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Discussion on Footing for Outdoor Wash Stall
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Member:
lucyc1
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 29, 2015 - 4:54 pm:
Hi Everyone: We have just constructed 2 additional wash stalls. One is under a roof; the other completely in the open. We need to decide what to put "under hoof" - mats, hoof grids with stone dust, or something else.....We don't want to use concrete with a drain at this point because the stalls are somewhat experimental, and we want to see how much they are used in their current locations before we do anything as permanent as pouring concrete.
The stalls are 10 x 12. Neither of them will be used heavily. At the moment they have a compacted gravel base with loose mixed gravel (not ideal for horses because of the bigger, sharp edged stones) on top. So far we thought about putting finer gravel on top - but the stones would probably come up through. We could put wash rack type rubber mats - the ones with holes - directly on the gravel - but they have to be removed to clean, and that would be difficult (messy) with the gravel underneath. (It's bad enough in our concrete wash stalls with those mats on top.) We're thinking about something like Hoof Grid, filled with stone dust or M-10 (just slightly more textured than stone dust). I THINK that would be fairly easy to clean. But would it stand up to restless horses standing, sometimes pawing etc? Also, the ones I've seen are expensive, so I'd want to know if anyone has experience using them.......
Thoughts? Suggestions?
Thanks for any help you can give me!
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Member:
moxshi
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 29, 2015 - 11:37 pm:
Do you have to have a drain if it's concrete or can the water just run off by furrows?
I think textured concrete would be good . . . with grooves to direct the water wherever you want it to run off.
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Member:
lucyc1
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Posted on Sunday, Aug 30, 2015 - 6:20 pm:
Hi Holly,
I think concrete would work well - but we'd rather not pour concrete at this point. It may be the best solution though.
Does anyone have experience using the hoof grid type structures (the ones advertised to prevent paddocks from getting muddy) in an outdoor wash stall area?.
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Member:
moxshi
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Posted on Sunday, Aug 30, 2015 - 7:09 pm:
We had this kind out in the barn yard near a hydrant for the polo horses at a polo ranch, and they drain, but felt slippery for me when I was wearing my riding boots, washing down a horse.
https://www.stallgrid.com/Stall%20Mats.htm
I think this kind would work, though, because they have nubbies on them, I think . . . and they are made for traction in wash stalls: "Ring Mats"
https://rubbermats.com/horse-mats.php
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Member:
lucyc1
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Posted on Sunday, Aug 30, 2015 - 9:45 pm:
Holly, It's interesting to me that the stallgrids were slippery. I was thinking we could cover them with a little extra of the stone dust to make sure the horses had traction.
I thought about using the rubber mats with holes - but I would want to fill them with stone dust so we could pick up manure without having to remove the mats. I was worried the rubber would break down too quickly - but curious if it might work as well, or maybe better? than the stallgrids.
It's so hard to guess how these things might work!
Than
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Member:
moxshi
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Posted on Monday, Aug 31, 2015 - 12:07 am:
With stones or pea gravel on the stall grids, there would be traction and drainage, but it would be washed away, too, I think.
The second set of mats shown in the above post looks to have raised nubs on them, and they would still drain water as well as provide texture/traction for horses and for people.
Maybe if you write to the companies, they will send you a sample piece and you can experiment.
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