5 Reasons to Mat your stalls

My last boarding facility was the first barn I have boarded at with matted stalls. After two years of matted stalls, I have no desire to go back to dirt. Here are 5 reasons to consider mating your stalls. And yes, with 10 stalls to mat I know how expensive they can be, keep reading. . .

1. Mats prevent urine from passing through to the base floor of your barn. Urine is what causes the smell and the better the barrier, the less permanent smell your barn will have. It isn't quite as simple as that, but it is a good start.

2. Matted stalls give you more bedding choices. Whether you use a lot or a little, it is easier to manage with mats.

3. Mats can save you money on bedding. I have found with mats I can use a LOT less bedding, almost 1/2 of what I was using previously. Conservatively if used 6 bagged of pelleted bedding each month at $5.00 a bag and I was able to use 3 with mats I would save $15 per month. In a year I would save $180 which would cover the cost of mats.

4. Mats save you time. Mats save a lot of time in stall cleaning, especially if you go with the low bedding option. At my previous barn I could clean 4 stalls with runs in 30 minutes. It now takes me 30 minutes to do 3 stalls with no mats and no runs. If I save myself 10 minutes a day, even only an hour a week that is 52 hours a year. Based on even the lowest paying job (or paying someone to clean your stalls, $520 pays for a lot of mats!

5. Mats help keep your stalls level and safer for your horses. If properly installed (gravel first, crushed rock next (easier to level, not quite as shifty as sand) mats will keep your stalls from getting holes dug from urine spots, pawing, etc.

I LOVE MATS!