Anyone use Soft Stall, Comfort Stall, etc.?

[dmalbone]

Just wanting to get some opinions on any of the stall mattresses. If you have them, do you like them and do you remember where you purchased them and what cost?

[bellboots]

We have them in the stalls where I board. I can't say that my horse likes or dislikes them, but when I walk on them there is enough squishy-ness that I notice the give. If it were me, I would prefer it to sleeping on the floor! The only thing that we have found that doesn't agree with them is hoof dressing. Barn staff picks/paints feet daily and they used to do it in the stalls, but the hoof dressing was eating the mats. No big deal, but just wanted to mention that.

[Bravestrom]

We have comfort stalls and soft stalls - basically the same thing. Shop around - I am just doing one new stall - a 10x 16 stallion/broodmare stall and prices varied from 1,150 to 995 to 800 depending on who you are buying from.

In 2005 I did 8 stalls - negotiated a deal of $445 per stall - these are canadian prices. If you are in Canada pm me and I will give you the contact.

Delivery is expensive as it does have to ship ltl carrier.

[baythoroughbred]

I used to board at a facility that had Comfort Stalls. Not sure if when you use Comfort Stalls you are not supposed to use a lot of bedding/shaving, they did not, but the urine would pool on the mats and the horses were getting thrush. Maybe they just weren't bedding them properly but I didn't like them for that factor. The owners were extremely cheap people though.

[D Murray]

If you want the soft stall to save on bedding costs, don't bother. you still need to bed them properly . i shoe in a coulpe barns that have them and use hardly any bedding and they have the worst feet. the barn smells of urine and the horses stink of urine and manure. IMO the mats are just the box spring , the bedding is the mattress.

[dmalbone]

Thanks for the info. I'm interested in using them for the horse's safety and comfort, not for my convenience so they will be bedded more than adequately. I've heard the same complaints that they stink if you do not use the bedding like the sales reps tell you.

[Schiffon]

Your comment about them stinking makes me wonder if you are thinking of the stall skins that allow urine to penetrate. Those have never made sense to me but I've seen good reviews.

Comfort stall is impervious to liquid, so of course if you don't use much bedding there will be pools of urine. I have a comfort stall for a chronically arthritic mare. She seems to be more comfortable standing on it and likes to lie down on it. The only problem we have had is that some uneven spots have developed. We put it down on compacted gravel dust and suspect that mice got underneath the mattress. Concrete or asphalt would be better in that regard.

[dmalbone]

Your comment about them stinking makes me wonder if you are thinking of the stall skins that allow urine to penetrate. Those have never made sense to me but I've seen good reviews.

Comfort stall is impervious to liquid, so of course if you don't use much bedding there will be pools of urine. I have a comfort stall for a chronically arthritic mare. She seems to be more comfortable standing on it and likes to lie down on it. The only problem we have had is that some uneven spots have developed. We put it down on compacted gravel dust and suspect that mice got underneath the mattress. Concrete or asphalt would be better in that regard.

Thanks. If it was my "stinking" comment, I just meant from lack of bedding. I'm not a fan of LETTING the urine get into the ground personally. I'd rather take it all out. I was worried about the mice underneath so figured I'd need concrete or asphalt.