Bedding materials for horses are varied, and determined by the combination of the owner's needs and the horse's needs. While some people include them in the category of bedding, rubber mats for stall flooring are actually meant to be used under the bedding. They provide a cushion on hard floors, and an easier to clean surface on dirt ones.
Living on hard surfaces can be bad for a horse's feet. This is one of the major reasons that rubber mats are used. If installed over concrete, they provide a better surface for the horse to stand on. They can also be used for grooming areas and other places that horses stand, in order to provide an easy to clean surface that provides better traction.
Some people use these as a substitute for bedding, but the general consensus is that a horse whose stall has matting in it still needs bedding. Rather than being a substitute for bedding, a mat is a substitute for a concrete or hard clay floor. Proper bedding is a least a few inches deep, and appropriate for the horse whose enclosure it is.
Overlapping pieces are tripping hazards, so the mats much be cut correctly. Some are sold as single pieces, while others interlock. They can also just be laid next to each other. But single-piece and interlocking choices are better, because they stay in place better and are less likely to provide hazards. Most must be cut to fit into the exact dimensions of the stalls.
Hygiene is one of the reasons that these materials are used, but ironically, is one of the concerns with them, as well. They are much easier to clean than dirt, but this cleaning must be performed on a regular basis. If they are not routinely washed and sterilized, mold, fungi or bugs can build up underneath them and endanger the horse's health.
As well as providing a better surface combined with the bedding, rubber mats for stall flooring provide a better surface should the horse decide to excavate and winds up standing on them. If the horse wound up standing on concrete instead, he or she would be at risk of slipping. But rubber provides much better traction for unshod and shod horses, which is one of the major reasons for its installation in grooming and tying areas.
Single-sheet pieces that fill the entire stall provide an easier to clean surface than dirt, and are sometimes used for this purpose. While urine and feces can soak into the dirt and create a problem with cleanliness, rubber is non-porous and keeps all of the messy bedding away from the ground. A single smaller mat can also be used near the door in dirt stalls, to discourage horses that like to dig there.
Think about the benefits of using rubber mats for stall flooring if your horse currently lives on concrete, or if you are worried about the cleanliness of dirt floors. Like any other type of flooring, there is some maintenance required, but they are better for the horse's feet, and easier to clean than dirt.
Looking for a cost-effective stall flooring for your horses? These environmentally-friendly horse mats may be just what you need. These horse stall mats provide comfortable support for your horses, and help to relieve join pressure and can absorb shocks.
