Torn - cement barn aisle/wash stall or try gravel w/mats for the winter - opinions?

[tpup]

Our barn will be done in a few weeks. After plumbing and electric, we are broke. Cementing the barn aisle, wash stall and tack room will be several thousand Our barn pad was done very nicely, so the stonedust/bluestone is packed down nicely throughout the barn. We have a 12 foot aisle, 12x12 wash stall and nice big stalls (4). Tack room has to be cemented as it is insulated and will have washer/dryer, HW heater and a small baseboard heat for only extreme cold to keep water fixtures from freezing.

The big costs are cementing aisle as it is 12x38. I am contemplating living with the stonedust and using mats on top. We will have drains in center of aisle and wash stall and can cut holes in the mats. Horses will be in at night from about Nov. to March. (I have 3 horses)

Thoughts? Live with it or bite the bullet and just cement it now?

[GoForAGallop]

I have a matted aisle over stone dust. Started out with just a pair of mats where the farrier had to work, and then over the years finished the whole thing.

If you’re doing the whole thing, you might be surprised that an aisle full of mats isn’t THAT much cheaper than a cement aisle. :lol: At least not with prices in my area.

[msj]

Why not leave it as is and do the aisle come spring after you’ve put some $ away all winter for it. You will have to re-level the aisle but with only a winter’s use, it won’t be a big task. I actually re-did my aisle (packed clay) (also 12’ but 100’ in length) after about 4 yrs. I saved up and every yr when they were on sale, bought rubber mats 4’ x 6’. I did the 4 stalls first and then grooming area. Then the entire length of the stalls plus feed and tack room at 60’. The remainder of the aisle was just for hay and shaving storage and didn’t get horse hoof traffic that the other part did.

While I personally hate both cement and aspalt, the rubber mats worked out very well. I’ve been here for 24 yrs and only one mat shows some wear but not enough to consider replacing it.

[Bluey]

I am in the same spot now.

I love concrete, is what we had practically every stable I was in in Europe and didn’t even have mats and was great.
I came to the USA and the West especially and it is all dirt stalls and what a mess, compared with concrete.
The horses are not any better or worse, but the stalls are worse, uneven ground that we kept having to level and much messier and smellier.

My problem, too many people hate concrete here.
I don’t want to put something down that others will later tear down, so many are against concrete, even with mats.

I may just try dirt with mats first, if it is as bad as I know it gets, will later concrete.
Or I will go ahead and put concrete with mats and see what happens later, which for me won’t be that far in the future.

Be aware that, if you use concrete, you will still want to use mats in many places, so you are not saving that money, really.

[ayrabz]

tpup…you’re only discussing cementing the aisle / washrack / and tack room, right? Not? the stalls? (sorry if I got that wrong, was reading Bluey’s above, and wondered.) Stalls: no. I would not cement. I would pack bluestone and mat.
aisle/washrack/tack…if you ‘know’ you want the cement done I agree either wait and save up and deal with it down the road, or concrete…but I agree matting those areas is going to cost. If you intend to use cement in them without mats, I’d go for it vs. buying mats AND concrete. the other consideration? I’d have is to work with/ask your concrete people in : is there a larger cost to only concrete the tack room and later want to level and add on the additional concrete?..

[Duramax]

I’d say bite the bullet and go concrete. It drives me bananas that the barn I’m in currently has an unpaved aisle. It’s impossible to clean and either gets dusty or mucky around the washracks. TSC
has mats for $39 (sometimes go on sale for $36) but that adds up quickly as I’ve discovered. I’ve put some mats down but I’m always frustrated that the aisle wasn’t concreted when the barn was built.

[js]

How deep would the concrete be? Is your current floor level with walls and stalls? Wouldn’t adding a concrete slab would require you to lower the level of the aisle so you could allow for the slab? When we did our barn the exterior walls were put up with an allowance for the slab. We waited to add any interior walls till the slab was poured; however we did sink the 6x6 posts that were needed for the stalls. I do have a double row of mats down the entire aisle but I cut the cost a tiny bit by using 1/2" mats for it.

[SuckerForHorses]

For a 12’ x 38’ area, you’d need 19 mats. At $39, that’s $741.

Personally, I have concrete for an aisle, and I put mats on TOP of the concrete. The concrete is rough (for traction) and it was a pain to really sweep. The mats are smooth so they sweep off easy.

Since I would personally prefer mats on top of concrete anyhow, I’d save my money and NOT do concrete, and put mats over the top of your bluestone.

[Bluey]

We will have to see what Tom tells us.

If you are putting other than concrete down, you still will have a cost to do that you should not have if you just put concrete down, a considerable cost.

Here, 4" of concrete down is running between $4 and $4.50 a square foot, depending on how much prep and framing work is there.

Horses are not people, they stand on four legs and hooves.
Horses love their soft spots to lay down, but to stand on, they really don’t care that much.
I have seen horses living by a concrete pad stand asleep on it as much as on a dirt spot.

Our horses will have direct access to their dirt pen outside 24/7, if that is their preferred spot.
Many here are quitting mats in stalls with dirt or gravel floors, they just don’t stay even without much maintenance.

