# The most effective stall flooring for a concrete base?



## LovesMyDunnBoy (Aug 11, 2011)

I'm starting college in the fall for pre-vet school, so it's going to be a long while before I even begin to draw up ideas. But I still like to throw ideas around.

I *plan* on having my own clinic (large animal only) in the future. Of course I know plans change, it's not as easy as I think.. And so on, which I'm aware of. I also plan on having a personal barn.

I want something that is very easy to sanitize, very forgiving on the legs, and comfortable to sleep on. I'm thinking something along the lines of this:

Concrete floors sloped towards a center drain or a long drain at the back of the stall.
Then either pea gravel, or some type of rubber beads/pellets (something non-absorbent but allows draining)
Then a mat that will drain 
And plenty of bedding

The idea is that urine that doesn't absorb in the bedding will drain through to the concrete then to the drain. I want to be able to strip the bedding and clean everything well. I thought the pea gravel or rubber beds would provide extra cushion. Something like sand, would be able to be rinsed and would hold into urine.

I also considered something like this:

Concrete flooring with a drain
A spongey mat (similar to a track at school, does anyone know what I mean? It looks like pressed rubber beads)
A regular mat that drains 
Bedding

And I could power wash the spongey mat even though it has cracks and crevices.

I'm just thinking about this for the fun of it basically. I do plan on having runs too.
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## LovesMyDunnBoy (Aug 11, 2011)

Or I would use regular, solid, non-draining mats, and with cut out a hole for the drain or drill several holes on top of the drain. I'd make sure the floor is sloped enough to allow to urine to drain down to the hole. The urine would never reach the concrete, so I could put whatever 'cushion' layer I'd like between the concrete and mats. And every now and then, maybe once a year, I could pull up the mats, remove the cushion layer, power wash the concrete, replace the cushion layer (something like sand) and put the mats back down. This way I have a chance to level back out the cushion layer. 

Is there anything that could provide good cushion, without causing the mats to shift or sink into holes?
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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

A stall, concrete floors and mats over the top...forget the bedding.

Clinics are usually places needing antiseptic and germ free environments...walls, floors, ceilings...all need to be able to be sanitized and often. They aren't places for "boarded" horses but horses recovering from serious illness and surgery.

A stall drain running out the back of the stall the entire length allows a high pressure washing down and out of the stall...not sure what the exact name of the drain style is..."French Drain?"....

I think it is Iron Spring Farm in Pennsylvania that had them at one time many years ago when I was visiting one of my friends who ***'t trained their stock. Don't even know if the place still exists...it was many, many years ago.
I'm sure many other farms have such drainage but this one comes to mind in how fast, easy and energy efficient it was to strip, sanitize and ready a stall for a animal when need be.

They use the same ideas in many cattle barns...still don't know the name of it...some have a conveyor belt that carries the waste to a disposal area and is then carted away...or sold for fertilizer.

Good luck with your future studies and dreams...sounds exciting!!
:wink:


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## LovesMyDunnBoy (Aug 11, 2011)

horselovinguy said:


> A stall, concrete floors and mats over the top...forget the bedding.
> 
> Clinics are usually places needing antiseptic and germ free environments...walls, floors, ceilings...all need to be able to be sanitized and often. They aren't places for "boarded" horses but horses recovering from serious illness and surgery.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the input. I worked as a kennel technician for a few months and what you're describing sounds like what we did with the dog kennels. There was a long trench that ran the length of all the kennels, we would scrub with the cleaner, spray it down towards the trench, then squeegee the remaining water into the trench. Then once the kennels were done we poured more cleaner directly into the trench from the end kennel and flush everything down into the drain on the other end.

So basically the same concept, right? My only concern is the lack of cushion. Especially with a horse that has some sort of lamness. I think the long, I believe you're right about it being called a french drain, trench style drain is going to be a better way to go.
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## Ninamebo (May 25, 2013)

If you just got a solid bit of rubber mats and then you could focus on the bedding as another aspect. You'll have to completely strip it often, so something you can obtain a lot of easily. 

That seems to be a really specific question for a scenario that's more than a decade down the line though. I'd just focus on acing your college courses to start so that you can get into the vet school  good luck!


