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angelarab
Platinum Member
 Wales
2876 Posts |
 Posted - 22 Oct 2009 : 08:37:18 AM
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HI got a friend who is looking at renting two stables they are on a soil base rather then concrete. How would she go about bedding down? She normally uses sawdust from the mill, i siad prob best to deep litter it over the winter? They are well draining.
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 "Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened."
www.northwalesarab.co.uk |
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flosskins
Silver Member
345 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2009 : 08:56:03 AM
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| i've just built stables onto the ground, not allowed a concrete base but if your friend wanted to go to the effort I've put a layer of builders sand down and then 2'x2' concrete slabs on top (can pick them up second hand for about £1 each) and if you lay them close together they make nearly as good a base as concrete but with the tiny gaps they drain into the sand so well. I thought I was going to have to put rubber over the top but its worked really well. otherwise I would recommend a thick layer of shavings/sawdust for an absorbant base and then put a straw bed over the top for warmth as a soil base will be damper and colder. |
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angelarab
Platinum Member
Wales
2876 Posts |
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moatside
Platinum Member
England
3224 Posts |
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Pauline
Platinum Member
England
3185 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2009 : 09:29:14 AM
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My field shelter has a soil base and I have always used Aubiose as a bedding.
If you have "Freecycle" in your area you can get a lot of things for nothing.
I got some old paving stones to put around the water tanks.Have also use them as a base to a shed I put up in the yard. You can get almost anything from freecycle.
If you use paving stones put the under side face up as that side is rougher
Pauline |
Pauline Higgs
Equine & Human Holistic Therapist
www.thegentlestouch.co.cc
www.endurancegbmidsouth.co.uk
Berkshire / Hampshire Border |
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Callisto
Platinum Member
6905 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2009 : 09:38:08 AM
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| When I first lived in Scotland my horses were stabled in an old steading with a packed earth floor - we put down second hand rubber dairy mats on top and then just bedded down as usual on top with no problems - used a succession of beddings - straw, shavings and aubiose depending on the horse, and it worked pretty well. We took the mats up in spring and sprayed the floor with Jeyes fluid. |
  Zahkira (GR Amaretto x Taffetta)
Linda
East Sussex |
Edited by - Callisto on 22 Oct 2009 09:44:10 AM |
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Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2009 : 10:02:16 AM
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| My two next door neighbours use field shelters with soil floors; one has dairy mats, the other rubber mats with shavings and their mares have had no problems at all. In fact I'd think given the normal breakdown of droppings and urine on the field, it might be healthier than concrete which does absorb urine. |
Roseanne |
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maryann
Gold Member
United Kingdom
767 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2009 : 11:06:31 AM
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| All our stables are on soil bases (can't have concrete) and we have down scalping's with rubber matting on top and normal bedding..The horses weight compacts the chippings down into a good base..Think the scalping's cost just under £200 inc vat and that did all 8 stables and we had some left which we used on the outside of the stables... |
Maryann
www.freewebs.com/amarabians
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flosskins
Silver Member
345 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2009 : 12:54:16 PM
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| maryann - sure this sounds stupid but what are scalpings? |
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angelarab
Platinum Member
Wales
2876 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2009 : 1:12:59 PM
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| i am right in thinking the are like bark chippings but made of stone? |
"Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened."
www.northwalesarab.co.uk |
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Red Rum
Gold Member
England
508 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2009 : 1:32:02 PM
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Hi My temporary stables have a wooden floor made of scaffold planks, these will withstand a horses weight and the wee can run out through the gaps. Also we have put rubber mats on top but this is not really necessary.
Mandy |
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flosskins
Silver Member
345 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2009 : 2:05:38 PM
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| redrum - won't the wee rot the scaffold planks? i looked into using wood but i was worried about that happening |
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Red Rum
Gold Member
England
508 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2009 : 6:53:34 PM
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| Hi No it doesn't as you build a base with wooden strutts and the planks are nailed on the top. I had a stable built like this 30 years ago and the floor is still solid. The wee will seep through the planks. Also it keeps the horses warm when they lay down. Where do you live if local you could come and see. Planks cost about £13 each. Mandy |
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maryann
Gold Member
United Kingdom
767 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2009 : 8:34:00 PM
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| Flosskins the scalping's that we have are all sizes of stone with some stone dust in with them..They do the job well. We have just re done the stables after three years... |
Maryann
www.freewebs.com/amarabians
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hpak2005
New Member
Wales
27 Posts |
Posted - 24 Oct 2009 : 6:44:59 PM
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| The frist yard we were on were soil based. We simply had straw beds down for them all and deep littered and had no trouble whatsoever. |
hpak |
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Nerusa
Bronze Member
Scotland
160 Posts |
Posted - 24 Oct 2009 : 8:06:42 PM
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To the OP, if the soil is well-draining and does not flood with groundwater seeping upwards in bad weather, why go to the effort and expense of concrete slabs/rubber matting? There should be no problem with bedding down on the soil floor, and it will be a lot more comfortable and warmer for the horses to lie on.
If you want to deep-litter, I would suggest a couple of bales of hempcore, without dampening it down, and then use whatever bedding on top as normal. If your friend isn't going to deep-litter, just use normal bedding on top of the soil flooring but just to be aware when they muck out to not dig too deep with a fork, or with whatever they use.
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angelarab
Platinum Member
Wales
2876 Posts |
Posted - 16 Nov 2010 : 12:52:40 PM
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| I might be moving into this stable, my mate didn't change anything, so any other ideas i have rubber mats have put a wanted on freecycle for slabs |
"Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened."
www.northwalesarab.co.uk |
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Suelin
Platinum Member
England
2514 Posts |
Posted - 16 Nov 2010 : 1:03:09 PM
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| I wouldn't bother with slabs and mats. A friend of mine bedded her horses down on earth floors with deep shavings on top for 30 odd years. The stables drained beautifully and the horses were warm and comfortable. She never had any problems. |
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garnet
Platinum Member
2382 Posts |
Posted - 16 Nov 2010 : 4:18:24 PM
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| I had an earth floor at one yard and used straw bedding with no problems. I used to deep litter and take the wet out about once or twice a week. |
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LYNDILOU
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
13976 Posts |
Posted - 16 Nov 2010 : 4:33:44 PM
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Lets face it , the horses lay on the ground in the summer outside so why not in a stable ? just as long as it is well drained and dry , just put bedding onto the soil.
I used to have a barn with 6 stables in it all bedded on soil base with deep straw and the horses were cosy as anything, no such thing as capped hocks and casting in those stables |
   
www.dreamfield-arabians.com |
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Pashon2001
Platinum Member
3575 Posts |
Posted - 16 Nov 2010 : 10:10:39 PM
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| My foal weaner stables have dirt floors, they have compacted and I just put woodshavings on top. I was going to get round to concreting them but there has been no need. They are fine and been like that for about 4 yrs now. |
     
www.jarvastud.com http://hocon.webs.com/ |
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angelarab
Platinum Member
Wales
2876 Posts |
Posted - 17 Nov 2010 : 08:07:36 AM
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I am moving in on Saturday, can't wait to make it my own(nesting ) I am going to go on shavings as they are down at the moment,Thanks everyone will take a picture when he is in his new house |
"Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened."
www.northwalesarab.co.uk |
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saddlebred
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
1706 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2010 : 9:34:23 PM
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My pony was on soil floor with just shavings and it was no problem whatsoever. The urine just goes into the soil so it can be deep littered easily. I found it very economical and she was just as warm as in a concrete floored stable.
Good luck with your new horsey home.
Debs |
Based Bewdley Worcs |
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Bedding down on soil base?
