A dirt floor also can cause you to create a hole in the stall floor. The horse probably will urinate in the same spot. You remove the urine-soaked dirt, and you make the depression deeper and wider. Adding bedding to fill the hole doesn't solve the problem, as the horse finds the spot even more absorbent than the rest of the stall. Another natural material is wood, in the form of thick boards or planks.
Some owners prefer wood as the stall floor, set on a bed of gravel to encourage drainage.
Wood can become slippery when wet. A subfloor can be paved with the manmade substances, such as concrete or asphalt. Whatever the choice, the floor needs to be level. A flat floor avoids stress on the forelegs. The barn's subfloor should be raised six to nine inches above adjoining ground.