Since 1995 and still going strong!  STALL SKINS

FREE STALL MATS? 

Well sort of....  Think of this.  HOW MANY stall mats pay for them selves?  NONE DO.  But with Stall Skins they DO.  Simply put,  you are not throwing your money away each time you are throwing out your manure.

Soooo.........   Have you heard of Stall Skins?

If not here is the scoop:  Stall Skins, are the alternative to rubber mats! Stall Skins are the ultimate stall and paddock liner that costs 50% less than rubber mats. Lightweight, durable, easy to clean and most importantly, Stall Skins are water permeable! That means your bedding stays dry and your horse stays clean. Dirt floors develop holes which need constant leveling, create dust which is constantly inhaled and bedding that is always contaminated with dirt. And when you pitch your stalls you are continually removing some of the fill that you will need to replace - which is another big pain in the ass.   Solid rubber mats have helped solve these problems, but in turn have created problems of their own. Rubber mats are expensive, bulky and heavy to handle, and tend to shift. But their biggest drawback is their inability to let urine drain through. This causes large volumes of expensive urine-soaked bedding to be removed daily, not to mention that the soil underneath can never dry out from the urine that leaked thorugh the seams and has now made a nasty slimy moldy stinky mess under the mats. Enter the Stall Skin solution! Skin comes in roll (like a carpet) Lay down,  fasten to wall, and fill with bedding.

Stall Skins are designed to allow water and urine to pass through, leaching naturally into the subsoil. Bedding stays dry and lasts 2 to 3 times longer. During periods of rain, outdoor paddocks remain mud free. Simply pouring disinfectant/deodorizer through the liner, (e.g. Pinesol and water), can treat urine-soaked areas. This will help combat harsh ammonia buildup (if needed at all). The simple installation system is easy to use indoors or outdoors. Instillation instructions included with each Stall Skin.

Stall Skins are lightweight (12 x 12 = 40 lbs.) one-piece stall liner, which will not shift in your stall.

Stall Skins are a water permeable, Geo -Textile* so your bedding stays dryer and lasts longer. The concept is quite simple: If a Stall Skin can save you $1.00 or more per day on bedding costs, it will pay for itself in just a few months. (We pay 5.00 for a bag for shavings, we use to use a bag every other day.  Now we use a bag a week (with daytime turnout).  Folks--- this is a NO BRAINER.)

Stall skins are an economical investment and are an alternative to rubber mats! Stall Skins are the ultimate stall liner that costs 50% less than rubber mats. Lightweight, durable, easy to clean and the ONLY mat to PAY for itself!

Stall Skins are preferred over well drained dirt floors, for they will not allow the horse to dig holes that need constant leveling, control dust that dirt floors create, and prevent stall bedding becoming contaminated with dirt and thrown out.

Stall Skins are safe. They will not allow your horses foot or leg to get caught, his shoe to be pulled off;  nor do they get slippery when wet - great for newborn foals.

Stall Skins save time when pitching stalls: Remove just what you have to, and cut your stall pitching time by one third. (And when I am pitching out our stalls - I am pitching out pure unadulterated shit -  wasting absolutely nothing, not to mention that our manure pile now is a fraction of the size it use to be!)

Stall Skins make great cushion barriers for stone or concrete walls or any wall for that matter. At Hill View Farms we tested the stall skin as a covering over a stall wall.  The skin cushions the concussion of a horses kick, protects the wall against damage but most importantly helps to protect the horse's hoof against potential injury from a debilitating kick. 

Stall Skins - how long do they last?  Stall Skins have been in use since 1995 and the original ones are still going strong.

What you need to do

• Establish good drainage under the Stall Skin. It is important to pull urine through the Stall Skin as quickly as possible. This keeps bedding dry and clean.