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## LovesMyDunnBoy (Aug 11, 2011)

Ninamebo said:


> If you just got a solid bit of rubber mats and then you could focus on the bedding as another aspect. You'll have to completely strip it often, so something you can obtain a lot of easily.
> 
> That seems to be a really specific question for a scenario that's more than a decade down the line though. I'd just focus on acing your college courses to start so that you can get into the vet school  good luck!


Oh trust me I know, lol! It's just a curious question. Thinking about what I want in the future really helps motivate me to do what I have to do to actually get there. It's obviously very circumstantial haha. 

I have big plans, but I know I have the determination to back it up and make my goals happen. 
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## LovesMyDunnBoy (Aug 11, 2011)

Does anyone have any other suggestions, pictures maybe?
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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Horse Stall Mats & Horse Stall Mattress Systems from Classic Equine

This is my ideal matting system for horse stalls. It takes very little bedding, just enough so things don't splash, easy to clean and very comfy and good for the legs.


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## LovesMyDunnBoy (Aug 11, 2011)

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> Horse Stall Mats & Horse Stall Mattress Systems from Classic Equine
> 
> This is my ideal matting system for horse stalls. It takes very little bedding, just enough so things don't splash, easy to clean and very comfy and good for the legs.


I like that. I wonder if there would be a way to adjust it to be sprayed out and drained in the back of the stall. 

Do you know if it gets uneven and lumpy over time?
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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I agree with the mats only on concrete if you plan for a drain in the stalls. Any other material will get in the drain and clog things eventually. 

I did work in a barn once that have concrete stall floors, but with a drain system in the middle of the alleyway covered with a grate. We could strip the stalls, disinfect, and wash the dirty water out to the drains. We were careful not to let shavings get into them, though. 

By the time you get through vet school, I bet there are even more options. And, working in clinics as you go will also give you ideas. Kind of fun to pick and choose what you like. 

All the best with your studies.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

LovesMyDunnBoy said:


> I like that. I wonder if there would be a way to adjust it to be sprayed out and drained in the back of the stall.
> 
> Do you know if it gets uneven and lumpy over time?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


If you put a slight slope to the rear in the flooring, you could run a drain in the back of the stall, hosing off is not a problem. You can put a drain in the middle of the floor and let things slope gently down there too, if you prefer a central drain (what I've seen more often in stalls). In 10 years, when vet installed the matting, I haven't seen it crumble or degrade and he has a LOT of horses through his facility.


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## LovesMyDunnBoy (Aug 11, 2011)

Thank you, I'm very excited to get started with college. Nervous, but excited  

And that's good to know, it has some pretty good reviews from what I saw. I'd much rather pay a pretty penny starting out than deal with a headache later. And that's with anything, my own barn or my clinic or even my house.

I better marry a rich man, hahaha!
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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

Rubber mats over concrete do not provide enough cushion for a horse, JMO. In that situation I would still bed the horses 4-6" deep with saw dust and maybe add some shavings on top.

What you are looking for is SoftStall. It is the only system I will have my horses on. Www.softstall.com and it is totally able to be sanitized and power washed. Also waaay easier than hauling mats out and power washing underneath. Do that to a 12 14x14 stall barn a few times and you get sick of it really quick.
Of course for shows it would be impossible to bring that along but I do take my Equimat stall mats and have soft ride boots, as well as bed deeply to cushion the horses.

Especially in a barn where the horses will be stalled most of the time, I would definitely consider SoftStall a great investment. That ans a VibePlate and a water treadmill. I'm thinking I'll need two rich husbands lol 
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## LovesMyDunnBoy (Aug 11, 2011)

~*~anebel~*~ said:


> Rubber mats over concrete do not provide enough cushion for a horse, JMO. In that situation I would still bed the horses 4-6" deep with saw dust and maybe add some shavings on top.
> 
> What you are looking for is SoftStall. It is the only system I will have my horses on. Horse mats, Stall mats, Stall flooring, Rubber mats, Horse stall mats ,softstall and it is totally able to be sanitized and power washed. Also waaay easier than hauling mats out and power washing underneath. Do that to a 12 14x14 stall barn a few times and you get sick of it really quick.
> Of course for shows it would be impossible to bring that along but I do take my Equimat stall mats and have soft ride boots, as well as bed deeply to cushion the horses.
> ...


Haha! Two rich husbands, that sounds about right  That sounds like a lot of work though. How much does that system cost per stall?
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