Wednesday, January 22, 2014

SoftStalls: A softer stall for our horses


As Harv gets older he has trouble getting up and down. I briefly contemplated finding some kind of stall matt that might make him more comfortable - like a 'pillow-top' for horses?

I didn't find the pillow-top, but I ran across this interesting product, SoftstallTMAdvantage. It provides a cushy surface to combat fatigue. It sounds wonderful. By the way, this is not an ad, and I have no association with the company.

What it is...
Per the manufacturer, the bottom layer of theSoftStallTMAdvantage system is a "G-Max engineered Flat Technology that provides (HIC) or Head Impact Criteria to provide ideal comfort and safety for your horse and foal." They're made of recycled closed cell foam pieces molded to a specific G-Max rating to provide the ideal comfort and durability in a light weight pad providing excellent performance benefits GUARANTEED for years to come. The height of the matress is approximately 1" and comes in a 4'x6' pad weighing only 25 lbs for easy handling."

Basically -- a mattress.

The second layer of the SoftStallTM Advantage system is a "non-toxic StallSealTM water based, liquid coating. This extremely durable coating cures to provide a rubberized, water-tight seamless, flexible, non-slip, bio-secure seal, wall to wall in your horses stall. Easily and quickly applied by a squeege. StallSeal bonds to and protects wood, foam, concrete and metal creating a tough yet flexible coating to finish your stall. If an issue or wear spot develops you can simply re-coat the entire surface or isolated area."



Posturpedic for horses! File under "post lottery."

 In checking the COTH Forums, opinion is divided -- not so much about the product itself but about the benefits to horses. Do horses do better healthwise on this flooring? The jury is out but there are diverse opinions. No one could prove it's harmful (unlikely) but is it better than deep bedding? Is it more supportive of the joints? People who have Softstalls seem to like them, but IMHO when you spend a lot of money on a product, you are not likely to say you don't like it.

Looking at the product, I think it would have safety value for old horses and foals.  Psychologically, it would benefit me to have my horses on a surface with some give.

They aren't the only brand on the market. Here are a few more -- does anyone have experience with them?






2 comments:

  1. I've used regular rubber mats in my stalls for years. I love them but they are way too heavy to move around. I really like the light weight of these mats. I'll be interested to hear if any of your readers can vouch for the durability.

    I think the softer surface would be wonderful. After all, part of the concept of bedding is to make a cushion for the horse, why shouldn't a cushiony floor surface be good too????

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  2. Best renovating art of the concrete material by establishing the curing procedure with first reference should be given by the curing compound manufacturer in India in different way. Thanks for giving this important information.

    ReplyDelete

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