# Type of Mats to use in a horse trailer



## Runninghot88

I am going to be replacing the mats I presently have in my trailer. I am looking for some that are economically priced but will allows me to cover an area of 84" long x 74" wide. I have been looking at farm and fleet and similar places. I have a feeling I wont find a mat that will cover this general area. What would be a good size to use that will minimize waste if I have to use two?


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## Joe4d

tractor supply had mats on a roll, Pretty sure 3 foot wide, they are thinner than actual stall mats but you can get em cut to length at the store. 
I dont care if they wear out quicker, I'm not breaking my back dragging those heavy stall mats or leaving them in and letting my trailer floor rot.


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## Runninghot88

I am looking at 1/4". If you screw them down to the floor. Would you suggest crisoting the wooden floor boards? Going to fill in whatever cracks there are in between the mats.
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## Joe4d

i have aluminum floor so dont know anythign about wood. Mine I think are 3/8. they are not screwed in. I pull em out ands spray trailer each trip.


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## JeepnGirl

The thin mats will get rolled up by the horses and slide back. We had thinner mats in the our trailer's stalls in the front. They would get slid back and rumpled up all the time. The heavy ones stay put. 

Danielle


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## waresbear

You don't want to attach the mats to the floor, because that traps moisture underneath. Every couple of trips the mats should be pulled and your floor boards cleaned & inspected for rot. I have a three horse slant, it has 4 mats, heavy duty but manageable and they don't move around when the horses stand on them. They fit in place tight too. When my trailer isn't being used in the winter, I pull them off the floor.
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## stevenson

stallmats. heavy but soft and cushy . dont roll up. pain to clean the trailer, my floor is wood, and there are slight gaps between the wood planks,( from the wood shrinkage) very slight but it does allow for air flow and a way for the condensation to escape.


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## COWCHICK77

I agree with wares, I wouldn't screw them down even if you treated the floor. 
We bought a Logan a few years back(but since sold) that someone glued foam down to the wood then screwed the mats down! It was a mess ripping them so I could look at the wood.

I also agree with not using the super light weight mats, unless they are cut to fit and will not shift. More often then not I had to go back and fetch a mat that slipped out the back door of a stock trailer.

Pulling the heavy mats out is part of hubbys chores...LOL
I have seen those mat clamps for sale, but have never bought them. The weight is not so bad it's the awkwardness I have a problem with.


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## Chevaux

My mats are the thick heavy ones (in a two horse slant) and came with the trailer - they're the same weight as my stall mats. Fortunately, they're in three sections albeit snuggly fit. In my old trailer, the mats were lighter and also fit snug. If they didn't snug, I'm sure they would have been all over the place. I think a lighter weight would work for you only if you can get a good close fit.

For my wood floor, we used Thomson's Water Sealant to protect the wood - easy to use as it just paints on. As one of the other posters mentioned, the little bit of gapping that happens between the boards does help diminish moisture build up. 

When we have to move mats, either the stall or trailer ones, we use vice grips and some baler twine and that makes them alot easier to manouver. The baler twine is tied in a big loop and goes in the jaws of the vice grip and then the vice is clamped on the mat - after that you can straighten up your back and lift and tug the mats around with relative ease (you'll need gloves otherwise the twine digs into your hands when your pulling).


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## COWCHICK77

Vice grips...why didn't I think of that?


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## BigGirlsRideWarmbloods

Just get regular 3/4 inch 6 foot x 4 foot stall mats and trim them with a jig saw to fit. They're heavy enough to stay put on their own, they won't roll up, and sometime you can find perfectly good used ones on CraigsList for super cheap.

Also I find rubber doesn't slip a lot when weighed down by a 1200 pound animal.Measure twice, cut once and you won't have any fitting problems, and if you do just shim with the trimmed off pieces.
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## Runninghot88

We went with a antislip rubber mat from farm and fleet. Measured and cut it  Fits great we did screw it down. Though we have spaces in between the boards for them to dry out
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## Jim Andy

Also if you have the stall mats just stand them on edge then use your vice grips on each end to grip the mats and 2 people can Carrie them out of the trailer.


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