Why It Is Important To Choose the Right Horse Stable Flooring Materials

The significance of good horse stable flooring becomes more apparent as a horse spends more time in it’s stall. The fitness of a horse’s legs and feet could be greatly affected by the type of stall flooring installed. The most appropriate floor is highly dependent on the style of management, while personal preferences can have a formidable influence. The good thing is, there are many options available for ideal floors in a horse facility.

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Materials. There are two main categories of stable flooring materials depend on whether the material is permeable or impervious to wetness. Floor construction, starting from the ground level up, would depend on what type of material is chosen. Porous floors will have a basic base of sand and/or gravel to aid motion of the water down into the ground below the stable. Impervious floors could be sloped toward a drain in order for water and urine can run out of the stall. Even impervious floors have a couple of inches of sand and/or fine gravel underneath for the steadiness of material and drainage of subsurface water. Whatever the stall flooring type, often adequate bedding is used to absorb excess water and urine therefore actual liquid runoff is nominal besides after a stall washdown.

Characteristics. Some of the characteristics of an ideal horse stable flooring, ranked in significance to the horse’s well-being followed by the owner’s tastes, are: easy on legs, dry, non-odor retentive, provides traction, resists damage from horse pawing therefore durable, low maintenance, easy to clean, and economical.

Stall floors have to be long lasting but also play an important part in the all around health of the horse. The flooring material can significantly affect the horse’s leg soundness and fatigue, with more flexible floors usually being preferred over hard floors. A horse must lie down and get back up with full confidence and without injury, therefore good traction is important. Stall floors that retain odors could damage the respiratory system of the horse. Considering that horses spend a great deal of time with their heads down, high ammonia concentrations at the floor level can harm the lining of the throat and lungs. An ideal floor can lessen the survival rate of internal parrasite inside the stalls.

There are some things that you should keep in mind in installing horse stable flooring:

1st, horse behavior results in unequal wetting and use of the flooring.

Second, a wet, porous material, such as soil or clay, is much less competent at enduring the weight. Wet material works its way into adjacent areas by hoof action, creating holes and high spots.

Third, horses usually paw close to the stall door or feed bucket out of impatience, boredom, or just out of habit. This will create low spots.

4th, the majority of horses are excellent housekeepers, if provided with sufficient space.

And finally, a female horse will often urinate and defecate in one spot in her stall, away from the resting and feeding areas. While, male horses are more limited in using their stalls but normally defecate in one area and urinate in the center.

Views differ on which kind of stall flooring material is the best, however, there is one thing most owners agree upon. A good floor is important to the horse’s wellness. Finding the right stable matting is equally important. Read more about stable mats at http://www.horsematting.org.