I am building a boarding/training barn and considering putting rubber mats for my center aisle. The aisle way will be 14X100 feet. I would love peoples opinions that have done a center aisle is all rubber mats. Also, where are good places to buy the mats from. I have also seen aisle ways the are mats down the middle and then a few feet of concrete on the side. Any opinions on that? My other option is concrete so would you prefer concrete over rubber mats or vis versa. The barn is being built in GA. Thank you!
I’ve got a 12’ dirt aisle that I covered with rubber mats. Whenever they were on sale at the feed store I’d buy about 4-6 depending how broke I was at the time. I did cover it over a period of years. My barn is 100’ long but the only area that the horses are allowed are from the front door to about 55’ down. The remaining area is for hay and shavings, jumps etc.
Initially I started with 2 mats each at 2 grooming areas. I gradually was able to put them completely down the center with ~ 3’ of dirt on either side. There were never more than 2 people riding at one time and most of the time only one so there wasn’t heavy traffic. Eventually I did completely cover the entire 12’.
Keep in mind though that when they got wet they were slick. Also, if the horses came in with snow packed in their hooves, they could slip as well.
I personally dislike either asphalt or concrete where the horses walk and actually prefer just a hard-packed clay aisle but the maintenance is a PITA with that. :sigh:
My trainer’s barn has a concrete aisle with mats just in the crosstie areas. My own barn has a fully matted aisle. I like them both, so I think it just depends on your preference and budget.
I’ve not had issues at either barn with horses slipping, but I did buy the textured mats, not the smooth ones. I just wait until they are on sale at Rural King or TSC (usually they get marked down to $29) and then stock up.
We poured a concrete apron that fit two mats side by side. We did it for the length of the barn.
We did not build our barn but it has heavy rubber mats down the main concrete aisle. I personally like them, concrete can be a little slippery when they spook. I bought special “mat grabbers” to clamp on to them so I can move them for cleaning or drying out the concrete underneath them for any minor floods from blowing rain or hose malfunctions. they are quite heavy and unwieldy.
My Grand Plan was to concrete the aisle, then top the center with mats. (36x 36 5 stalls plus tack room) My wallet’s plan was dirt with mats on top. Works fine so far, just hard to be as OCD as I’d like about neatness with dirt on the sides. But really, it’s fine
I have concrete aisles that I’ve covered with mats. I am very uncomfortable with concrete, as I feel it is slippery and unforgiving when a horse spooks even a little. I don’t find the mats move much at all and have been happy with them. Have not had a problem with them being slippery when wet.
Throwing this out there since you’re starting from scratch, although you didn’t mention it as an option - I have a concrete paver aisle with rubber mats in the cross tie area. It looks nice, is not slippery, and cleans up well.
Equine Affaire sells the mats when they’re done – well, their vendor does, and you have to transport them. Maybe any other big shows near you are worth checking with? That’s a ton of mats you need – look for wholesale, not retail, somehow!
I like rubber mats in the aisle.
[QUOTE=FitToBeTied;8687898]
We poured a concrete apron that fit two mats side by side. We did it for the length of the barn.[/QUOTE]
Wish I had done this. My aisle is just under 12 ft, so really matting it means trimming mats - UGH!! SO, I have about one foot on either side, and that means I am constantly adjusting the mats because they shift around as horses walk and trucks drive through the aisle.
We have two barns at our farm. One has a brushed concrete aisleway with rubber mats in the crosstie area and the other has the rubber pavers in the aisleway. Although I find both surface great in terms in security of footing/non slipperiness, the rubber pavers always seem to look dirty no matter how much I sweep. I much prefer the brushed concrete and it was much cheaper as well. I live in Ontario where snow balls in the feet are a major issue and I have no issues with slippage on the brushed concrete.
Mats can be slippery when wet, even the textured ones, but so can concrete. I have them just in my cross tie area. Make sure you get the heavy duty, heavy thick ones
Having boarded in several facilities over the years, and having had my own big (but only three stalls) barn at home, I have some preferences:
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Concrete, brushed, can be washed, sterilized, swept and blown and looks good for years. Yes, it can be slick when wet vs. shod or unshod horses…but so are mats (and even dirt is slick when wet).
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Mats never look clean after even a limited amount of use. They shift…no matter how well fitted they are. They are soft underfoot, and quiet to walk on. You can wash them, blow and sweep (but see my “dirty” comment above).
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Solid rolls of matting can be used to avoid the curly edges/separation that can occur with mats. There was a thread about it here recently. I have this in my barn, which came with smooth concrete floors (OMG–so incredibly slick…all the time!!). I bought 4x50 rolls to run the length of my aisle. Even though it’s thinner than a standard mat, they don’t move due to the length/weight.
