Placed over dirt or crushed rock, the mat reduces dust in the stall. You don't have as much arthritis in the joints as you do when a horse is standing on dirt. He said mats also can reduce a horse's tendency to stock up. The mat also should be grooved or corrugated on the underside to help with drainage and to retard curling. Look for mats designed with these features.
Rubber mats are popular in the dairy industry.
One primarily dairy industry company has started selling a mat two inches thick for equestrian use. The company reported installing 50,000 in dairy barns. The benefits of the the thicker mats are currently being researched in tests conducted by two universities in the United States and Canada. Newer floor systems are molded of plastic, available in rolls, or found in interlocked tiles. These flooring alternatives are made as a perforated surface.