My husband and I are buying a house that has a big shop, but no barn. We are wanting to put stalls in the shop to put the horses in when the weather is bad, so it would only be for a short time. But the rest of the time they would be turned out to pasture. The shop has cement floors. I know we would have to put mats down and bed deep with shavings. Has anyone else ever converted a shop into a barn?

Wasn't my place, but helped a friend do this. However they removed the cement where the stalls were going. Then once the stalls were ready they just repaired & filled in some concrete here & there. Just an idea if you didn't want to stall on concrete. If you do I'd just get the thickest mats you can find, caulk the seams together & bed deep. The caulk will keep the urine from going through and it's easy to just cut with a box knife later if you ever need to move them 

My barn is cement. 

I don't stall daily I don't like to, I use it for foaling and if my horse is wet on a cold night or if they need out of the weather for a bit. 

I've never had any issues with the cement. I just put lots and lots of straw in and my horses seem happy. My brood mares never stock up either but I give them a huge area so they can move and walk aroun the barn. 

My vet has concrete stalls. They have rubber mats in them then shavings. 

Thanks everyone for the replies.

This is what we will probably end up doing when we end up purchasing my in laws place.There is a huge shop,  My husband built it with his daddy and he designed it with roll up doors on each side to have future runs off stalls. It's all concrete, so I was thinking heavy duty rubber mats and deeply bedded with lots of shavings. 

Horses have lived for thousands of years without humans putting them in stalls. Use your shop as a shop.  I would just put in temporary stalls. 

If you need stalls, build them. My horse has been alive for 12 years and hes been in a stall or pen for most of his life with the exception of when hes turned out on the pasture. Theres nothing wrong with stalling one. Horses lived thousands of years without humans asking them to run around 3 cans as fast as they can but that doesnt count right??. Stalls are a good thing to have when you need them. I believe in plenty of turnout and fresh air but sometimes stalling is necessary and I'm glad I have the option to do so. Having the shop built already and adding stalls inside is a less expensive way to be able to stall your horses then go for it! 

I have two stalls right now that I built into an existing boat garage, with plans to make the shop side more stalls. There is not really any room on the property to put a new barm, so we are making due with what we have. It is concrete floors, but I have mats covering and bed well for cushion. Mine dont seem to have issues with them and they are up at night and out during the day.