Everyone loves to plan their dream barn. Like what the doors will look like, if it will have a cupola, or what stall 
doors they want installed. Doing a lot of research before going straight to building this dream barn is always ideal too. So of course I get lots of emails about horse stalls. One of the biggest questions we get at IGK Equestrian is why should I choose your SmartStall™ for the floor of my stall??
Let’s take a look at the variety of options available for stall floors: topsoil, clay, sand, concrete, asphalt, road base mix, solid rubber mats, grid mats, wood, sand…. The list goes on and on. But the main thing to worry about when it comes to the floor is the well-being of the horse, and then the owner’s interest second. The first and most important aspect of flooring is the ability to be able to “give” a little when the horse steps onto it and be comfortable to stand on for long periods of time; this will wipe out potential strains in the feet and legs of the horse from standing on hard surfaces. The material would need to be able to stay dry to eliminate the issue of bacteria infecting the horse’s hooves, and the issues caused from horses breathing in ammonia in their stall. Not to mention that horse owners do not particularly want to walk into a poignant smelling barn. The surface needs to provide the right amount of traction. If there is too little traction, the horse could potentially slip when the surface is wet, causing not only injuries to the horse, but also creating a fear of the stall. The flooring also needs to be level. Some materials start out level and eventually develop “pot holes” in different areas of the stall. You will end up using more bedding to try and fill these “pot holes” which will then just encourage the horse to use the bathroom in these same spots, further deepening the holes. The uneven surface can cause the horse to trip in their stall, again potentially creating a fear of the stall or worst case scenario: injuries to the horse. Now for the owner’s preferences: it needs to be durable, long lasting, low maintenance and easy to clean. No one wants to spend hours and hours fixing the flooring every few weeks, or replacing it ever year or two.
Sand, concrete, limestone dust and wooden floors are all the most popular floor choices, but each of them has a vice or two. Sand has the issue of being too absorbent, concrete floors and limestone dust do not provide the adequate cushioning for the horses, and wooden floors can become very slippery when wet and can rot away. Rubber floor mats are also another option, but some of these also have issues. If you get the ones that inter-lock together or are laid down next to one another, liquids can seep underneath these mats, creating a noxious smell and possible bacteria issues.
Our SmartStall™ mattress system is the perfect solution to stall flooring. It is a one piece, wall-to-wall memory foam mattress with a non-slip durable rubber topcover. It provides the perfect amount of cushioning for your horse that is easy on the legs and withstands the toughest horse wear and tear. It is easy to clean and low maintenance. Our customers have used over 70 percent less bedding, saving in time and money! The topcover attaches to the wall so no liquids can make their way underneath, eliminating the issues of bad smells and bacteria.
Whether deciding what stall flooring you want in your new dream barn, looking to add a few more stalls, or replacing some old stall flooring, we would love to talk with you more about the best option for your stall!
Let IGK Equestrian know what your dream barn looks like?
