What do you use under bedding in your stalls?

[Cheval Gris]

I am getting ready to concrete the isle of my barn. The entire floor throughout my barn (even in the feed room) is a dirt floor. Not packed clay-like dirt, but dusty lose dirt. Once I concrete I will knock out half of my dust problem, but I am still stuck with stalls that I cannot keep clean. I do not want to put rubber mats in (aside from the concrete it would be a huge expense). I was thinking about possibly putting screen down to keep the shavings and dirt separate so urine can still drain but I can keep bedding relatively clean. What are some things you all have used under bedding? I doubt the screen would work, but I am just trying to get some ideas. Thanks in advance!

[Bank of Dad]

Bite the bullet and put down mats. I tried just dirt. Then stone dust and screenings. It all came up with the bedding and I had mud and holes. Mr. BOD thought mats were a waste of $$$. Girl friend and I got it down to a science. Two women, two kitchen knives, two stalls, two hours each. Mr. BOD didn't notice for two years LOL. Then he put mats down on all the area he regroomed.

[OkLurchers]

I agree. Mats are the only way to go. I bought mine at Tractor Supply...got them a couple at a time until all the stalls & aisle were covered. Best $$ I've ever spent, stall-wise.

[KnKShowmom]

I suggest using both mats and concrete -

We used a concrete boarder around the edges of the stalls and set interlocking mats in the middle - no shifting or bulging and the horses can't dig them up. Takes 1/2 the time to do stalls because there are no lumps, bumps or holes to dig around and no mixing of layers.

Same in the aisleway - rubber mats up the middle with concrete edging. No scrambling or slipping on concrete and the farrier says he loves working on it.

[kookicat]

I have concrete, rubber mats and then flax bedding on top. Simple, and works really well.

[ESG]

Mats. Inside a concrete border. They won't shift, and you won't have to worry about "drainage" because your bedding will soak up all the urine,...........which is what it's supposed to do.

Or, put down crushed asphalt or tamped limestone over the loose dirt, then put your mats down. Cheaper than having the concrete borders poured, but very effective in keeping the floor level under the mats (which will not happen if you just put mats down on the loose dirt with no forms around them.)

Put bedding down on what you have now, and you'll have one big, soggy, stinky mess that you'll have to strip out, and put the mats down anyway. Plus vet bills, because if you try to put screening down, your horses will step through it and cut themselves, and get infections from the big soggy stinky mess.

[WBLover]

I agree, limestone screenings over the dirt, leveled and compacted well, then bite the bullet and get mats.

I got 12x12 sets of interlocking mats from Tractor Supply, they are AWESOME! They are installed tightly to the sides of the barn, and to the concrete aisle so they don't shift. I have had no problems with lumps, bumps, or bedding getting under them, and the shavings absorb everything so I can just scoop out the urine soaked bedding, and sift out the poop. I clean two stalls THOROUGHLY in 10-15 minutes.