I've had my mats for 1.5 years ... yes, I put shavings on top of the matts for catching the urine. I use a lot less shavings now that I have the mats, then I did without the mats.

You don't have to switch them out, and they can be very heavy. I can't move them.

I assume they are easy on my donkeys feet and legs as they are 3/4 inch of cushion. They are supposed to help with cushioning, but I don't have any donkeys that need special cushioning.

And I have stone or wood under mine, so nothing gets muddy.

Hope that helps some.

You should make a proper layering in the stalls, of dirt and stone, before putting down the mats. This will allow the urine to drain away, so top layer is dry under the mats.

Putting mats down on clay is just going to make a stinky mess, since clay does not drain well. Bedding is supposed to soak up the wet on clay floored stalls. If you do have clay flooring, you would do best with total removal, then do the layering of stone to refill up to level, and lay mats on top.

We rented machinery, to do the heavy dirt moving, refilling. Shoveling SOUNDS easy, but you can move the WHOLE PILE in very short order using machinery. We also rented the power tamper, to compact the limestone layers in firmly packing down. Firm packing means stone stays put in use, doesn't need refilling soon. I would suggest using some geotextile fabric between the stone and dirt layers to keep them apart. They will continue draining much better over a longer time. The fabric should be available at landscape places for under brick paths or driveways. I really like the stuff for stabilizing filled areas.

Mats will save you time and money in stall cleaning ease, and less bedding needed over time. Having a level floor with no holes, dips, no wet spots, is easier on your animals too. The rubber is non heat conducting, so I believe the animals laying down are warmer, especially in cold winter weather by not being on dirt.

We use vise grips or C-clamps to get a grip on one mat edge, then move mats around to align edges or tight to the wall. Rolling and tying mats rolled up, makes them easy to move around with just picking them up, haul home in the truck. No FLOPPING!!