We are building a 6 stall Mare Motel type barn. There will be no panels between the stall and the run area. What do you guys do for bedding in that type of situation? We were originally going to be like usual (shavings over mats) and use sand for the run portion, but I am assuming the sand and the shaving intermingle. Is that an issue?
Mare motel? Meaning foaling stalls? If that is the case, we use pellets or shaving as the base layer above matted concrete floor to absorb moisture, and bed on the top layer with straws. Don’t use shaving or sawdust on the top layer when you expect the mare to foal soon. During gestation period, no problem. That is what we did when we were foaling out mares. Then, of course, monitoring system and radiant heat just in case… It wouldn’t bother me if sand and shaving intermingle.
Sorry - I should have been more clear! No mare are actually foaling in these stalls. It was just the only name I know for a row of stalls that are three sided and open out to a run.
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@Gloria - mare motels are a type of stabling common in the west and southwest. There are usually two rows of stalls with a central aisle and a single central cover that can completely cover the stalls or, often, covering half of the stall, and leaving half open. The stalls are made of pipe panels and are often larger than normal barn stalls - 12x24 is common.
@eventer80 - I have frequently seen mats with shavings in the covered half. You can use railroad ties or wooden rails anchored to the ground around the mats to keep them from shifting and too many shavings winding up outside.
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I am always in a mare motel and my preferred setup is mats with shavings+pellets under cover and hard-pack DG in the run. I hate pee spots and don’t want my horse to pee in the run area. I want him to pee in the shavings. I use deep-litter method and rake new shavings over pee-spots and then remove all wet weekly. This only works well if your horse poops in the run. Cleaning that up on hard pack DG is a breeze! Picking poop out of shavings would ruin the “deep litter” approach though.
That said, I am now at a barn that wants sand in the back, no DG. Horse likes to go in soft sand, so I didn’t bother with shavings on mats, but it got soooo wet, even with me raking it out to dry daily. Putting a mat under the sand in the pee spot didn’t work. He just went somewhere else. So I started to add pellets to the sand. Hesitantly, as I was worried that when it rained the wood pellets would retain water and be mucky for days.
Surprisingly it lasted through the first two rainstorms quite well. It is almost like I am doing deep litter in the run portion. I don’t remove wet spots, but rake (sand rake is heaven) them to help let them dry. And I have added enough pellets that it seems the pee goes straight down and doesn’t make a spot. The pellets make the sand a bit more comfortable too – and if it gets on the mats, I am not worried, easy to sweep off so he doesn’t eat on the sand.
It is still a work in progress. I don’t know if I will feel compelled to dig the whole thing out in the summer, or eventually put shavings under the cover, but for now it is entirely workable.
