alternative to heavy trailer mat

[BBH]

I am so tired of pulling the heavy trailer mats in and out.....any of you have any exerience with an alternative light weight mat in trailers that are easy to put in and out and won't cost a mint??

 

[Minimor]

Just how thick are your mats, and what size are they?

In one trailer we had mats that were nearly an inch thick, and those things were almost impossible to move when I wanted to lift or pull them out to dry the trailer floor after use. I ended up just lifting up one end or the other & putting a block under it so that air could get under & dry the floor any time it got wet from urine.

In the trailer we have now we have actual trailer mats, but they are lighter ones. It's a stock trailer, 14' long. Instead of one big mat I have 4 small ones. Not sure just how thick they are, but definitely less than 1"--still thick enough, though, that if they were bigger mats I'd have trouble wrestling them out of the trailer. As it is, each of the 4 smaller mats is quite easy to lift up & pull out of the trailer when I want to hose them off, and I can just tip them up against the trailer wall when the trailer isn't being used, then they are easy to put down again when I want to haul someone. They fit together well and are heavy enough that they won't roll up under a horse, nor can the horses paw them up at all.

 

[Charlotte]

these aren't cheap, but are wonderful mats. If you can get the size you need they won't be inclined to move around like thin rubber mats can.

Mighty Lite Stall Mats

Charlotte

p.s.For more years than I care to remember I did what minimor talks about....lifting and putting a block under the thick rubber ones in my 4 horse (big horse).

 

[dannigirl]

We used a piece of used carpet. Hubby used screws to hold the corners and sides down. I like that there is no slipping when they get in and the floor is wet. It dries when they pee cause it mostly goes through. It is starting to go bad so we will need to replace it but I am sure it will be with another piece of carpet.

 

[Becky]

I found this product the other day and am thinking about getting one.

EZ Grip Mat Mover

I have a heavy mat in my groom room as well as the heavy mats in both of my horse trailers. Those things are so heavy and no way to get a hold of them to move them! This mat mover looks like it could help a lot.

 

[Sue_C.]

Vise grips work well, and you can get a few cheap sets for just a few bucks. Plus they are metal, and won't break or crack in the cold like plastic is liable to do.

 

[Katiean]

When I used a stock rack for my arab I just used carpet that fit my truck bed. It never slipped or bunched.

 

[Miniv]

WHY are you pulling mats in and out of your trailer????

All of our trailers have always been set up with standard 3/4" rubber mats and we pressure hose the trailer after each haul to protect the flooring and to protect the animals. Larry likes to add bleach to the tank....It's a habit he does.......He does it when we pressure wash our stalls in the barn too.

Am I missing something here?

 

[dixie_belle]

I was thinking exactly the same thing. I have stall mats and trailer mats. I put the trailer mats in once and left them in there. Why bother moving something in and out when I would never put the horses in there without them installed? Seems like wasted effort to me.

 

[candycar]

We used the truck mats that don't have wheel well cutouts. They come in lots of different sizes and are ribbed on one side with bumps on the other, either side is slip resistant. They are much lighter and cheaper than reg stall mats. We got them from Tractor Supply.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

I also would like to beable to pick my mats out easier so the trailer floor can dry. Mats are great, but I want special attention on the wood floor and make sure nothing rots or gets damaged for not allowing air to get to it. I need to clean my trailer out now before Winter sets in.

 

[Minimor]

We lift mats to allow the floor boards to dry thoroughly. Nothing rots a floor faster than urine that gets under the mat (and it does!)--even water that gets under the mat when you hose out the trailer without removing the mat)--the moisture stays there under the mat and eventually rots the floor.

I also "test" the floor boards every spring (sometimes later as well) to make sure they are still in good shape--something you can't do without lifting the mats.

 

[wingnut]

My husband "punched holes into them mat so he could put rope through (knotted on one side). This gives him something to grab.

Like many of you, he insists we pull them out to wash and dry in an effort to protect the wooden boards.

 

[shorthorsemom]

Tractor supply has rubber mats on a roll you can have cut. they are a bit lighter in weight and very inexpensive.

 

[bevann]

Tractor supply has rubber mats on a roll you can have cut. they are a bit lighter in weight and very inexpensive.

I have seen brightly colored rubber mats in Home Depot and Lowes.They are used in shops to stand on and also used for small children in play areas in day care.They lock together like puzzle pieces and would be easy to remove.

 

[Annabellarose]

WHY are you pulling mats in and out of your trailer?
All of our trailers have always been set up with standard 3/4" rubber mats and we pressure hose the trailer after each haul to protect the flooring and to protect the animals. Larry likes to add bleach to the tank....It's a habit he does.......He does it when we pressure wash our stalls in the barn too.

Am I missing something here?

Well, if a horse urinates while in the trailer or if you wash the trailer out, the water gets between the rubber mat and the floor (often wood) and it holds it there, not letting it completely dry which will eventually rot the wood. You can extend the life of your trailer (or trailer floor) by pulling the rubber mat out to let it dry. The water seeps down under the rubber mat around the front/back/sides of the mat, but it never fully evaporates once it gets under the rubber mat. I guess it might not be as much of a danger if you live in a very dry (not humid), very hot climate, but I live in a very humid area of the country and water does not evaporate from anywhere without the perfect conditions.

 

[RhineStone]

We don't have urine on our trailer floor because we use at least 3-4" shavings on our rubber mats. Not only does this soak up any urine, but it also makes the surface non-slip as manure can become slippery on the rubber mats. This also keeps the floor cooler for the horse's feet, because those mats can pick up heat from the road on hot days. We remove any soiled bedding when we arrive at our destination, both show and at home. The mats stay cleaner as well. We only hose about once a year to give the trailer a really good cleaning, and then we remove the mats.

I know that there are some people that think that the shavings will blow around and get in the horses eyes, and therefore they will not use shavings. I have not found that this is the case at all in our trailer. And it isn't any more dusty than a box stall. I have rode in the trailer with our horses to see what goes on back there, to hear any banging that I could eliminate, and to see how the horses ride. I suppose it would depend on how your trailer is built as to whether or not the shavings blow around, but they don't in ours.

We have also witnessed horses that suddenly don't want to load in a trailer. When we suggest that the owner lay some shavings down, the horse will jump right in when they realize that they won't slip around.