So my first choice would be brushed concrete with mats in the grooming stall areas. Asphalt is also a good choice (and often cheaper than concrete), but it too can be slick…and always looks a bit dirty unless you can wash it periodically. I like the light color of concrete vs. the black of mats/asphalt.
I saw this one before, but it was a barn with a concrete aisle, probably 14+’ wide by however many long (a lot, big fancy barn). The concrete was poured in such a way that a foot or so on either side was there, and the mats sat on top of concrete in the middle but were set down into a lower level, so the mats were flush with the sides and couldn’t slide around. It was pretty nice looking, and eliminates the complaint above them shifting.
FWIW, now that I’m at the barn by myself, I took some mats and laid them down the aisle because the concrete was so damn slick. Every time we walked in, one horse’s front feet would slide way forward, and even the smallest spook and it was like an ice rink. It’s a converted cow barn, so the cement is pretty smooth. It’s never shifted around noticeably, looks clean, and added bonus, scraping up the barn swallow poop is easier!
I have better pictures, but I’m on super slow internet and got tired of scrolling and waiting, but here’s my aisle.
[QUOTE=Calvincrowe;8690263]
Having boarded in several facilities over the years, and having had my own big (but only three stalls) barn at home, I have some preferences:
- Concrete, brushed, can be washed, sterilized, swept and blown and looks good for years. Yes, it can be slick when wet vs. shod or unshod horses…but so are mats (and even dirt is slick when wet).
I Blow my mats every day and they look nice…we follow up with a sprinkle can of Lemon scented cleaner and all 3 barns looks good and smells nice.
- Mats never look clean after even a limited amount of use. They shift…no matter how well fitted they are. They are soft underfoot, and quiet to walk on. You can wash them, blow and sweep (but see my “dirty” comment above).
My mats have never shifted once cut and fitted to walls and end of aisle concrete door lintel/tracks. We power wash and fan dry at least 2x year and once in 10 years pulled up and re leveled stone dust/blue stone packed base.
- Solid rolls of matting can be used to avoid the curly edges/separation that can occur with mats. There was a thread about it here recently. I have this in my barn, which came with smooth concrete floors (OMG–so incredibly slick…all the time!!). I bought 4x50 rolls to run the length of my aisle. Even though it’s thinner than a standard mat, they don’t move due to the length/weight.
So my first choice would be brushed concrete with mats in the grooming stall areas. Asphalt is also a good choice (and often cheaper than concrete), but it too can be slick…and always looks a bit dirty unless you can wash it periodically. I like the light color of concrete vs. the black of mats/asphalt.[/QUOTE]
I don t use the rolled length of rubber mats…used conveyer belting…it tends to fray where the material rubber is adhered to wears. Pricing concrete and asphalt plus adding in mats will get Very expensive…as are rubber blocks. Once Concrete gets stained from Hoof Oils and manure stains n fly spray spills etc…it is dirty forever…
Reviving this thread! New barn, I am toying with a concrete apron to secure the edges of a center aisle mat but leaving the center gravel, draining type flooring with a long rubber mat down it. It is 60 feet long so not cheap for mats but also save on concrete pour. The aisle would be about 13 feet wide so I could do one 5 foot wide continuous mat or put two together for a ten foot wide. I would love wall to wall matting but cutting mats is a real PITA. Ideas?
Our main barn (already built when we bought it) has a brushed concrete aisle with indentations in it where the rubber mats fit in perfectly. No shifting whatsover.
We have been here for 16 yrs, and I don’t know when they were put in before that, but it has to be 20+ years.
I don’t think anyone can complain about that!
I sweep, and then blow the aisle, and every once in a while wash the aisle down, and it still looks good.
[QUOTE=Fred;8817949]
Our main barn (already built when we bought it) has a brushed concrete aisle with indentations in it where the rubber mats fit in perfectly. No shifting whatsover.
We have been here for 16 yrs, and I don’t know when they were put in before that, but it has to be 20+ years.
I don’t think anyone can complain about that!
I sweep, and then blow the aisle, and every once in a while wash the aisle down, and it still looks good.[/QUOTE]
How wide is your aisle and how wide are the mats?
Linear Rubber in Kenosha, WI cuts to size and I believe they can do some pretty long lengths. With shipping I’m not sure how that would compare to just buying from a local farm store when mats are on sale.
I used Linear’s mats in a small aisle and it is great just having one seam down the middle. Put them in years ago and have not had to touch them since. They are heavy to install, but they come rolled up, so we just kind of lined them up and unrolled.
We did concrete in the 24’ tack room, feed room, office and treatment/wash stall. The cost was significant!! Not just the material, but the men to “work it” so it was perfectly flat and smooth. The rest of the center aisle was gravel base with fine stone dust and mats on top!! It was very satisfactory IMO. I don’t like horses moving on plain concrete!! They can and do slip!!
