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johnsculp
Friend in Training
Joined: 01 Dec 2009
Posts: 43
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
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 Posted:
Wed Jul 14, 2010 12:41 pm |
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Hello All,
in our Winters here in SW coastal Scotland it can get v wet and occasionally cold. We have stables and bring in our horses at night.
I am thinking this year of swapping from straw bedding to using rubber mats and wood pellets.
Anyone got any experience of using mats for Shire horses? Is it better to go for a 32mm EVA type or a 17mm thick solid rubber 'cattle' type mat? We (my wife more than me) needs to muck out four stables and when we have used wood pellets in the past the old muckheap grows slower, rots down quicker and its slightly lighter work - for the wife  When we used the pellets before we had no mats and used alot of them - get's pricey. Hopefully mats will cut use of it down ??? |
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Tracey
Friend for Life
Joined: 09 May 2009
Posts: 1151
Location: Stoke on Trent
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Wed Jul 14, 2010 1:25 pm |
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I used rubber mats for Ruby but only had them where her bedding was and didnt like them because her bed seemed to be wetter, she was bedded on straw. 
I have now moved them to the front of her stable where she stands. 
Hope this helps. Sorry I have no experance of wood pellets.  |
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Loubie
Master Friend
Joined: 01 Jun 2008
Posts: 233
Location: North Hampshire
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Wed Jul 14, 2010 3:56 pm |
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I use wood pellets and I think they are great. I dont have mats, but I dont think I need them as I am lucky Samson is pretty clean and the pellets make a pretty heavy base that doesnt seem to move at all.
I find mats a bit smelly, I am a bit ocd and its too much effort to clean underneath them very often! Having said that my friend has mats and doesnt seem to use much less than me, she just has less of a layer down to start with (she has a filthy horse though) |
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johnsculp
Friend in Training
Joined: 01 Dec 2009
Posts: 43
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
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Sat Jul 24, 2010 7:55 pm |
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After lots of hunting about and information seeking on the web I bought x20 20mm thick supermats for 3.5 stables (one is a sheltie rest room) from Quattro products. Not the cheapest around at £42.50 each delivered but guaranteed mats for 10 years and capable of supporting heavy horses. General concensus of suppliers was that EVA mats, even thick ones are too spongy/soft for heavy horses. Now to weigh up using either sawdust/shavings/ or wood pellets..... |
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valerie n scout
Friend for Life
Joined: 10 Oct 2008
Posts: 1237
Location: durham
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Sat Jul 24, 2010 9:07 pm |
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our boys have rubber mats at the front but shavings to bed down on x we clean them weekly and no smells till you lift the bed....then poo but sharp gone once the beds are down again x we live in a residential area so no smells are a must x |
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All horses deserve,at least once in their lives,to be loved by a little girl x mine are x |
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