From: hannah@pomponio.ai.sri.com (Marsha Jo Hannah)
Newsgroups: rec.equestrian
Subject: Re: Trailer Mats
Date: 30 Sep 92 16:52:12 GMT
Organization: SRI International, Menlo Park, CA
In-reply-to: linda@linda.intel.com's message of 29 Sep 92 16:00:07 GMT

In article <2335@gandalf.intel.com> linda@linda.intel.com (Linda Harbin) writes:

   Does anyone know where I can get a trailer mat for my 2-horse trailer?  I have 
   called a couple of trailer dealers in the area.  The price they are quoting me 
   is around $45 for a mat 60"x72".  I want two mats so they suggest I buy one and
   cut it in two.  

   My question is (actually I have several):

   1.  Is $45 a reasonable price.  It does not seem too bad to me but I have not
   priced mats before. 

I've paid $45 for 48x72" stall mats (3/4" to 1" thick), so that seems
to be the right ballpark.

   2.  Are the mats hard to cut.  I thought it would be easier to handle
   two mats 30"x72" instead of one mat 60"x72".  One dealer said they were hard
   to cut but another said they were easy with a utility knife.

It is easiest with some sort of straight-edge, like a long, narrow
scrap of 1/4" plywood, but you can also snap a chalk line to mark the
cut, and free-hand it.  It's least work if you use a *sharp* utility
knife.  If the mats were made from recycled tires, you might hit a
scrap of steel cord, which will dull or even chip the blade, so be
sure you use something that has replacable blades, like a utility
knife, not your best kitchen knife!

   3.  Is there a mail order catalog I can order from that might have better
   prices.  I have been looking in some of the horse catalogs for the last 
   several months but have not seen anything advertised.

I bought my trailer mats out of the Farnam catalog.  Sorry, I don't
have it here, but they do have an 800-number---try 800-555-1212
(information).  Farnam does tend to be a little pricey, though.

   4.  Is there anything else I should be considering?  What thickness should I
   get?  One dealer said the mats come in 1/2" and 3/4" thickness with no price
   difference.  I find that hard to believe.

My experience has been that many runs of the recycled rubber mats vary
in thickness, so you get your choice of the fat ones or the skinny
ones, all out of the same pile!  The mats I use are 1/4" ridged ones
of "virgin" rubber---I wanted mats I could easily pull out to hose
off, plus I needed to make funny cuts (slant-load trailer), so I
bought a half-roll of their thinnest 36"-wide matting.  (It comes in
many widths, and also in pre-cut lengths for standard 2-horse
trailers.)  Thicker mats are theoretically more cushion, but also more
weight for you to "horse" in and out of the trailer.  Also, the thicker
recycled mats tend to be "brittle"---I once broke one, laying it over
the trailer divider "just for a minute".

   5.  Is there anything else on the market that could be used instead of
   "horse trailer" mats.  i.e. my husband is in the restaurant business and he
   suggested getting some non-slippery floor mats that restaurants use in kitchens
   which would probably be cheaper.  However, I argue that they would not hold up
   under the weight of a horse.  Any ideas?

	   Linda Harbin       Hillsboro, Oregon 

Probably more important is how well those mats would hold up to being
tromped on by horseshoes with fresh nail heads sticking out of them!
I think you're better off going with something designed for horses.

Marsha Jo Hannah		Murphy must have been a horseman--
La Honda, CA			anything that can go wrong, will!
Newsgroups: rec.equestrian