Looking after the health of the horses is one of the crucial things you need to look into when setting up or upgrading a horse barn. And one significant aspect you need to consider is the flooring on which the horses will be standing.
Regarding the factors affecting horse well-being in a stable, stable flooring is on the top list. In some horse barns, stable floors may be particularly uncomfortable for stabled horses since they force the animals to stand for lengthy periods. That is why selecting the proper stable flooring is vital to ensure the stable flooring meets the need of the leg health of these horses.
Why Bother Ensuring a Stable Flooring for Your Horses?
Just like how you would secure suitable flooring for your bedroom to be comfortable walking around, you should also think that the same goes for your horses. If you have assessed that they will spend most of their time on their stables, consider their health and ensure they have the best flooring possible.
A horse’s stay in a stable can be sedentary, which poses challenges for an animal that is supposed to be constantly on the move.
Types and Benefits of Horse Stable Flooring in Australia
Stable flooring offers several advantages to the horse, including shock absorption and energy return with each stride. It also ensures durability, traction, and a level surface for the horse to stand on.
But other than that, there are other benefits of stable flooring and it is dependent on the type of stable flooring you choose for your horses. We have listed some of the common types of stable flooring available and its corresponding benefits.
Sand
Sand is often used to cover the floors of stables. It’s easy on the horse’s legs, doesn’t slip, and doesn’t need much bedding. It drains well and can be changed when it gets too dirty.
Stables with sand beds may need to be “topped up” because sand is taken out every time the stab is cleaned. If horses eat from the ground, they could get sand colic2. Sand floors are also easily uneven if the horse walks or paws on them and could also dry out hooves.
Wood
In the past, stable floors were usually made of wood. Wood floors are the most comfortable for a horse’s legs compared to other options. It’s warm, doesn’t slip when wet, and doesn’t need much care.
The wood needs to be treated, so that urine and water spills don’t cause it to rot and rodents and bugs don’t chew through it. The wood planks should be at least two inches thick and sit on a base of sand or gravel for drainage.
Sand must be put in the spaces between the planks so that feed and bedding don’t fall through. Wood floors can be dangerous when wet; they can hold smells, and horses can damage them by pawing at them and being hard to clean. The price of plank flooring is one reason why it’s less prevalent than it used to be.
Concrete
Most stables have floors made of concrete. It lasts a long time, is easy to clean, and is hard to break. It can be slippery, so textured concrete is better for stables and aisles than very smooth concrete, which may look nice and be easy to sweep in feed and tack rooms.
If horses are kept in for a long time, their legs will be healthier if rubber stable mats are put down on the concrete or if the stable is at least bedded deeply. It’s also usually cold and wet, so some horses might want to stay upright in their stables.
Crushed Limestone
This material, sometimes called “limestone dust”, can be a safe and comfortable stable floor if it is put down the right way. When it is put in, it must be well-packed and level.
Crushed limestone is suitable for drainage if it is put down in the right way, several inches over a bed of sand. It is also not slippery. But limestone can get so hard that it’s almost like concrete, so your horse will need stable mats and deep bedding to keep his feet comfortable.
Asphalt
Asphalt is easier on a horse’s legs than concrete, and it can be made to drain pretty well. Asphalt isn’t slippery when it’s first put down, but it could get more slippery over time. It needs to be put down thick enough not to break. It’s easy to clean, but it might be hard to disinfect the porous surface. Asphalt may be a less expensive option for stable floors and aisles.
Features of a Quality Horse Stable Comfort Flooring in Australia
As mentioned, there are different types of stable flooring, including rubber mats, natural soil and clay, concrete, and so on. To help you determine which type will give you more benefits, how can you tell which choice is the best?
Before carefully choosing from all the options, you should consider how you like to run things, how the subfloor is built, and how it drains. The following should be true of suitable stable flooring:
1. Floors should be easy to stand on and comfortable.
Your horses should be able to stand, walk, and rest on comfortable floors with padding. A hard, cold, and damp surface can be bad for a horse’s legs and overall health.
2. Dry and non-slippery
Keep yourself and your horses from getting hurt by securing a stable flooring that is dry and not slippery to walk on. A damp surface can also attract flies, bugs, and bacteria, making your horses’ living space dirty.
3. Sturdy
The floor material must be strong enough to stand up to horses’ hooves and not be easily broken.
4. Easy to maintain and clean
Admit it: maintenance can be tedious. And it gets worse if the type of flooring you get is not easy to clean and cannot quickly drain well. You wouldn’t want your horses to live in a dirty and unhealthy place.
5. Doesn’t hold odour
Manure and urine can make your stable smell terrible; if this isn’t cleaned or appropriately drained, it can make breathing hard. The floor of the stable must not only be easy to clean but also not hold odour from their manure and urine. Another option is to use an odour-control solution.
Looking for Horse Stable Flooring in Australia? Turn to StableComfort Australia & New Zealand!
If you are searching far and wide for the best and most stable flooring you can give for your horses and cattle, you can trust that StableComfort Australia has covered your needs.
As a new distributor of the world-renowned StableComfort™ products, we are more than ready to provide a wide range of quality products to increase productivity in your barn, such as stable mattresses, top cover and wall covers. Contact us on +61 439 008 576 or email us on sales@ultimatehorsebarns.com.au should you have any queries regarding our products.
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