Saving bedding and labor with Belmondo® Trend
At the Trakehner stud farm Treiber, the 300 m² indoor lying area is mucked out by machine every day - quickly, cleanly and reliably. BELMONDO® Trend mats make it possible to drive machinery over the surface every day and significantly reduce both bedding.
From renovation to a long-lasting solution
When Cornelia Hörtlackner converted the former tie-stall barn into a group housing area for her Trakehner horses, one thing was clear: the floor had to work for many horses - day after day. After removing the old control devices, the floor was leveled and concreted. BELMONDO® moved into this area in 2013: Trend mats in the approximately 300 m² indoor lying area, plus Paddock mats in the indoor feeding areas at the hay racks.
Since then, 20 to 25 horses - young and old, big and small - have been using the area every day. For Cornelia Hörtlackner, driving machinery over the mats is simply part of everyday stable life.
"For me, the combination of comfort for the horses, enormous savings in straw and labor, and the durability of the mats is what matters most - I would choose them again at any time."
Comfort that saves bedding
In the end, bedding costs were the decisive factor.
Cornelia Hörtlackner was already familiar with rubber mats from the dairy sector and wanted to offer the same comfort in horse husbandry – without relying on deep straw bedding. Without mats, a large amount of bedding would be needed every day to make the concrete surface truly soft. With BELMONDO®, much less bedding is required, as the mats themselves provide the necessary softness and thermal insulation. She now uses short-chopped straw, which binds well and can be easily spread on the fields.
"With the rubber mats, one bale of straw is now enough bedding for one to two weeks."
Cleanliness & stable climate
In everyday life, Cornelia Hörtlackner especially benefits from the reduced bedding requirement: this means less manure and makes the group housing easier to clean. Urine spots are selectively bedded a bit thicker. In spring, rock flour is used for its antibacterial effect, supporting a fresh stable climate. This is a real plus, especially for sensitive horses: less dust, fewer irritants.
Even “under the surface”, the system remains trouble-free: there has never been a need to clean under the mats – if a mat is occasionally lifted, only a light, harmless film of dirt is visible.
"It takes me about 15 minutes to muck out the entire lying area. No mats have ever been torn out or damaged."
Mechanical manure removal: labor saving and everyday practicality
Every morning, the area is mucked out by machine using the Hoftrac – the entire 300 m² lying area is done in just 15 minutes. The mats are fully suitable for everyday use: driving and scraping work reliably and save a tremendous amount of time compared to manual mucking out. This means the area is quickly clean and ready for use again.
The mats reliably withstand daily stable life: even after more than 10 years of intensive use, including driving and scraping, no cracks or chipping were found when removed for inspection. Even compared to new mats, there is no functional or thickness difference. For Cornelia Hörtlackner, this is crucial: a solution that works reliably for many years – even with daily machine cleaning.
"There are no signs of wear and tear at all."
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