| Author | Message | ||
     Louise McCutcheon Member Username: Louisemcc Post Number: 2 Registered: 03-2007 |
I use chopped straw at events and at home. It is absorbent, pleasant and rots away to nothing in a very short time. Comes in bags. I buy in bulk and works out about £4.50 a bag. Two or three bags to start a 12x12 stable, then one or two a week to top up. At events I use one bag on arrival then half a bag every second night. Much the same as shavings to muck out. Doesn't stick to legs or bandages any more than any other bedding. The big advantage is the speed of rotting. My muck heap at home is small and gets used on the garden after a year (four horses). There are various suppliers, and prices vary dramatically. I use Newbridge Straw Products from Shipton on Stour, and find them excellent. | ||
| Sandra Ormerod Member Username: Sandra Post Number: 2 Registered: 09-2009 |
What would be the event organisers preferred bedding we use EVA mats with shavings I know its hard to remove every bit of shaving and they do take a while to rot down and the ground to recover Im open to suggestions but Im not keen on straw | ||
| Joe Hodgson Member Username: Joehodgson Post Number: 7 Registered: 07-2010 |
Now all sold to someone for gateways | ||
| Martyn Willis Member Username: Martynw Post Number: 2 Registered: 02-2007 |
Following investigations. There were two events who had no mat requirement but for consistency. Events prefer solid mats but the minimum requirement for All events is from the ground up Membrane/Tarpaulin, Grass Mat (Holey mat) with bedding material on top. A number of events have added that they would prefer shavings are NOT used. I trust this helps. Martyn | ||
| Janet Pilling Member Username: Janetp Post Number: 6 Registered: 03-2007 |
We use our mats all summer at events then put them in the stables in winter to help insulate and save on bedding. They are really an investment and the time taken to lay them (not much) is recouped in mucking out time. Lifting them takes a little longer however you don't have the same effort in scraping up bedding off the ground. There is little tidying required once the mats are moved. Corralling works for one or two ponies but larger turnouts would struggle for space and the damage to the ground would be considerable. I hope it doesn't affect club events as we don't want to discourage anyone from starting out but at Nationals many people arrive on a Wednesday and are there till Sunday or even sometimes Monday so I can understand the ruling for mats at National events. | ||
| Wilf Bowman-Ripley Member Username: Wbrcarriages Post Number: 1 Registered: 01-2009 |
From an organisers point of veiw. (Ashfields) We would appreiciate it if everybody could use rubber mats without holes in. In our experience after a national competition when horses/ponies have been stabled for 3/4 days the ground that has been damaged the most is that that has had shavings put straight on to the grass as the shavings don't seem to disintigrate as well as straw, but we do understand that some ponies/horses have to be stabled on shavings/wood pellets etc. Our show field is always left clean and tidy which is much appriciated, it is the urine that is the damage of the land. We don,t want to put extra costs onto competing or any body coming to Ashfields, so it would be greatly appreciated if can also keep our cost of the repair to the land down. Is there any altenative to keep the costing down, maybe some sort of tough sheeting to try and catch the urine !!!!!! After all with large entries at Catton and Holker last year most people must have matting as we had to use it last year at both these events. | ||
| Danielle Twitchen Member Username: Daniellet Post Number: 1 Registered: 03-2007 |
Anyone wishing to get EVA mats, we can get them at a reduced price. Dan Twitchen Principle Horseboxes 07800576278 | ||
| Mike Watts Member Username: Mikew Post Number: 7 Registered: 01-2007 |
I moved this into General Chat from For Sale as it has become a discussion - and may affect any of us. It looks as if it will be compulsory to use mats in portable stables at national events this season onwards, to protect the ground. This is at the request of national organisers/landowners. This may also affect club events if landowners require it. I'm worried that it is a further expense (and work) for competitors at a time when money is tight. When we look at an event site after an event, the great majority of pitches have left the ground in good condition - we just see a few with damage, and it looks to me like places where a horse has been digging or pacing repetitively. I suspect it depends on the horse as well as the ground conditions - is there a way to prevent damage without everyone having to buy and use mats? I'm concerned the new national requirement will spread to club competitors, even though they are only on site a shorter time, and add an extra barrier to entering the sport and cost to doing it. I'm also concerned about the administration and bad feeling of the £100 fine mentioned, and the idea below that people who have one type of mat (holey) might be expected to buy a different type... and to use them also in open paddocks. Our personal experience is that we use (holey) mats and wood pellet bedding where we expect mud and they protect the ground effectively. We also use a (15' x 15' or more) electric fence paddock and this spreads any wear from the horses so it seems little different from the normal use of the field for grazing - and gives the ponies room to move. A smaller paddock (as in the new national rule for electric paddocks, 10 x 10) may concentrate the wear. What are people's views... note Martyn Willis has offered to get some answers, below. | ||
