What do you use on rubber matting?

[AnnieRoseSplash]

I am going out to buy more rubber mats today for our other stable/pony. I have one pony already stabled on mats covering the whole stable and use a deep shavings bed on half the stable too. Now I'm wondering how much bedding do you think is really needed on mats? What do you do? Shavings or straw? Ponies are now in every night and standing in during the day when weather is bad in a bid to keep the fields open all year around this year. I'm also on a mission to make it easier for my husband to muck out both ponies in the mornings before he goes off to work! thanks all

[Deleted]

I have a bag of sawdust on top of the mats then one bale of shavings on top of sawdust. I do dampen sawdust down a bit first. everything gets taken out in one stable weekly and just the wet in the other. I can get two weeks out of my gelding stable. Sawdust is good as soaks up the wet. Going to start using wood pellets instead of sawdust over winter.

[remianddodge15]

I use straw, but I think it depends what you have under the mats. My stable floors are dirt with 4 inches of sand and gravel and then mats on top (has all bedded down into a brilliant solid floor) so drains really well. I just use straw and never have any problems - just pick the poos out and one small wet patch and they're done.

[jacksprat]

we use a small corner of shavings. they learn to soil on the shavings and lie on the mats, i use 2 bags a week for 3 ponies

[AnnieRoseSplash]

thanks all !

[waspblue]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I have a similar question. Anyone used Tropibed yet for same thing, as supposed to be tremendously absorbent? I'd appreciate anyones input as to what and how they use to manage to keep a claen and dry bed without breaking the bank - it's costing me a fortune on shavings with my two boys. One is very wet and the other just trashes his bed.

All ideas gratefully accepted.

[maihem]

I use rubber matts and they are great. In one stable I bed down half with Rapazorb. Skip out droppings and take out wet once a week.
The other stable is a dirty bugger! So I only put about a bucket of shavings in the middle and then sweep the lot out in the morning! It's dry by night time and saves me a fortune. Been doing this for years and although rugs stink it's so quick and easy.
They are hairy natives though and if they were clipped out I would put more bed down. Xx

[breeze]

we use wood pellets on our mats, a layer a couple of inches thick across half of the stable. works well and takes 5 minutes per stable to do a full muck out in the morning. wouldn't use anything else now

[Philippa]

I always have full beds of shavings with full bankings. I lift beds everyday and remove all wet & droppings then leave them up until evening time. I set the beds at tea time. I couldn't imagine anything worse than expecting my ponies to lay on a cold hard rubber mat and expect them to get a good nights sleep. I wouldn't sleep myself.

[haaaaanandcaspian]

We do the same as you phillipa, full muck out every day with about one new bale of shavings per week per horse

[09rebel99]

We have a full bed of shavings with banks on our mats. We take it up once a week and leave to dry. We use 1 bale of shavings a week at the most and sometimes he might only need 1 every 10 days or so but he is 1 of the cleanest ponies Ive ever met and has a huge stable also.
Straw is the cheapest bedding. We were on straw for years and only used a bale a week but for his health (and my mums) we changed to shavings after 17 years as they aren't as dusty.

[LucyHebditch]

We use about two inches of sawdust on the very bottom to soak up the wee, this also stops it going under the mats and splashing up and smelling. Then I put a layer of miscanthus or shavings over the sawdust to stop the dust. Then a full straw bed with massive walls because I'm overly fussy. This keeps the bed super dry so I only have to take out the wee every couple of weeks maybe more depending on the horse!

[welshiegirl]

Shavings, I was always taught that big bankings when you have rubber mats because the bedding lasts longer and due to having nice comfy rubber mats down (or ours are anyway!) they don't need as many in the middle, and if no matting more in the middle to make it comfier (still bankings though obviously!)
Never really thought of straw on rubber mats as don't think it would sit as well on them? Don't know though so you could trial and error.

[wilbs]

I use small amount of shavings to soak up the wet and normal straw bed - but then I have plenty of straw.

[hack]

We have 4 on mats, 3 mares who usually have shavings, new bale every week or so, with banks and 3/4 bed in middle.

Then . . . the muckiest, wettest gelding ever. He's on straw, full bed and banks. Otherwise is horrendous to muck out. He does let you catch his wee in a bucket though, so if we do this it saves on straw. He's 16.2hh and can fill a normal sized bucket every night!!

All get beds completely mucked out, wet taken out and banks lifted everyday, my mum's a neat bed freak, you should see our muck heap!!

[fanfarefan]

full beds of straw or shavings with banks even on matting