Choosing the Right Stall Flooring For Your Horse

When it comes to stall flooring, there are several issues at play. The proper material is suitable for your horse\’s unique needs, and yet fits well into your budget. A little bit of time and effort can be required in order to meet both of these criteria.

Stables tend to provide either dirt or concrete floors for their stalls. But the material that the actual floor is made of is less important than what goes on top of it. Bedding provides the real footing and comfort for your horse, and thus can be considered to be of greater importance. Also, unless you own the stable in question, you are unlikely to be able to do anything about the type of floor the owners choose.

When you are shopping for a place to house your horse, you can consider the pros and cons of concrete versus dirt, however. Dirt is softer, and provides good traction for horses that dig down through their bedding. However, it can also absorb urine and feces and become very smelly or breeding grounds for bacteria. This is mitigated by the use of a good, thick layer of absorbent bedding on top, however.

Concrete is easier to clean, and less likely to hold odors. But it can be slippery, especially for a shod horse, if they dig through their bedding and wind up standing on it. Try to avoid concrete floors for horses with balance issues, such as foals and older animals. Rubber mats can be placed between the concrete and the bedding to provide additional traction, if desired.

Straw and sawdust are probably the two most common types of bedding. Others that are available include wood pellets, shavings, paper pellets, and more. Each has their own set of advantages and disadvantages, and is more or less appropriate in certain situations. Straw and sawdust are both relatively cheap, which is probably why they are so popular.

Straw and sawdust are somewhat opposite each other in their pros and cons. Straw tends to not be very absorbent, but is also not very dusty. For this reason, it is recommended for horses with respiratory issues and for young foals. Sawdust is more absorbent, but can be dusty, which makes it a poor choice for horses with lung issues.

Pellets can be economical, because much thinner layers are needed of them than of traditional bedding materials. They are hard when received, but expand into a fluffy texture when misted with a bit of water. They tend to be less dusty than sawdust and more absorbent than straw. But they also tend to be more expensive than both those options.

In the end, the choice of stall flooring must be made with the needs of your particular horse in mind. While a horse with mild respiratory issues might do better on straw, if it also has hoof issues, sawdust might be the way to go. If your budget can tolerate it, pelleted bedding might even be a better choice. There is no one best choice – it all has to do with the needs of your particular horse and your budget.

A reliable source of high-quality horse rubber mats is a great investment to make. horse mats can not only help your horses\’ health, but rubber mats are also more convenient in terms of maintenance.

A reliable source of high-quality horse rubber mats is a great investment to make. horse mats can not only help your horses\’ health, but rubber mats are also more convenient in terms of maintenance.
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Author Bio: A reliable source of high-quality horse rubber mats is a great investment to make. horse mats can not only help your horses\’ health, but rubber mats are also more convenient in terms of maintenance.

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