Tenderfoot Stall Mats FAQ

Click on the question to find the answer.

Why use Stall Mats?
Where to find Tenderfoot Stall Mats?
Drainage - where does liquid go?
Large Mats vs. Small Mats.
Preparation & Installation.
Differences between rubber mats.
Are some mats softer than others?
Traction - Smooth Mats vs. Textured Mats.
Grooved Mats - good or bad?

Why use Stall Mats?

Dirt floors are difficult to manage and keep clean. Digging out "problem areas" is a constant nuisance. Tenderfoot Stall Mats eliminate "digging" by giving you an even floor that provides stress-relieving qualities for your horse while reducing cleaning time. No more digging out wet spots. A small amount of bedding used in conjunction with the mats absorb the wet spots on top of the mat, allowing you to clean nearly 100% of waste and odor.

Concrete floors are easy to clean, but are uncomfortable to stand on for long periods of time, even for humans. Large amounts of bedding are required to offer the cushioning support needed for the horse. Tenderfoot Stall Mats are easily installed over a concrete floor. It's soft, durable surface allows maximum support and traction for your animals. It reduces the amount of stress on your horse's legs, back, and muscles while standing and at the same time offering you an floor that is easily cleaned.

With Tenderfoot Stall Mats, the amount of bedding needed is dramatically reduced. The mats provide all of the cushioning support the horse needs, making it necessary to keep only enough bedding to absorb the urine. In turn, your daily maintenance costs will be reduced up to 50%, saving both time and money.
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Where to find Tenderfoot Stall Mats

Purchasing stall mats from any manufacturer should be seen as an investment, not just a purchase. Tenderfoot Stall Mats carry a 15-year limited warranty to ensure your investment is well grounded. We have trained our dealers across the United States and provided them with brochures and installation videos to pass on to customers, like yourself, so that you can become knowledgeable about the product you are planning to purchase, proper installation procedures and the integrity of the company behind the Tenderfoot Stall Mats.

Currently, RB Rubber Products has nearly 1000 Tenderfoot Stall Mat distribution locations throughout the United States. Most of these distribution points are Tack & Feed or Hardware Stores. With a wide scattering of locations across the United States, customers have little problem locating Tenderfoot^TM Stall Mats in their area. To locate the dealer nearest you, click the envelope below to email Chanda Bosanac.
Click here to Email for the Dealer Nearest You.

Where does the urine go?

Stall matting should be a non-porous, non-absorbent surface! Tenderfoot Stall Mats and EQUI-LOCK, when properly installed, are tight fitting, with no large gaps along the walls or seams. Bedding chaff packs into the seams and creates a very effective "caulking", providing a surface which allows the urine to stay on the mat long enough to be absorbed by the bedding. Since the bedding absorbs all of the waste, cleaning your stall removes nearly 100% of the urine and eliminates odor.
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Are larger mats better than smaller ones?

Large mats have drawbacks! Large mats, such as a 6' x 12', were not designed for livestock use. IN fact, they were manufactured for conveyor belts and other manufacturing machinery. Those mats are very hard and contain fillers such as nylon, rayon or other substances, that will cause the mat to shrink and curl as it ages. When purchasing matting, make certain the mat you choose is free of any filler products.

Large mats like the 6' x 12' will weigh approximately 250 lbs., making it nearly impossible to handle and properly install. Large mats eliminate your ability to rotate high traffic areas to maximize the lifetime of your mat investment. (An average 4' x 6' mat will accommodate most stall configurations with minimal cutting and will weigh approximately 100 lbs.)

How do I prepare for and install my mats?

Tenderfoot(tm) mats are quick and easy to install. All you need is a utility knife, chalk, a tape measure and a straight edge. A jigsaw can be used if you wish, but follow the manufacturer's recommended blade and safety instructions.

Clean and level the stall. We recommend at least 3" of 3/4 minus gravel, pea gravel, decomposed granite or limestone as fillers for a solid foundation.

Measure the area to be covered, draw a pattern, with the least amount of cutting for your stall. Following are two common patterns using Tenderfoot 4' x 6' 3/4" matting. For best results, keep seams away from the doorway(s) so that your animals are unable to paw up the corners.

To cut the mats:

Mark the mats you will need to cut with chalk or a chalk line.
Put your straight edge on the corresponding marks you have placed on the mats.
Holding the straight edge firmly in place, score the mats two or three times with the knife.
Grab the mat close to the score line, lift and bend the mat toward you. The score line will "break open".
Make several more passes with the knife, working down the established cut, until the cut is complete.
Continue with the next mat and install as required. Best installation is achieved when you place the cut edges against the wall, then the factory-sheared edges will meet in the center of the stall for the best fit.

If you require additional instructions for installation, we offer an installation Video free of charge to those that need it. To have a video mailed to you, contact Ricki Hackworth at drp@rbrubber.com or 800-525-5530.
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What is the difference between rubber mats?

Most mats are manufactured using what is referred to as a re-vulcanization process. This means that during the manufacturing process, sulfur is mixed in with the rubber and then compressed in a mold with heat. These types of mats have a sulfur, or rotten egg like smell to them for an extended period of time.

RB Rubber mats are manufactured using a space-age polymer-bonding agent, which is sulfur-free. Without the sulfur addition, we are able to make a stronger, softer mat without the rotten egg odor.

Are some mats softer than others?

Yes, polymer bonded mats are softer than re-vulcanized or sulfur cured mats. Sulfur cured mats rely on extreme pressure to bond the rubber together. This process compresses all of the air pockets from the rubber resulting in a very hard mat.

Tenderfoot Stall Mat's space age polymer bonding agent is specifically designed to provide the utmost strength, resilience and cushion to our mats for maximum comfort. It has increased integrity and tensile (stretch) strength throughout the mat for many years of extensive use.

(Before 1995, RB Rubber mats were constructed by re-vulcanizing. After significant research and concern for the environment, we decided that polymer bonded mats were far superior to the re-vulcanized (or sulfur) mat.)
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Do smooth mats have the same traction as textured mats?

The amount of traction in a mat is directly related to the softness or hardness of the mat. The harder the surface, with or without texturing (pebbles, diamonds, or grooves), the more slippery the mat is. The softer the mat, with or without texturing, the more traction and grip a person or animal walking on the mat will have.

Texture is not an issue when mats are placed in a stall situation since the mat surface are usually covered by the bedding. In barn aisle-ways, tack areas, gym weight areas, and commercial and industrial applications, texture may appear to have better traction. Remember to check to see how hard the mat you are considering is and contemplate whether more traction or grip will really be achieved.

What about drainage grooves?

Grooved mats appear to have great advantages over non-grooved mats. However, when installing a grooved mat over concrete, the mat collapses between the grooves. Over loose fill or aggregate surfaces, the grooves fill up, choking any ventilation the manufacturer promised. When installing grooved mats over any surface, the grooves become a prime area for bacteria to grow and multiply.

When laid down in a stall application, the draining feature works only when all of the grooves are lined up throughout the stall. Installing grooved mats actually requires more matting in order to line up the grooves.

Remember, a mat is only as thick as its thinnest point. Grooved mats are an advantage to the manufacturer in that they require less material to produce and can be sold for the same amount as a regular, non-grooved mat. This means that when you purchase a 3/4" grooved mat, you actually get the strength of a 1/2" mat.