Drainage For Stable Matting

If the urine drains through the mats rather than resting on top of them, the amount of bedding which is soiled is greatly reduced. This reduces the amount of time required to clean the stall, reduces the amount of replacement bedding required, and reduces the amount of storage space required for soiled bedding.

Although all of these are important benefits, one must consider what happens to the urine after it has drained through the mats. If the surface underneath has good drainage (e.g. thick layer of crushed stone), then the urine can drain off.

However, if the surface underneath is impermeable (e.g. concrete), then the urine simply builds up under the mats, where it can release ammonia into the air (which is unhealthy for horses stabled there, in particular for their lungs) and produce unpleasant smells.

Although one could from time to time lift up the mats and clean underneath them, the fact remains the cleaning urine under the mats is more difficult than cleaning urine on top of them. Consequently, depending on the underlying floor surface you may prefer that urine drains through, or you may prefer that it does not.

Depending on your preference, you should chose mats accordingly: small mats drain more than larges ones (joins are closer together and there are more of them), straight edge mats drain more than interlocking, porous mats drain more than non-porous. If you decide to use stable Mating that easily allow urine to drain through, you should consider the following:

  • • Choose a mat with grooved or footed bottoms, so that the urine can flow off rather than being trapped.
  • • Try to have a floor with good drainage. If this is not possible, allow the urine to run off by using a floor which is flat (no dips where urine can pool), smooth (so that liquids run easily) and with a slant so that liquids run off.
  • • Consider choosing stable matting whose design and weight allow them to be easily lifted out, permitting periodical washing down of the floor underneath.