Stay safe on rubber matting
Horses are highly resilient animals, but whilst being kept for long periods in stables over winter is not often good practice, it can be unavoidable for some owners.
The majority of stables today have concrete floors for ease of cleaning, with either brick or board lined walls. These surfaces are cold, hard and often abrasive, resulting in damage to knees and hocks as your horse gets up after lying down, or in grazes and cuts from rolling on floors or rubbing against walls. Non-insulated floors also reduce the temperature in your stable dramatically, as cold rises from the underlying ground. As a result, ailments such as colds become more common and many horses kept inside for long periods undoubtedly have more health problems than those living outside or managed on a combined system.
Rubber matting and wall protection are therefore used to reduce the potential for any problem as they insulate the floor and walls helping to keep the stable warmer, which is important because if your horse cannot move around and exercise he will not be generating his own heat. Mats create a protection against hard surfaces, reducing damage from cuts and grazes, whilst heavy-duty kick-protection can stop damage to lower legs and hooves, at the same time protecting your stable! Simple rubber strips fixed round the walls at the correct levels can provide different functions – at body level they can act as rub rails, giving the horse something to rub against without grazing on walls, while at low level they can provide a purchase point if your horse becomes cast.
While providing a softer, safer surface, floor mats in particular help to provide a cleaner environment for your horse by reducing the amount of bedding required, so mucking out is easier and the stable can be kept cleaner. By installing mats onto a sloping floor that provides adequate drainage underneath, for example Horsemat™ or Croctop mats, bedding is kept drier as fluid can drain away under the mats faster compared to conventional mats with grooves on the underside.
Mucking out is a necessity, but needn’t be as much of a chore and by fitting rubber matting in your stable and saving time cleaning out, you’ll also have more quality time to get out and about with your horse! Your horse will be healthier and happier and by cutting down on the amount of bedding you use, you’ll also save money! Find out more at www.horsemat.co.uk
