Horse Trailer Mats

Horse Mats and Trailer Maintenance

Standard procedure is to remove the horse trailer mats regularly and sweep out and wash the floor of the trailer. This is important in order to keep urine and manure from building up and damaging the frame and the floor. When traveling with horses the flooring tends to get wet. Frequent cleaning and washing will preserve the flooring and extend its life. Rotting flooring can be very dangerous to your horse. According to Robert M. Miller, DVM

Some of the most terrible accidents I have seen occurred when a horse's foot went through a rotten wooden trailer floor and got ground off on the highway. Seeing too many of these horrible injuries has made me paranoid about trailer floors. I inspect mine every time I haul, and once a year I paint the wood with boiled linseed oil to keep it resilient and fresh. I am also a bit of a nut about cleaning the floor after every use, because urine and manure speed the rotting of wooden trailer floors. Good horse trailer mats help to reduce the danger of the floor giving way, but, after hauling, you need to remove the mats, hose off and clean the floor, and return the mats for the next use.

It is important to note that the floor is hosed be sure it is dry before the mats are replaced. Give the flooring ample time to completely dry out. If you notice that your mats are getting worn and curling at the edges then it is time to consider replacing them.

EquiSpirit installs thick 5/8" Rubber Mats that cover the entire floor of the horse trailer. These mats are solid which keeps the urine and manure on the mats rather than on the floor. They are easy to remove and clean, and they reduce stress to your horse's legs by absorbing shock.