzusPetals. And sanding that rubber… even in a mask that can’t be good for you. I’ve never seen mats like that. And if they get wet…yikes!

True. Yep, take em back. Refund.

[Pico_Banana]

I have some of those in a couple of stalls. I agree that they are slippery, especially if wet. I deal in the stalls because the shavings prevent slipping, but that doesn’t work in the aisle. FYI mine are about a year old with no real change in the slipperiness.

If you are looking for a good floor for your aisle, I have the lock stone shown here:

SoftStep

It is AWESOME. Not slippery at all, comfy but firm. One specialist vet who came to my barn remarked that it was the best flooring she’d ever been on. The only downside is that you really need to blow it to get it completely clean. So most days I just sweep and leave the little bits in the cracks.

[S1969]

I would try to send them back. I just looked at the website and it looks like they are the ones labeled as “anti slip” but when you read the description they are for things like the back of vans and to put treadmills on. (Though the brand name is “Barn Star” which makes it sound like a barn floor mat).

[OkLurchers]

I have the tractor supply mats like yours in all my stalls plus the aisle and outside wash rack. Have never had a problem, but mine are smooth side up unlike your picture. I’ve used this type of mat for about 24 years, replacing them as needed. I replaced a stall mat a couple of months ago with no problems, so I’m wondering if yours are manufactured poorly.

[danacat]

I’ll let TS know how slippery these mats are but I’d be very surprised if they refunded me or took them back (mats have been cut to fit around stall openings etc) especially since I’ve had them for a couple of months – but maybe!

In the meantime I’ll try turning them over – if that doesn’t work I’ll put my old mats back down. Luckily I saved them, was going to use them when I redo my stalls. The old ones are a grab bag of different types / patterns – won’t look as nice as having them all the same but at least they aren’t slippery!

What a giant PITA! Worse part was that my contractor picked them up and had them all down while I was away for the day. More my fault for not okaying the mats before installation, but even then I might have thought they were fine. Such is life.

[LCDR]

During my visit to my TSC this morning I went outside to look at their stall mats. Employee said 4x6 foot, 3/4 inch stall mats can come from different manufacturers. It depends on the corporate office in Tennessee who make the decisions on the supplier.

They had two brands in stock today and were selling the older mats off first. The few older mats were stacked on top of a fresh pallet of new ones. My TSC mats purchased ten years ago were made by a different company than either of the two.