Horse Stall Mats vs. Gym Mats - What's the Difference?

You may hear about some people choosing to install horse stall mats for home gym layouts … and you may wonder whether these people are crazy. After all, can you actually use horse stall mats for gym workouts? The truth is you can use them, and they provide excellent durability and performance.

The truth is that not a lot of heavy-duty thick rubber mats are available for home gyms where dropping weights is a regular practice. People started using horse stall mats for a gym floor because they are very thick, dense, durable, and can handle weights being dropped on them. They can also be purchased individually in convenient sizes, usually 4x6 feet.

Bottom line: They’re not just for horses!

What Are Stall Mats?

With gym flooring vs. horse stall mats, what’s the difference? What are animal stall mats exactly? They are thick rubber mats that provide support for the weight of livestock like horses. They provide a safer and more comfortable space for these animals when they are resting in a stall versus bare dirt or gravel.




The rubber material is thick, which yields impressive durability when used around horses. It won’t crease or collapse under the weight of the animal. It also offers slip resistance, even when the area is wet, protecting the handlers and the animals.

These same traits make these mats a great choice for use as garage gym horse stall mats. They can handle heavy weights and exercise machines without showing damage while giving athletes a sure footing for tough workouts.

Why Is Everyone Talking About Using Horse Stall Mats in Their Home Gyms?

It may seem like you are hearing a lot about using horse mats in your home basement gym or seeing it on social media. But why should you use a horse stall mat for a home gym?

These mats are extremely versatile, allowing them to work in multiple locations. They have a reasonable cost per square foot of coverage, which makes them a popular choice when trying to create flooring for your home gym in a garage or basement.

Try using them in your home, and you’ll quickly see why they’re featured in so many social media posts … and you’ll probably start showing them off in your own posts!

How Do You Clean Horse Stall Mats for a Home Gym?

Another reason these rubber mats are a good choice for use for home gyms is because of how little maintenance they require. You can use them repeatedly without having to worry about wear and tear.

Rubber flooring is easy to clean, too. You can vacuum or sweep it to remove day-to-day debris. For a more thorough cleaning, or to try to reduce the “new car” smell that these mats sometimes have when new, you can use a mop with warm water and a neutral pH cleaning solution.

How Do You Keep Stall Mats From Moving?

Generally, keeping rubber stall mats from moving doesn’t require any extra actions on your part. These mats typically weigh close to 100 pounds apiece, so they tend not to slide out of place.

However, if your home gym involves extremely tough workouts that put a lot of stress on the floor, you can install them with glue for a permanent installation or with double-sided tape if you may want to move them later.

Greatmats’ Recommendations for the Best Horse Stall Mats for Home Gyms

If you don’t think you can handle the weight of the rubber mats for your installation, you could go with another material in the home gym mat. At Greatmats, in addition to rubber, we offer home gym mats that consist of foam and PVC plastic that some of our customers love to use.

Foam and PVC plastic will not have the same level of durability as rubber, especially for weightlifting, which is why some of our customers opt for rubber horse stall mats. The five best equine stall mats for gyms we recommend to our customers include:

• Sundance 2x2 Mats: These interlocking mats are only 2x2 feet and weigh only 17 pounds each, which makes them easier to handle than larger mats.
  
• Straight Edge 4x6 Mats: The traditional 4x6 foot mat that we offer is ideal for home gyms with a no-slip texture and 3/4 of an inch of thickness.
  
• 10x10 Foot Mats Kit With Cobblestone Texture: This 10x10 foot kit has a cobblestone texture to help with traction.
  

Let Greatmats Help You Find the Perfect Gym Mat

If you ever need help finding the best horse stall mats for a gym, check out any of the many customer testimonials we have on our website. For example, for horse stall mats for a home gym, read the Fitness Integrity testimonial. In this case, we quickly helped the owners find the best horse stall mats for a gym for their new facility, allowing them to open on time.

You also can reach out to the knowledgeable and friendly Greatmats customer service team. We can help you figure out the best product for your needs, as well as the number of gym flooring horse stall mats you need to order. Not-so-humble brag: We are the flooring experts, and we are ready to help you!