What is the BEST stall flooring option?

[Garythesquirrel]

@MzCarol

I’m curious. With the permeable surface, the urine drains through the mat, but where does it go? It seems it would sit below the surface and the ammonia smell would eventually be horrific.

I don’t have a problem with ammonia odors in my stalls. I put in a layer of 3/4" drainage rock first followed by a layer of 3/8" crushed clean, for a total of about 6"-7" inches under the Stall Savers. I’m using pelleted bedding and usually sprinkle Sweet PDZ on the pee spots once a week.

My horses are free to come and go out of their stalls and I have a shed row-type barn. I hose out and wash the stalls a few times a year.

All of my stalls now have Stall Savers and I still love them 4 years later.

[fordtraktor]

@Garythesquirrel

I don’t have a problem with ammonia odors in my stalls. I put in a layer of 3/4" drainage rock first followed by a layer of 3/8" crushed clean, for a total of about 6"-7" inches under the Stall Savers. I’m using pelleted bedding and usually sprinkle Sweet PDZ on the pee spots once a week.

My horses are free to come and go out of their stalls and I have a shed row-type barn. I hose out and wash the stalls a few times a year.

All of my stalls now have Stall Savers and I still love them 4 years later.

Thank you for posting about these! I love the concept if not having corners to catch and get stuff under. Do the floors stay level well? I was thinking of putting some stabilization grid under the stall savers to keep a flat surface.

[Garythesquirrel]

@fordtraktor

Thank you for posting about these! I love the concept if not having corners to catch and get stuff under. Do the floors stay level well? I was thinking of putting some stabilization grid under the stall savers to keep a flat surface.

I haven’t had any problems with the floor not staying level, BUT my horses aren’t in their stalls 24/7 and when they are in are pretty laid back. I don’t know how it would be if I had a one who paced or stall walked.

[JoanneMillmill]

We tried everything for stall mats. Mattress system cost a fortune to install and resulted in hock sores. Had thought looked comfy but was too soft and top layer needed entirely replaced she tore crumb rubber base shifted and urine pooled in pockets. Tried a soft foam mat that lasted just moths before breaking down. Recycled rubber mat heavy and might as well had horses on concrete. Heard of therapeutic horse stall mat Equimat and found better version based in Canada Easy to talk to on the phone the Owner of Equimat North America told me they originally used in Europe and could not live without them when moved back here. They improved the design by making easy to manage 3 x 4’ interlocking tiles that are light. Took 20 minutes to install. Last year did our loafing sheds in the new UV sun protection thicket Ultimats in brown and our barn aisles in taupe standard thickness Found UV equimats are ideal for outdoor and indoor use. Our first purchase was 16 years ago and work like new. Have even Re-installed when we moved three times🐎

[Pony_Fixer]

When I bought my property I inherited stalls with dirt floors and mats on top. I hated it so I had the stalls dug out, larger gravel and then fine gravel and then mats. I still hate it. The mats shift, one of my horses digs as he eats, it’s a mess. I plan to pull it all out and do concrete with mats. Like you, my horses are out basically 24/7, so the occasional time inside (with mats and shavings) is not likely to hurt their feet or legs. And it will be SUCH lower maintenance!

[mht]

My barn floors are all concrete, with rubber mats in the stalls, but not in the aisle, which has been done with a rough finish. The aisle is four inches higher than the stalls to prevent some of the tracking of bedding. I deep bed with shavings, so stalls are nice and cushy.

[Trekkie]

If your barn is small and you can afford it Promat stall mattresses are amazing and the horses LOVE them. It is over $1000 per stall but you can use minimal absorbent bedding as the mats are super soft and they are guaranteed for life. The under layers are mattresses of chopped tire rubber. The top layer is all one piece bolted to the walls so no cracks or leaks. Originally developed for dairy cows to lay on for comfort they are very inviting for the horses to sleep on and mine lay down for naps several times a day when in. I use pelleted bedding with them and they are very easy to clean. Would not trade for anything and you will save time and money on cleaning and bedding with these. My base is packed rock dust.