# Stock trailer mats



## Gmac (Aug 6, 2008)

My stock trailer has a wood floor and I use stall mats for footing for the horses. I'm looking for another option. I HATE the mats. They work fine, I just hate working with them. They are a pain to try and clean around in the trailer, their a pain to pull out of the trailer,heavy & cumbersum to put back in, just aggrevating to work with.
I like to pull them out and clean the trailer so that the floor can dry out good, but with them being such a pain I don't clean the floor as good as I should.
I was thinking of pulling the mats out for good and painting the floor with a bedliner kit or some type of paint with a anti slip to it. Then all I would have to do is hose out the trailer and be done. Anyone else on here done anything like that or have any other options to trash the mats so to speak?


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

I hear what you're saying about the mats but I've yet to come across another system that I would want to use in my trailer. I have a wood floor in my trailer and we treated it with Thompson's (spelling?) Water Sealant to preserve it - that placates my concerns about rotting wood. We also use vice grips when we have to move the mats - it makes them a whole lot more manageable than trying to drag them about with just your hands.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

cut the mats in half.

My sundowner has mats that ran cross wise, totally stupid was royal pain, had to get them into the trailer then turn em 90 degrees. And as you know heavy and hard to get ahold of. My intent was to buy mats and put them length wise, so I could drag em straight out and straight in. But one day I got ticked off and took a skillsaw to em and cut em in half. So now I have a couple 4X4 squares I can drag out the back and put in. Way easier to deal with. 
My original plan I never got around to was, Tractor supply had mats on a roll by the foot. They are thinner than normal horse mats. Wanna say 3/8ths inch thick. So they wont last as long, but who cares, they are half the price also, they are lighter easier to deal with. If they wear out in a few years throw em away buy some new ones.
The problem with the paint in bedliners stuff is with movement and vibrations it gets small cracks, corrosive horse waste soaks into the cracks and under the lining and cant be rinsed away. WHich in turn causes alot of corrosion problems. This spray in type liner was the source of alot of Sundowners corrosion problems.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Joe4d said:


> My original plan I never got around to was, Tractor supply had mats on a roll by the foot. They are thinner than normal horse mats. Wanna say 3/8ths inch thick. So they wont last as long, but who cares, they are half the price also, they are lighter easier to deal with. If they wear out in a few years throw em away buy some new ones.


We use thinner mats in our trailer. I don't remember how thick they are, but they are _very_ much lighter and easy to move around and position.


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## Gmac (Aug 6, 2008)

Where did you get your thinner and lighter mats? I want some.
If the thinner last a year I'm happy to buy more. I don't haul every weekend so they should last a good while


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## Cowgirl140ty (Jan 7, 2010)

I work for a tractor supply in florida. We have a 1/4 inch for $5.79 a foot. And a 3/8 inch for $7.79 a foot. And they come in 4 foot widths.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

yep those were the ones I saw, I liked they come on a roll, measure the trailer and have them cut the length you want.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Gmac said:


> Where did you get your thinner and lighter mats? I want some.
> If the thinner last a year I'm happy to buy more. I don't haul every weekend so they should last a good while


See below...TSC


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## Cowgirl140ty (Jan 7, 2010)

Yep. They are what i have in my trailer. So much simpler than the big heavy ones.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

I always use mats. Mine are 1/4" and they do the trick without the excessive weight of a 1/2" or a 3/4" mat. I have found that if your roll them as tight as possible, they get stiff enough to grab both ends and carry them into and out of the trailer. I don't leave them in mine, only put them in when I'm going to trailer. The rest of the time they floor the aisle in my barn.


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## peppersgirl (Aug 24, 2012)

Though I havent done much (yet) with my trailer now, all of our other trailers (that didnt have mats) we would just paint the floor and then throw dirt on the wet paint for traction. I have yet to have a horse slip. I bet that bed liner stuff would work great and it would add a little protection to the metal if you paint a little ways up the sides.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

If the dirt gets wet, your horses WILL slip on it. Honestly, I'm buying mats (replacements in the barn) on sale from my local farm supply stores for $30/4 x 6. My 4-horse slant load needs 5 mats. I use two, 1/4" thick 2 x 6 mats traction mats (that look like the traction on the back of truck bed mats),that I've had since 1986 for the front and back, and three 1/4" thick 4 x 6 mats cattle mats with buttons for traction), for the interior. I also use shavings. My preference is to use the fluffier type bc they produce less dust in transit, and I place those strategically under the back halves of my horses, where the mess is, and they do move some to cover the mats as we drive.
Again, they are removed from the trailer and the wooden floor is clean by the next day after transport. I can always peek in and walk in to gauge my trailer floor.


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## Tessa7707 (Sep 17, 2012)

I use a ratchet strap to roll the mat up and it makes it a lot easier to carry. Just as heavy, but less awkward and you can kick them to roll them around.


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