Barn Flooring question

[ShashwatAcres]

Hi everyone I have yet another question. I am wanting to redo my current barn which has just turned into a storage unit lol. The big horses have there own barns in the back pasture which is where they stay. But I would like to get my current barn set up to house the minis and biggies if it.But my questions are the floors are cement would I need to tear out the cement? The barn in question is 30x40 with a 14x40 feed room and the ceilings are huge lol. I would rather just use my current set up instead of builing all new any suggestions ?

TIA

Becky

 

[GeorgeandHumble]

We have concret floor and use rubber stall mats.

 

[Reble]

Hi everyone I have yet another question. I am wanting to redo my current barn which has just turned into a storage unit lol. The big horses have there own barns in the back pasture which is where they stay. But I would like to get my current barn set up to house the minis and biggies if it.But my questions are the floors are cement would I need to tear out the cement? The barn in question is 30x40 with a 14x40 feed room and the ceilings are huge lol. I would rather just use my current set up instead of builing all new any suggestions ?
TIA

Becky

We where told about 19 years ago, best to have ground not cement, so for days and days of cement moving, hubby used a jack hammer, regrets, wish we had our Cement floors back, would have been better and easier to put in stall mats.

We put in sand than dirt for better drainage, but would of been easier cleaning with matts.

Will be interesting to see what others think?

 

[ShashwatAcres]

So the stall mats would be a good way to go I thought so but was just wondering. Ok what on stall size ? and what bedding do you guys use? I have access to pine, cedar, and aspen but I dont like the aspen to fine and to much dust

 

[LittleRibbie]

First of all Becky I would love to have a 14 X 40 Feed Room.....oh my gosh the possibilities. I have this dirt/tiny stone like stuff that gets packed down and we have placed rubber mats over it. I love the mats. I personally do not like cement..I can still not get over that pony, Teddy, slipping in an instant and he was gone. Im pretty sure it was cement or faux cement cobblestones that he slipped on. That being said I love the sound of horses walking on cement and I drool going into these big fancy schmansy barns with a nice big wide cement center isles. I just cant bring myself to put it in my barn.....but I have thought about it.

If you choose not to use the cement I would just mat over it.... as Reble pointed out...digging and jack hammering that all up...NO WAY

Im still thinking about your 14X40 Feed Room LOL Heidi

 

[ShashwatAcres]

I love my feed room, it is actually split up into 2 different areas when you walk in the front door nearest the house theres the freezer & fridge, a tub for bathing the dogs the sink and I have it split off with a half wall and door. Then we have all the feed buckets labled and filled and any overstock bags that we get go into our broken freezer for storage works nothing gets in and it stays fresh. THen we have all the hay which I love we can back the truck up and unload right into the barn. We can hold around 8 tons just in that area alone. We also have a little loft area above the front entry on the feed barn side. OH and we have huge double doors on the back to make unloading feed and hay alot easier

 

[LittleRibbie]

Sounds awesome!!

 

[Slagle]

My barn is all concrete. At first it was dirt and sand but was too dusty and hard to clean. Now all concrete with 4 tie stalls and 3 - 8'x10' box stalls on one side of the barn. We only have a rubber mat in one pair of ties stalls and three mats in the isle where we do all of our body clipping. The other half of the barn is a small tack room for my saddles and then the rest is my bales alfalfa hay and carts and feed.

My parents have a large retired dairy farm and the barns were all converted into office and shop and ties stalls and box stalls everything is concrete. EASY to keep clean. The only mats he has is where he body clips. All the other barns are concrete with box stalls and tie stalls. With all the barns and ties and box stalls we have they have held pony and mini sales at the farm and can stall approximately 70 animals. Other part of loafen shed is the sale arena.

My sister has all concrete and 2 ties stalls with rail road ties dug into the ground. Mats only for isle for clipping.

We all love our concrete. We all use pine shaving for bedding and then when we clean in the am and pm the wet spots then are limed and rebedded.

Tracey

 

[Carolyn R]

I have concrete floors with mats. For me and the location of my barn, at the bottom of a hill, concrete works best.It is elevated from the ground around it and always stays dry in the stalls. Draw backs....stall mats do really make it more comfy esp. for arthritic horses but is an extra expense, poor drainage inside the stalls---- concrete doesn't allow the urine to filter through so you are stuck with the need to frequently scoop out wet bedding.

I am building a new run on top of the hill and building the floor up with shale, topping with crushed limestone and stall mats. Due to its location I don't feel concrete will be needed. IF it were already there, by all means I would take full advantage of using it.

 

[White Socks Miniature]

We had special footing put into our barn. To the eye it looks like concrete, but it is actually this special polymer that has a bit of spring to it and supposedly it is better for thier joints and yadda yadda. We still put mats on top of it in the stalls and it works really well. Our old barn was concrete and we never had an issue with it! Just remember to put grooves in the isle way, or any non stall matted area for that matter,if you go for concrete as it adds traction.

Cheers

Masako