How To Level Gravel Enough For Stall Mats

The stall floor may be sloped to the exterior wall of the stall where a sloping gutter drain is provided along the inside of that wall.

How to level gravel enough for stall mats.

For stalls with bare dirt or clay floors you will need enough gravel crushed rock size 3 8 to 5 8 to fill the stall area up to about 1 below the desired level. Dig the stall floor down at least three inches from where you want the surface top to be. My favorite stall is one that has those plastic stall grid things in it. Use a long pry bar or metal t post to carry the mats to the stall area.

This is the most important step for getting the most out of your stall mats. The compacted gravel should be about 1 below the desired finish line. Do not use pea gravel or sand as it won t compact. I ve got one stall that has never had to be fixed neat freak horse in the 11 years it s been in use but generally we ll re level a stall every couple few years.

Provide a small trench 2 inches wide extending from the top stall flooring material down to the gravel subfloor layer to collect runoff. It must be well packed and level when it is put in. If you have a concrete asphalt or wood floor in your stall skip to step 8. Eventually the mats will have to come up and be re leveled but it depends on the horse.

Use the 6 to 8 long 2 x 4 board and carpenter s level to move the gravel around until it s level throughout the entire stall. For stalls with bare dirt or clay floors you will need enough gravel crushed rock sized 3 8 to 5 8 to fill the stall area up to about 1 below the desired level. Fill the trench with small stone or large gravel to enhance water movement. The benefit of crushed limestone is that it provides good drainage if properly installed with several inches over a bed of sand.

For cement floors skip this step and begin at step 6 below. Compact the gravel with the hand compactor. Shaped as mats interlocking tiles or modular materials these safety surfaces provide a level cushion. Large holes cracks voids or out of level areas should be filled and leveled.

It s also a non slip surface.