• Use Deep Bedding (8"-10") - Remember, with bedding it's not what you put in that costs you money, but what you throw away! Our concept: put in deep bedding but throw out very little. Deep bedding protects the durable Stall Skin while the Stall Skin buffers your expensive bedding from dirt and urine.

* GeoTextiles are non-woven polypropylene materials that were initially designed for use under roadways, landfills, railroad beds and pond liners. Polypropylene does not rot and can withstand most harsh chemicals and adverse conditions. Stall Skins spent 4 years testing geotextile materials and developed their own product to be used specifically as a stall and paddock liner. After initially testing geotextile materials for the horse industry, Stall Skins found that off-the-shelf product could not withstand the punishment of everyday barn life. So, founder Steve Rauch developed his own geotextile formula, which after years of testing stands up to even the toughest horses.

  In a relaxed form, Stall Skin are 5 pennies thick OVER 1/4 inch thick at 3/8th inch.  This makes these SKINS strong.
SO strong that STALL SKINS carry a 30-day money back policy and carry a full ONE year warrantee.

  STALL SKINS save you money!  Period.

View a VIDEO of  Stall Skins

30 second commercial   or    4 minute  installation

Installation instruction for Stall Skins
A low-cost, lightweight (12 x 12 = 40 lbs.) one-piece stall liner

Stall Skin is the ONLY stall mat that literally pays for itself in 6 months, in bedding costs that are NOT thrown away with the manure.

Getting Started
You will need the following tools for easy installation:
Shovel and dirt rake for leveling
Power drill
Utility knife (with new blade)

Step 1: Prep Stall Area

• We recommend you create a firm base of crushed rock (e.g. decomposed granite).
  
• Dig a "leach pit" the desired area, then fill it with gravel and level

Step 2: Stall Skins placement

• Unroll the stall skin with the shinny side up.

• If you have wooden walls in your stall, simply stretch out your stall skin, run excess fabric up the wall and attach directly to the wall with molding and screws.

• Using a power drill,  place screws at an angle and screw molding through the material and into the wooden frame. Screws should be placed at an angle to keep the molding tight.

• To secure Stall Skin in doorway place 2x4 treated lumber across the threshold and attach molding to lumber with screws provided.

Step 3: Trim

• Remove any excess material with a razor blade or utility knife.

Step 4: Install Ample Bedding

• It is imperative that you install deep bedding on your new Stall Skin.
• Use ten, 8 cubic foot bags of shavings to bed your 12'x12' stall.
• Add shavings daily to maintain a depth of 8-10 inches. (we use 3 to 4 inches - this is what we find it BEST)
• To guarantee the long life of your Stall Skin always use deep bedding.
  
  Helpful Hints

• Poor draining soil will benefit from a leaching system
• Place screws on an angle when drilling through the material into the wall.
• Roll molding away from you as you work.
• To prevent harsh ammonia odors, push bedding aside and pour diluted pinesol and water over the potent area.
• Use deep bedding!
• Plastic or metal pitch forks will not poke holes in the fabric.
• Mix Pinesol and water in a 1.5 liter container and squirt over leach pit occasionally to disinfect and deodorize.

CONSTRUCTION:

"The Leach Pit" For Horses That Urinate Everywhere

In the center of the stall:

• Dig 2-3 foot diameter leach pit 2 feet deep. Fill with gravel. Top with 2 inches of coarse sand or crushed rock.
• Slope floor gently towards center.
• Install your Stall Skin as per your instruction guide.

Option:

• Prior to installing your Stall Skin, place heavy mil sheet plastic over stall floor. Cut out to expose leach pit. This directs all urine to the leach pit.

For Horses That Urinate in One Place (God bless them)

At urine area:

• Dig 2-3 foot diameter leach pit 2 feet deep. Fill with gravel. Top with 2 inches of coarse sand or crushed rock.
• Install your Stall Skin as per your instruction guide.