For tack and feed rooms, any room really would be better off with a concrete floor.
Aisles, concrete is great to have a clean area there.
For us, we ride down the aisle, so we don’t want concrete there.

There is cost involved up front no matter what you use.
Save a little bit longer and put down what you think will work best for you, if it cost more.

[Zu_Zu]

NO ! don’t concrete aisle . live with packed stonedust / mat if and when necessary ~

Having lost a mare stopping quickly on a mat on top of a concrete aisle ~ she fractured her pelvis ~ I say NO ! cement + water + aggregates = concrete!

• Elegant Leader aka "Ellie’ was at the trainer’s … they left her in the indoor and the door slightly open to answer the phone

She pushed out … ran down the concreted w/ mats aisle !

:eek: they all screamed “WHOA!” she stopped and fell to her death :sadsmile:

I was not there `` I lived out of town

Yes, accidents happen but if your aisle is packed stonedust just live with it this winter … evaluate how it wears next Spring and then decide whether or not to re-level and mat

I do not advocate concrete …horses don’t bounce !

[SuckerForHorses]

@Zu Zu;7782658

[COLOR=#008000]
Having lost a mare slipping on a mat on top of a cement aisle ~ she fractured her pelvis ~ I say NO ! cement !

But Zu Zu, in this case, wasn’t it technically the mat that was slippery?

[Zu_Zu]

NO ! the mat was not slippery , she did not "bounce’ !

[QUOTE=SuckerForHorses;7782663]
But Zu Zu, in this case, wasn’t it technically the mat that was slippery?[/QUOTE]

[SuckerForHorses]

She slipped on the mat that was on top of the cement. It wasn’t the cement that she slipped on, it was the rubber mat. She could’ve slipped on the rubber mat if it had been on top of dirt.

[Zu_Zu]

The mare hit the concrete and fracture her pelvis ~ the mat had a ‘chopped’ top !

[B]Excuse me ! but the mat runner had a ‘chopped’ corregated top … you could not slip on it if it was wet or dry no matter how a person or horse tried.

She stopped quickly and crashed to the ground shattering her pelvis ! :eek:

This was not a nice occurence

Thanks so much for your sympathy !

especially when you knew saw the site and the materials !

SHE FRACTURED AS IN SHATTERED HER BONES !!! [/B]
:eek:
BECAUSE SHE HIT THE Concrete = cement, water and aggregates !

HORSES DON’T BOUNCE !

[QUOTE=SuckerForHorses;7782686]
She slipped on the mat that was on top of the cement. It wasn’t the cement that she slipped on, it was the rubber mat. She could’ve slipped on the rubber mat if it had been on top of dirt.

[/QUOTE]

[SuckerForHorses]

[QUOTE=Zu Zu;7782736]
[B]Excuse me ! but the mat runner had a ‘chopped’ corregated top … you could not slip on it if it was wet or dry no matter how a person or horse tried.

She stopped quickly and crashed to the ground shattering her pelvis ! :eek:

This was not a nice occurence

Thanks so much for your sympathy !

especially when you knew saw the site and the materials !

SHE FRACTURED AS IN SHATTERED HER BONES !!! [/B]
:eek:[/QUOTE]

I was just trying to understand …

I think we both need more coffee this morning Zu Zu, we’ve gotten off to a rough start on two posts already! :winkgrin:

[Equibrit]

If you do not want comments regarding your horses fall, then do not bring it up. Accidents usually happen when animals do something they are not used to; like stopping hard on an unfamiliar surface. I have concrete throughout the barns I have had. We have never had any problems with horses, because they are familiar with the footing they use every single day. Their stalls are bedding and mats over concrete, to keep their legs healthy. It is very much easier to keep concrete clean and it does not come with the prospect of burrowing rats.

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=Equibrit;7782767]
If you do not want comments regarding your horses fall, then do not bring it up. Accidents usually happen when animals do something they are not used to; like stopping hard on an unfamiliar surface. I have concrete throughout the barns I have had. We have never had any problems with horses, because they are familiar with the footing they use every single day. Their stalls are bedding and mats over concrete, to keep their legs healthy. It is very much easier to keep concrete clean and it does not come with the prospect of burrowing rats.[/QUOTE]

Do you have any pictures you could share?

[Equibrit]

I’m not sure if I have pictures, but pics of what precisely ?

[Zu_Zu]

I was stating my Opinion My choice having lived daily with and without concrete aisle

Once more to clarify ``

I was simply adding my opinion on stonedust or concrete aisles having lived with both types at "home’ and at trainers for decades

My choice would be NO ! concrete !

and I gave an example of a horrific incident … the loss of one of my beloved show horses ! which was because of Concrete ! shattered bones ! she did not 'bounce when she hit the CONCRETE aisle (which was matted with corregated mats)

my opinion !

Bashing me and my dead horse are inappropriate ~ IMHO !!!

I have now corrected my terms … SO sorry I mis-used cement and concrete ~ I now know better !

The mare remains dead becuase of the HARD CONCRETE !

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=Equibrit;7782786]
I’m not sure if I have pictures, but pics of what precisely ?[/QUOTE]

The stall floors, maybe?