Choosing the Best Rubber Flooring for Australian Horse Stables

For Australian horse owners, stable flooring isn’t just about durability, it’s about creating a safe, comfortable environment that withstands Australia’s harsh climate. With options ranging from traditional vulcanised mats to modern poured surfaces and premium systems like REGUPOL, understanding each material’s strengths and limitations is crucial.

Let’s break down the three most common rubber flooring types, their benefits, and which one may be suitable for you in Australia’s conditions.

1. Vulcanised Rubber Mats

Vulcanised rubber mats have been a staple in stables for decades. Made by heating rubber with sulphur, these mats are known for their ruggedness and affordability. Their thick, heavy construction (typically 15–20 mm) provides a tough surface in high-traffic areas where their durability shows.

They can withstand heavy hooves and equipment without significant wear. These mats can be identified by having grooves, dimples, or shapes on the top and bottom surfaces; some mats may also be completely flat.

But there are trade-offs:

• • Hardness: While durable, vulcanised mats lack the cushioning premium alternatives offer. Their firm surface does little to mimic natural terrain, potentially contributing to joint fatigue and an uncomfortable surface over time.
    
  • Odour Issues: The sulphur used in vulcanisation leaves a lingering smell that irritates sensitive horses and humans, especially in poorly ventilated stables.
    
  • Slip Resistance: Vulcanised mats tend to use dimples, shapes, or grooves to create a level of slip resistance. However, over time, these will wear away, leaving a surface that is slippery in wet and potentially dry conditions. This removes a key benefit rubber mats should provide: safety in wet and dry conditions.
    
  • Environmental Impact: The vulcanisation process isn’t eco-friendly, and cheaper variants may off-gas volatile compounds which can smell or be harmful over time.
    
  • Maintenance Hassles: Heavyweight mats can be cumbersome to reposition, and their grooved/dimpled surfaces trap urine and bacteria, requiring frequent deep cleaning.
    
  • Changes Over Time: Vulcanised mats, when exposed to certain elements such as oxygen, heat, light, and urine in an equine stable, are known to harden, curl, and crack due to a process called degradation. This denies the owner of the mats’ initial benefits and requires extra maintenance or replacement.

2. Wet Pour Rubber: The Seamless Solution

Wet pour rubber, a mix of rubber granules and polyurethane binder poured on-site from a cement mixer-type machine, offers a customisable, seamless surface. Popular in playgrounds and public spaces, it’s gaining traction in equestrian settings for its shock absorption and slip resistance. Many suppliers and installers source the raw materials from Asia, and in some cases, defects do occur.

However, consider these limitations:

• Durability: Wet-pour rubber is installed by hand, so densities and binder dispersion may vary, and they often do. This results in a surface that is typically not suited to heavy use or heavy horses and machinery. The result is damage to the surface, which may require constant maintenance.
  
• Complexity: Installation requires skilled contractors and precise sub-base preparation, making it a temperamental process. Variations in temperature, humidity, binder or rubber dispersion could result in a flooring failure onsite.
  
• Repair Challenges: While small, damaged sections can be patched, matching colours/textures is often not possible, resulting in an uneven appearance.
  
• Flooring Failure: Bumbling is also a common issue with wet-pour flooring, resulting from moisture and bonding issues in the concrete or asphalt floor. Once these bubbles begin, the only remedy is to patch them where they happen and eventually remove and replace the flooring. Some clients have advised that this type of issue occurs within 9 months of the floor being installed.

3. REGUPOL Equine Flooring

For Australian equestrians, stable flooring isn’t just a surface, it’s a critical investment in horse welfare, safety, and long-term cost efficiency. While vulcanised mats and wet-pour rubber remain common, REGUPOL’s engineered systems resolve the flaws of these older technologies through science-backed design, delivering measurable benefits for horses and owners alike.

Addressing Australian Horse Owners' Unique Challenges

• • Soft and Durable: REGUPOL’s permanently elastic composition reduces peak ground reaction forces by 40% compared to rigid vulcanised mats, mimicking natural terrain to prevent joint fatigue and hoof stress. This is particularly vital for performance horses, aging animals, and breeds prone to arthritis. Unlike hard mats that amplify concussion, REGUPOL’s cushioning effect helps maintain a comfortable yet durable surface for the life of the flooring through all the activities in your stable complex.
  • Climate Adaptive: Engineered for Australia’s extremes, REGUPOL resists UV degradation, curling, and cracking even in prolonged heat, rain or snow.
  • Safety: REGUPOL’s slip-resistant texture maintains grip in wet/dry conditions, unlike vulcanised mats, which are inherently slippery with dimpled surfaces that smooth into hazards over time. REGUPOL has been a staple for Racing NSW, Tas Racing, Australian Turf Clubs and many more world-class facilities for their equine floorings’ unmatched slip resistance.
  • Cost Efficiency: While upfront costs may be slightly higher, REGUPOL’s 10- 15+ year lifespan and low maintenance reduce long-term expenses while providing all the benefits required for the life of the floor, avoiding costly replacements which over the course of 15 years may result in a price 2 – 3 times the initial REGUPOL cost.
  • Hygiene: REGUPOL’s smooth, flat surfaces allow easy daily sweeping and occasional hosing. Urine moves efficiently, slashing ammonia exposure linked to respiratory issues. Due to its hygienic properties, it is used in various vet clinics around Australia, such as Scone Equine Vet, Horsley Park Vet Clinic, Camden University Vet Hospital, Randwick Equine Vet and more.
    
  • Installation Versatility: Compatible with concrete, asphalt, or compacted bases, REGUPOL adapts to new or existing infrastructure. Walls, walkers, and trailers can also be retrofitted.
    
  • Sustainable and Certified: REGUPOL equine flooring is made in Germany using up to 95% recycled rubber and is Cradle-to-Cradle certified for sustainability.
    
  • Low Odour: REGUPOL is made using recycled rubber and water-based binders, making it an eco-friendly choice with low odour compared with vulcanised mats.
    
  • Engineered Compatibility: REGUPOL provides its own Australian-made adhesives and sealants, specifically engineered for compatibility with REGUPOL flooring, ensuring that if you choose to glue down, your flooring is built to last.
    
  • Bedding Savings: REGUPOL flooring can reduce bedding use by up to 75% due to its comfortable surface, efficient drainage and easy-to-clean surface.

In Conclusion: REGUPOL equine flooring is the optimal choice for Australian stables in terms of its comfort, safety, reliability, durability, and ease of cleaning. Trusted by leading vets and racing clubs, they help you save on bedding and maintenance, so you can spend more time enjoying your horses and less time worrying about your floors.

If you want peace of mind and a stable that works as hard as you do, REGUPOL is the way to go.