Pulling the mats is a pain in the butt but it will save your trailer floor in the long run.   We have a 1995 alum. Hart BP - gets used  for short trips 3-4 times/week.   I'll flip the mats up inbetween uses and once/week or so pull them and hose the trailer out.    Also have a  2000 Hart LQ- has very heavy mats which normally are a 2 person job to get in and out... but in a pinch I can do it myself with vise grips.  We normally keep the back mats out when not using the trailer.  When we got this trailer the inside looked nice but pulled the mats and there was moldy hay and shavings and wet stinky spots where urine had been sitting for probably years.   the alum. was very pitted and had 3 small holes.    we filled in the holes and the floor is so thick the pitting isn't a problem but I sure don't want it to get any worse.   I agree w/ other posters about shavings.   never had a problem with shavings flying around and they do absorb some of the urine, but there is still some amount that will seep under your mats and the longer it sits there the more damage it will do to the trailer floor.    

Safet,  What kind of floor does your trailer have under the mats?

My trailer floor is Aluminum planks.  Basically it is a 6inch aluminum plank with a 1/4" gap between planks. Everything in the horse area has a Vortex Spray in liner material sprayed over it by the factory. So no bare metal.  So any moisture that gets under my mats, goes right out to the ground. I pull my mats spring and fall and wash everything out with high pressure hose. The rest of the year I bed with shavings.

I muck out the manure after each use and when the shavings get really dirty, I remove and replace them.

Most aluminum flooring doesn't require a flushing after every use. Many of the flooring systems that use aluminum extruded planks, utilize a profile that includes small longitudinal ribs or ridges. This allows the mats to rest above the flooring surface, and the fluids to migrate towards the lowest point. Drilled holes in that area will then drain most of the urine.

Usually a monthly cleaning under the mats will suffice with a heavy usage. Obviously cleaning after every use is ideal, but really isn't necessary. If the metal is periodically inspected for corrosion and treated if any is found, you will find your maintenance can be lessened somewhat. Many trailers have endured years of neglect, and yet have little corrosion as a result.

There are many types of aluminum and the builders that use the appropriate materials, will offer a long lasting, relatively trouble free trailer.

Another product you might consider for trailer bedding is shredded paper. It has no dust, is allergy free, highly absorbent, quickly becomes biodegradable, and works well as a garden mulch/ fertilizer.

I'd used nothing but stock trailers until last year, so I also assumed the shavings would be a problem when vents were open. I had that opinion from hauling stock trailers, with the large open areas along the top, and poorer sealed doors things do blow around. But now that I have a horse trailer I've discovered that blowing generally isn't an issue, even with windows and vents open. I think that's because the walls are so tall and intact, the breeze doesn't seem to reach the floor level.

One thing I would recommend is using a fly mask if you're traveling with shavings and have all the windows open. Not only will this protect your horse from shavings in their eyes, but also from bits of hay, or debris from the outdoors. Experiment once and you'll probably get a good feel for how things will be in your specific trailer. Shavings are about $6/bag here, and one bag will last you for quite a few trips if you just fork out the dirty parts after each trip. If your horses urinate all the time in the trailer you'll go through them quicker, of course.

My 01 Exiss has a solid aluminum floor. We quite often use the horse area for extra cots and a changing room at shows, so I keep it pretty clean.

I bed heavily with shavings. This is the only way to absorb urine (and the nervous horse loose manure, ew). After every haul, we pick out the manure, scoop out the urine soaked sawdust, and fluff the remaining bedding. At shows, I scrape and sweep all the sawdust under the mangers, then fold back the dividers and throw down rugs.

I NEVER leave the trailer dirty any longer than a few hours. This really helps keep out nasty odors. I also use foaming bathroom cleaner on the rubber wall occasionally where the horse's manure soils it.

Each fall, I empty out all tack and equipment, pull the mats (channel locks work great to get a grip), and hose the whole thing out. I will scrub the walls, floors and mats with dish soap, rinse well, then set a fan inside overnight to dry. My trailer has stayed in very good shape with this system.

We have not had a problem with blowing sawdust. I open all vents and windows, and have zippered screens at the horses heads for really hot weather hauling.

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