     
Firm base of crushed rock                                                 Screw on molding through the material

   
Remove any excess material with utility knife and install Ample Bedding

How much bedding is ample?  Good question! Below is our stalls and how we, Hill View Farms do it.  Please note that we have installed Ring Mats over our concrete floors and you can see the rings from these mats this in the photos below. Our Stall skins have been installed and in hard use since 3/02.

The photo to the left, is our end stall. The mare who is currently in this stall, stirs everything in. (A real pain in the rear!)  We move the bedding around, removing the poppies and then find the wet spots.  We move away the dry chips and then fork out (using a plastic fork),  the dinner-plate-size, one-inch-high, pile of wet chips.  Leaving the wet area open to dry for the day when she is turned out. When she returns to her stall we kick about the chips, covering the floor. Some horses need more bedding and some less.  If your horse is a paw-er, then you will need more bedding where they paw. (Such as, the doorway.)  This helps prevent the Stall Skin from getting fuzzy.  Or if you have a horse that is a nibbler and likes to chew, they may find  chewing/biting the Stall Skin good sport.  So you will need more bedding in that area.  We never have had to use more than 4 inches, and at times, that is too much in some areas.  If you know where your horse likes to pee, then you can put a smaller amount of chips there controlling the spread of urine, and allowing the urine to run through. (In this stall I used a plastic pitch fork to completely clean the stall and move back the bedding for the wet spots to air out for the day)

To the left is two of our large foaling stalls.  The back of the stall is where our mare likes to do business.  She is VERY neat!  We love it!  About once a week, we scrape clean the Stall Skin using a scoop shovel or plastic pitch fork -(Don likes to use the shovel), allowing it to completely dry for the day when the mare is out. 

The photo to your right is yet another stall. This mare loves to pee in the center and no where else.  So every day with a plastic pitch fork we pick out the poops and then once a week we scrape the Stall Skin - in the wet spots (again Don used a scoop shovel, but I use a plastic pitch fork so that it can dry during the day. We have never had to use a deodorizer - even in the Winter or Spring  when things are frozen or thawing here in Minnesota.

How often do you replace bedding?  Good question.  I just measured that.  In the past 5 days, with 4 stalls - with 4 mares due to foal within 2 weeks - defecating for two, we put in only 3 bags of chips.  Each of the larger stalls got one bag (actually too much) and then the smaller stalls received half bag each.  I put less chips where they defecate and more where they lay down and paw by the door-way.   I can't tell you enough how nice Stall Skins are!  Pitching stalls is a dream, you just throw out the mess with hardly any chips.  So how often do you strip your stalls? That is a good question.  We don't ever have to strip our stalls for the normal reasons, such as; wet, smelly, totally nasty bedding, shifting mats, etc.  We strip because some of the chips are so OLD and have been stepped on so many times that the chip is now just mashed into sawdust.  These "crushed chips", gray in color are nasty looking and can be dusty. Therefore once a year, or every year and a half, we scoop out these old chips. However we do try to move these chips over to where they would do some good and absorb urine and get tossed out, but that is harder than you think to do.  All I can say, is that our stalls paid for themselves in ONE year, with what we saved on not having to buy as many wood chips. No to mention the storage factor on having to keep a large inventory on hand.  All we do now is go to town every other week and pick up 4 or 5 bags that stores easily in our tack room.

Wall application?  YES!  Here at Hill View Farms we tested this fabric as a barrier to help cushion the blow of a kick to the stall wall. It was easy to install, (shinny side out) and we screwed it right in to the wall.  (If you have stone or masonry walls you will need to use Topcon screws).  The stall skin folded easily around the corners and corner post so too will it fold around uneven masonry with the extra trimmed off.  (It is kinda like wall-papering WONDERFUL! - But if you have a wood chewing beaver horse this will not stop him.
I also recently  learned that is it this vary fabric that the demolition teams use to cover the windows of neighboring buildings and other sensitive targets, protecting them from the implosion of the targeted building.  Talk about protective prosperities.