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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
  
| Headed to Lincoln for the bonus race later this week and I'm pretty sure I just missed having dirt stalls since I'm concrete #1 and #2. 
Would you rent mats at $85/stall for the weekend?
Use insulation panels? I'd have to remove it before I leave, any idea what urine does to that stuff??
Put down a ton of shavings?
I wish I had boots for them but that's a little cost prohibitive at the moment. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 456
Location: SW MO | I used the foam puzzle piece mats that you can get at walmart or toys r us for kids to play on. easy to use. I put down a couple bags of shavings over top and wrapped legs. good to go. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 492
| This may sound crazy but this really worked when I went to BBR Finals last year. I bought 10-15 bags of topsoil for each stall. Put that down before I put my shavings down. The difference it made was huge, and the topsoil only cost $1.25/bag. Worked well for me! |
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 It's not my fault I'm perfect
Posts: 13739
 
Location: Where the long tails flow, ND | An arena we go to is all concrete floors. Lots of people just buy 3-4 bags of shavings and get their horses out and walking. Worked for my horses just fine, I have soft rides as well but don't leave them on all weekend.
Good luck! |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Blondes Are Wild - 2016-06-06 12:38 PM
This may sound crazy but this really worked when I went to BBR Finals last year. I bought 10-15 bags of topsoil for each stall. Put that down before I put my shavings down. The difference it made was huge, and the topsoil only cost $1.25/bag. Worked well for me!
Yeah but we have to remove anything that isn't shavings or rented stall mats before we leave or be fined $100/stall, topsoil doesn't sound like fun!
I have 3 bags of shavings ordered and buying more might be the most cost effective. I plan to take wraps as well.
I just stopped by harbor freight and looked at home of the floor mat options they had and they were really flimsy, the website said 1/2" but I'd disagree and say closer to 1/4" - seemed like it would be a waste of money and not do that much for them. |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | I think it kind of depends on your horses. If I had to put my gray in a concrete stall, I'd probably spring for the mats, leave him in his Soft Ride boots all weekend, and keep him out of the stall as much as possible because he doesn't have great feet and can't handle standing on concrete so much. I have others who would be fine with lots of shavings in their stall or those cheap kids mats from Wal Mart, but I'd still have them out of the stalls as much as possible.
I think you have to know your horses and what they can handle before you decide about mats or other insulation. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Unfortunately this will be the first trip being stalled on concrete for both of them. Stalling is tough enough on my bay since they're in runs or turnouts all the time at home. My little horse could care less and likes anything with shavings it it, he'll lay down and lounge all day.
I think we'll go with a ton of shavings, wraps and keeping them out as much as possible. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 595
Location: North Dakota | I just had to stall my horse for the first time on concrete the first weekend in may and she was miserable. She normally lays down anytime she can and relaxes in her stall at home and any other place we have gone (always has been dirt stalls), so I was kinda worried but I firgured she would be ok. I bought 3 bags of shavings and it seemed pretty cushy to me but she never laid down once that weekend and she was sore all over by the time the weekend was done. I had her out of her stall all day in an eletric pen on grass and waited till close to midnight to put her in her stall and was back to get her by 7am. I will be buying those little kids mats from walmart and layering them 2 deep and a couple bags of shavings on top of that before I stall her on concrete again. I never want her to be that miserable again. She still worked hard for me all weekend but I owe her to find a way to make her more comfortable for next time. Then there was my friends horse who only had 1 bag of shavings and seemed to be fine all weekend.  |
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Member
Posts: 32
| Those walmart mats are such a great idea! I have only stalled on concrete one time (in Lincoln) and used tons of shavings, softrides and wraps. I still hated the idea of them being in there.
This July I will be going to Kalispell, MT and of course put off getting stalls so I get concrete. I am definitely investing in those walmart mats! Do these last for a few uses? Or will they be garbage after a long weekend. Either way, worth the investment. I was just curious. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 788
| If you can bring outside shavings, I would get a few bags of the pellet shavings and wet them and pack them down before putting loose shavings. . . there was a post about this not to long ago and someone said I think lowes has cheap mats that were way better than the kid mats from walmart, if you have a lowes, home depot may also carry them. |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | Id pay for the mats and extra shavings.. since its the whole weekend.. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Thanks all, I went ahead and got the rented mats and have no bows and standing wraps for both of them. If they were stalled at home I'd probably feel more comfortable with just the wraps and a lot of bedding but since they aren't I think it's prudent to provide them some extra comfort.
Here's to hoping they work their hearts out for me! |
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Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | OhMax - 2016-06-06 5:00 PM Thanks all, I went ahead and got the rented mats and have no bows and standing wraps for both of them. If they were stalled at home I'd probably feel more comfortable with just the wraps and a lot of bedding but since they aren't I think it's prudent to provide them some extra comfort. Here's to hoping they work their hearts out for me!
They will thank you..  |
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 Ms. Elvis
Posts: 9606
Location: Running barrels or watching nascar | MidWest1452 - 2016-06-06 11:15 AM
I just had to stall my horse for the first time on concrete the first weekend in may and she was miserable. She normally lays down anytime she can and relaxes in her stall at home and any other place we have gone (always has been dirt stalls), so I was kinda worried but I firgured she would be ok. I bought 3 bags of shavings and it seemed pretty cushy to me but she never laid down once that weekend and she was sore all over by the time the weekend was done. I had her out of her stall all day in an eletric pen on grass and waited till close to midnight to put her in her stall and was back to get her by 7am. I will be buying those little kids mats from walmart and layering them 2 deep and a couple bags of shavings on top of that before I stall her on concrete again. I never want her to be that miserable again. She still worked hard for me all weekend but I owe her to find a way to make her more comfortable for next time. Then there was my friends horse who only had 1 bag of shavings and seemed to be fine all weekend.
I wonder if we were at the same place. I stalled in a barn that used to be dirt, but for some reason they put concrete in there. Thought at first it was just in the aisle which would have been nice, but when my mom went to clean them, she noticed concrete. Probably didn't put down enough shavings but we were only there one night and shavings outlets were closed. My horse didn't feel well all weekend. I don't know if that was part of it but I kept her in hoof boots when I wasn't warming up or running. The rocks in the parking lot/warm up pen didn't help her either. I'll know next time. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 494
| 5 bags of shavings will last you a good 3 days of cushion. I always do 3 on dirt, 5 is perfect for concrete |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 927
Location: Iowa | I have a 4x 6 mat that I cut into 4 pieces. I duct tape them together when I lay it down. I put the water and hay bag and fan in front of it. That's where they will stand the majority of the time. I will keep them at the trailer part of the day. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Yeah, when TSC has mats on sale I may look into picking some up to cut up for future use, went the rental route this year |
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 More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | I'm on concrete in Pav 2 - luckily right across from the shavings bay! LOL I ordered 7 bags for my stall plus I'm using Soft Rides. I bought the play mats last year and they were scattered to the wind within an hour. |
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