Horse Stall Flooring Tips

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Horse Stall Flooring Tips groundmaster Flooring
Stall maintenance is the biggest expense in our barns. There is usually a daily cost of bedding and labor, plus there are often contagious health issues.
by Groundmaster Products Inc.

Many horses spend a good portion of their lives in a stall, but even if they are only in there occasionally, it is very important to our horses that the stalls are safe and functional. Since our horses are typically larger in size than they used to be, the average stall size is now a minimum of 12x12. Whether you are building a pad for new facility or re-doing an existing barn the foundation and base material for the stalls are extremely important. Stalls need to be kept level, to prevent back and leg problems, dry to prevent respiratory, foot and skin problems and disinfect easily with a broad-spectrum, residual, biodegradable disinfectant.

For years people have tried many ideas to keep these conditions in their stalls. Some have tried maintaining stalls with hard packed clay, since dirt is the “natural” surface for a horse. Others have tried wood and even asphalt. The problem with these materials is that they don’t hold up and they can retain moisture and mold. Sand that does not pack has also been used, but sand is a very poor stall flooring material. It does drain well, but that is the only benefit of sand. It does not stay in place and horses can develop sand colic if they are fed on sand. Contractors came up with the idea of using concrete – thinking a horse surely couldn’t destroy that! However, most of them not being “horsemen”, they didn’t consider the damage concrete can do heath-wise to a horse. Arthritis, pneumonia, sores, etc. and the fact that the acid from urine and manure stays in the concrete.

Concrete stalls are also very costly. They usually involve elaborate drains systems and purchasing heavy rubber mats to “cushion” the concrete. Horses often do not do well on such a cushioned surface. It can cause back and leg problems to a working horse. Rubber mats create a few more problems, more moisture in the stalls from washing and pooled urine on a solid floor. Also, unhealthy bacteria can grow under a solid floor as it cannot breathe. The labor and bedding becomes costly as the bedding is used to soak up the urine therefore more “wet bedding” to be disposed of resulting in a bigger manure pile. Rubber mats have their own distinct odor and require continual removal for cleanings. This is not a one person job!

In recent years other flooring materials have been developed. Some are quite inexpensive, but do not have longevity and retain bacteria and odors in the material itself. Others come in many pieces that can curl, buckle or do not drain well. One company has a permanent, one piece floor that drains and the resins it is made of will not retain odors. When preparing a stall for a flooring system we first must consider the base material.

In construction of a new barn pad, or if a lot of fill is required to repair a stall, it is important to make sure that any fill is well compacted. We need to look for a material that compacts well yet drains. Some examples of this are called: stone dust, fines, etc. Each part of the country has its own material that is readily available. This should be compacted with a mechanical compactor, in two inch increments. Rolling the base does not get near the compaction rate that a vibrating tamper does. If the new base material is not properly compacted you will undoubtedly have some settling in your floor in a year or two. This will require pulling up your flooring, re-leveling your base, and reinstalling the floor. The stall floor system that meets all the ideal criteria’s of being healthy, one piece, light weight, dry, level, a permanent installation and is economical to maintain is called Groundmaster.

The company, Groundmaster Products, Inc. has been producing stall flooring and soil stabilization products for over 15 years. Groundmaster floors are custom made, in one piece, to your stall dimensions and are delivered to your barn by common carrier. The material is made of an extruded polyethylene resin that is industrial strength and is sold by the square foot.
It is installed between layers of base material and Groundmaster flooring is designed to be as close to “Mother Nature” as possible for your horse to live on. Groundmaster stall flooring is effective, simple, economical and virtually maintenance free. This flooring system will drain the urine quickly and pull it away from your bedding, making this a stall flooring system that pays for itself.

Groundmaster Products also gives discounts to their customers on all components for your horse barn and cattle operation. For more information and a free brochure call 1-800-411-2530.

Contact: Our Friendly Staff
HC4 Box 169P
Gainesville, Missouri 65655
Phone: 800-411-2530
Email: Groundmasterproducts_inc@hotmail.com
Website: groundmasterstallflooring.com

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