| Christine Twigg Member Username: Rosibob Post Number: 1 Registered: 02-2008 |
Having used them for three seasons now, I agree that EVA mats are light and easy to handle/keep clean and when combined with wood pellets make a very clean and manageable bed in portable stables. Not only are the pellets easy to transport in small bags, being so absorbent they reduce the amount of waste and best of all they don't get tangled in manes and tails like straw and shavings can. I haven't used the field guard type mats but cannot imagine them protecting the ground or being as easy to keep clean as the EVA mats. | ||
| Sandra Ormerod Member Username: Sandra Post Number: 1 Registered: 09-2009 |
Having used both types of matting I can only recommend the EVA type as I found the Field Guard type became clogged with mud bedding and urine which made them unpleasent to handle as well as heavy and difficult to clean they also failed to keep the ponies dry and clean (white socks not good )our EVA mats are easy to handle and cost around £30 per sheet aprox 22mm thick 4ft x 6ft . | ||
| Julie Hoskyns Member Username: Julieh Post Number: 2 Registered: 03-2007 |
The wood pellets are amazing, as Janet said they are easy, soft and really economical with very little wastage. The reason you must have virgin pine pellets is that the cheaper ones are often made from recycled pallets and have all sorts of chemicals in them. The proper ones also reduce odour and if you have a really wet horse/pony you just chuck the whole pellets on the wet area, they soak it up and the smell and you have a nice clean, dry fluffy bed again. :-))) | ||
| Janet Pilling Member Username: Janetp Post Number: 5 Registered: 03-2007 |
We use wood pellets on mats - cheap and easy to use and they don't take up a lot of space on the wagon. We slit the bag and pour in half a bucket of water - leave them to fluff up (about ten minutes) then turn them out onto the mats and you have a lovely soft absorbent bed. :o) We also use them on the floor of the wagon on longer trips. | ||
| Martyn Willis Member Username: Martynw Post Number: 1 Registered: 02-2007 |
So that everyone gets the correct mats I am contacting all the National event organisers asking them for their requirements. I hope to have a definitive view by Tuesday evening. Martyn Willis Club Rep and Council Member. | ||
| Julie Hoskyns Member Username: Julieh Post Number: 1 Registered: 03-2007 |
David and Minta are correct in what they say, the whole idea IS to use mats with absorbant bedding on the top in order to prevent as much urine as pos getting through to the grass. If anyone wants a really absorbant bedding that is easy to transport using the minimal of space then I suggest wood pellet bedding, just be very careful and ONLY use pellets made from virgin pine. If anyone wants any I can give them a number of the manufacturer. | ||
| Minta WInn Member Username: Mintaw Post Number: 3 Registered: 07-2008 |
AS I understood it, after talking to Wilf at Ashfields,the other day. the mat's as previously stated are to prevent urine scald on the land and for bedding to be on top in order to soak up the urine.add to the comfort and most importantly to prevent splash and scald on the horses legs from urine that would bounce back up off the rubber without bedding. | ||
| Janet Pilling Member Username: Janetp Post Number: 4 Registered: 03-2007 |
Don't think your plan would work with our lot Joe - bedding is, IMO, essential to give the horse some comfort and soak up the wet. It is also easier to muck out. We have used full rubber mats (six in each side of our stabling trailer) for three seasons now and they work well. I don't like the idea of laying mats without any bedding. I know our lot would be filthy! :D | ||
| Joe Hodgson Member Username: Joehodgson Post Number: 6 Registered: 07-2010 |
The new idea is to use rubber mats and no bedding to reduce the mess left behind on the grass after the bedding has been cleaned up. These mats let the urine drain away letting your horse/ponies lay down and stay dry. with the full rubber mats the urine sits on the top and makes a mess leaving dirty smelly horses. | ||
| David Taylor Member Username: Davidt Post Number: 1 Registered: 02-2007 |
You had better check out with Event Organisers first. I understood that the idea was to have matting with enough bedding over to collect urine and stop urine scald - concentrated in centre of small portable stable areas. for this reason we are buying EVA solid but lightweight mats. The grass mats will stop holes being dug in the ground but allow the urine through and as such may not be acceptable. I have the grass mats already so if acceptable would be delighted to hear that and saving me buying new EVA | ||
| Joe Hodgson Member Username: Joehodgson Post Number: 5 Registered: 07-2010 |
New Portable stable drainage rubber mats 1m x 1.5m You will need these this summer for your portable stable/s. Green & Black available Very light and easy to move around. Once in place on grass does not move around like normal mats. Bedding can be used ontop if prefered. Can be collected from me at any NEDTL events or collected from my address at Ripon, North Yorkshire. £28.00 each 01765658336 joehodgson@idnet.com  |