# Stall Mat Retention



## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

I've tripped over my last stall mat. I've got a couple of horses who like to 'move the furniture' and in doing so they shift their mats around until they are over lapping and edges stick up, then get hidden under bedding and create a trip hazard. I'm probably the one who gets caught the most, I'm the one who runs out to put them up when the weather is bad, or to put on blankets or.....you know, the unplanned stuff. When I'm picking or feeding it's not such a big deal but the last couple of times, I've hit the dirt pretty hard and well, I'm just getting too old for that. One of these days it's going to result in a broken hip or something. 

So, I've found Stall Mat Klips and they look like a good idea. Anybody used them or another product? I'm interested in installation instructions, I haven't found any. Help? I'm not wanting to go all out and do the stall mattress thing, though I would LOVE to have that, it's just too darn expensive. 

Olympus Products, LLC - Stall Mat Klips - Products

Here's what I'm looking at. I found some instructions for how to make and install your own home made things, but they started talking welding and such......yeah, no. I don't know how and hubby way over thinks things like that. I need pre-made and simple.


----------



## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

This is the first I've heard of them ---- genius idea if they do what they're supposed to do. and the clips don't work their way out of the sub surface and stab the horse


----------



## ChasingDreams (Nov 14, 2017)

^^ above...I'd get nervous about having extra hardware under my horses feet. I'd worry about them popping up and becoming another trip hazard or something to jab them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Get a drill with big enough bit and drill holes lined up on each mat and then zip tie, basically lacing them together with industrial zip ties. If they are tight enough and the "zip" is on the ground side then you should be fine - just warn anyone new cleaning stalls they are there and not to be too aggressive if the tine accidentally catches. We sew our rubber buckets together this way when they split. Much easier than actually sewing them which we have done and gets us several more years use. 

Looking at those clips I would hate for one to dislodge and end up stabbing my horse.


----------



## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

The retention of those clips has me concerned too. Our ground is hard enough that if they were long enough, I wouldn't necessarily be concerned but these don't look that long. The zip tie idea might be a better way to go. I wasn't sure how durable a solution that was, and if they'd need replacing frequently.


----------



## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

QtrBel said:


> Get a drill with big enough bit and drill holes lined up on each mat and then zip tie, basically lacing them together with industrial zip ties. If they are tight enough and the "zip" is on the ground side then you should be fine - just warn anyone new cleaning stalls they are there and not to be too aggressive if the tine accidentally catches. We sew our rubber buckets together this way when they split. Much easier than actually sewing them which we have done and gets us several more years use.
> 
> Looking at those clips I would hate for one to dislodge and end up stabbing my horse.


I did what QtrBel suggests. I bought 3/4" thick restaurant grid mats. The holes were already there and I zip tied them together. If the zip ties do break nobody gets hurt ---- except my feelings, lollol


----------



## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

walkinthewalk said:


> I did what QtrBel suggests. I bought 3/4" thick restaurant grid mats. The holes were already there and I zip tied them together. If the zip ties do break nobody gets hurt ---- except my feelings, lollol


Where do you guys buy the industrial zip ties? That's looking like the safest way to go because...well....horses.


----------



## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

I always ordered a supply of 250 lb tensile strength for our electric dept (Home Depot) at the request of several clients when I was inventory manager. They normally have 120lb in stock. Gardener Bender I think was the vendor.

ETA ask for Cable Ties


----------



## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

You want the bit sized to the tie and use pliers to pull through the mats. If the hole is too big or you are right at the edge then the tie cuts through the material you are lacing together when you pull them tight. With my arthritic hands I often have to get DH to do the pulling now.

We have no reason to remove from our buckets but with the mats if you ever did need to cut them apart you could.


----------



## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> Where do you guys buy the industrial zip ties? That's looking like the safest way to go because...well....horses.


1. I have to ask DH where he got them. I want to say Tractor Supply but he could have ordered them thru work

2. Ditto *QtrBel* on using pliers to pull the ties thru the holes plus tighten them I use needle nose pliers

2.1. Another tip: buy those dotted gloves and wear them to put the ties in. They are a big savings on your fingers, plus they give you a stronger grip.

TSC does sell them but DH ordered a box thru work because they are better gloves, in that they don't fit as sloppy as the ones from TSC.

*Buy the two-sided dotted gloves* https://www.amazon.com/Memphis-9660...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CSAKBRJY0837RK2KMRSQ. <----for example. This price is for a dozen but they do come in boxes.

I LOVE these gloves when I don't have a lot of time or energy to give the horses a head-to-tail brushing. They love their ears and faces massaged with these


----------



## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

I have never had horses move my stall mats They are heavy and fit tight
What kind of mats do you have?


----------



## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/4-ft-x-6-ft-x-3-4-in-thick-rubber-stall-mat

I have these in all my stalls, cut to fit. I just have a couple of horses who get 'busy' when they are stalled and between laying down and rolling and moving their stuff around, they eventually end up coming up. I've got the same mats in my foaling stalls and they never move. It's just these couple of clowns that need a little extra. And of course, they are my favorite horses because they are such clowns, so we'll just try to find a way to make it harder for them to move the mats.


----------

