|
|
Post by horselady on Mar 12, 2014 0:33:21 GMT
I need some advice on stall floors, we currently have dirt. now after years of horses being in them and stomping, digging, and doing who knows what. there are holes. and the rocks that are protruding up are a real pain in the hoof. as much as i put down bedding it is never right so this summer or spring , we will be re-doing the floors. there are 8 stalls in the arena, that are 10 x 12 and i have 6 tie stalls that are 4 feet wide by 8 feet long, and then i have two stalls made with panels so i can utilize that empty space . in the one barn there are 9 stalls that are 8 x 10 and than two stalls that are 14 x 10 , in another building, there are currently 3 stalls that are 8 x 12 and an open area we use as a run in and house 6 horses so i am not concerned with that area. i would love stall mats but it is going to be costly and decided not to go that route. so what do you suggest i do.  Adventures2 |
|
|
|
Post by horselover4life on Mar 12, 2014 0:50:50 GMT
Well.....
Either put in dirt and have it packed by a machine flat
or
Concrete the floors.
Me...I dislike mats mildly put.
I would rather a concrete floor that I can bed deeply but can easily strip if need be, sanitize walls and floor. With heavy bedding urine is absorbed and I never had a issue of leg or soreness problems that some speak of.
As a kid my horses stall {made before I rented the barn} had a wood plank floor...was nice till the wood started to deteriorate and then it started to splinter...what a mess. I was always afraid my horse would pickup a sharp shard embedded in his hoof.
If you do concrete, you're done...never again do you need to re-do the stall floor surface. It need not be ridiculous in thickness either, a few inches works just fine so having to re-hang dutch {bottom} doors should not be a issue either.
If you do dirt you will again be facing this in 5 years at most...
Mats...no way no how. I have dealt with and had to care for to many that pawed up, or got hung up on the d** things... those injuries were not pretty.
I know many use mats with no problems...but once you have had to deal with that issue you will not willingly want to ever cross it again.
Just my take & opinion. 
|
|
mingiz
Junior Member
Los Lunas, NM
Posts: 3,320 
|
Post by mingiz on Mar 12, 2014 1:16:24 GMT
The last barn I was at had concrete floors with mats on top.The issues with that was the mats where they met.The urine and sawdust would get up under them. Then it was a pita to pick them up and get it out. I prefer dirt. We had a clay base then added like pea gravel then more clay on top and used a packer to pack it down then added just dirt. Held up pretty well..
|
|
Lipizzan
Junior Member
Europe, Croatia
Posts: 2,572
|
Post by Lipizzan on Mar 12, 2014 13:33:46 GMT
I like rubber floring. It is soft and easy to wash and maintain.
|
|
|
|
Post by shadowlark on Mar 12, 2014 20:10:30 GMT
When we had horses at home, our old barn had concrete floors. It used to be a pig barn, and they had designed it so there was a slight downhill slope towards the walls, and then a crack in the cement, so you could wash out the stalls and all the water would go down the crack and drain to the outside. The crack was maybe a centimeter or two wide, enough for the water to get into but not wide enough for a hoof to get stuck in. It was great for washing, just had to make sure to bed it deeply so it was comfy.
|
|
redzip
Junior Member
Posts: 1,701
|
Post by redzip on Mar 13, 2014 13:31:19 GMT
I prefer dirt floors, bedded nicely with shavings. I think they are easy to refill and level with extra dirt,.., as well, pouring concrete in each stall (after the fact) sounds like a huge hassle.
I know Zippy digs a little hole to sleep in at night, and its easily refilled and leveled each morning.
I've actually never been a fan of mats, altho if I had started with concrete floors in my barn,
I would have used mats as flooring.
I also do not think mats save on weekly bedding costs, as that was their initial selling feature.
I've had a racing stable owner tell me her horses would only lie down, and stretch out, on dirt floors.
More natural.
JMO  |
|
|
|
Post by horselady on Mar 13, 2014 14:49:55 GMT
Thanks for all the input. concrete at this point in my life is way to costly, by the time we fill in and level the floors and pour concrete and level that. we will just do the dirt.
so what kind of dirt./ and do we do clay and gravel with concrete dust.? seems that would make it hard and take longer to have the horses dig.
|
|
|
|
Post by horselover4life on Mar 14, 2014 1:59:03 GMT
Personally, I would do what is available local and make it work for you.
Rent a compactor machine {available at Home Depot or Lowe's} and a few backs for labor of wheelbarrow loads of dirt to the stalls if the tractor can't maneuver the aisle ways...still pay for the grunt labor and let them do the worst of the heavy stuff while you supervise.
Moving the amount of dirt you refer to is back-breaking hard labor and sorry but you aren't 25 anymore.  
Dirt is fine and I've mucked many a dirt stall...like them too...
Anything is fine with me but no mats!!
|
|
|
|
Post by horselady on Mar 14, 2014 19:52:56 GMT
I agree, i am not 25 anymore and i get better telling the help what to do and how to do it. and that includes hubby (sometimes)
clay is famous here on my property and i think we can bring it from point a to point b with the tractor and truck. and wheelbarrow it into the stall. and pound it down.
as soon as it defrosts and we can get from the dirt site to the barn with out tearing up the pasture.
thanks. smileys-home-474322
|
|
Adventures2 
