Cattle trailer floor mats?

Picked up a different cattle trailer, and it was used for horses and had a floor mat in its whole life. It didn't come with a mat but floor is in great condition. I looked at the local farm store and they have 1/2 mats that are 5x7 and $70 each. I would need four of them. Trailer shop has 3/4 mats for around 100 I think they were also 5x7. Do mats work with cattle or will they shuffle them around? Do they need to be bolted down? Never used a mat so just looking for some information on them if anyone has used them with cattle. I wanted to use mats to keep the floor from getting scraped up from cattle so it lasts longer. Thanks for any information.

If it has a good solid oak floor, do nothing. It will last for years and give cattle better footing.

the wifes hose trailer has mats over an aluminum floor, but i like wood in our cattle trailer, i think the mats are ok for hoses, less pee and sloppy manure from horses, i worry about mats on a cattle trailer floor especially if they are fixed, that they will allow the wood floor to rot more quickly by trapping moisture/pee/manure underneath them.

I wonder if Rhino lining can be sprayed on wood? Might be nice.

I use mats in my 26 foot Trailman. Bought Bomgaars 4X6 mats, and I would never use it without them. That being said, I have a 6X12 Coose, with unmarked mats, and I hate them.
If you use lined, soft mats, and pull them a couple times a year when you wash the trailer out, and the floor will last for ages!!!!!!

Make sure you screw the back mat down, other wise they will move around.

couple of shovelfuls of sand----absorbs and provides traction

To each his own; am retired, but was in the cattle business for 47 years. Always put the flooring planks in cross-ways with a half or 3/4 inch gap between them. Staple (with LONG staples) cattle panels over the planks. For the last 30 years or so, I used lumber sawn from used utility poles; it lasted a long time. Our trailers were used a lot and....after the first few years....never washed out. My last trailer was a 32-ft gooseneck tri-axle; I know what folks think about tri-axles, but it pulled better than anything else I was ever hooked to........

We used tree bark in our truck. The landscaping kind.

I put mats in mine. Best money I ever spent. The cattle will slip much less on the mats. I nailed mine down as i think they are only about 3/8. I doubt the 1/2 inch would move much. Mine run the full length of the trailer. Much nicer when scraping out.

We have aluminum and use mats 90% of the time buti neighbor used that new deck coating stuff they have out. Don't kno how it will last but it sure looks nice and you can get it in several colors

Spray bed liner is too slick to stand on, and when you have it installed rough, it will take the hide right off a cows legs if they slip.

I've always done like Thurlow said. I use a cattle panel stapled down to the floor. My trailer is a 1973 gooseneck brand that Dad bought new. I don't haul that many cattle but it's worked well for me for a lot of years. All the custom haulers that I know do the same thing, that's why I started using the panel. My concern with a mat would be if it held moisture underneath and couldn't dry out

I've got mats in the tri axle. The floor looks like new underneath. I feel much better hauling cattle in it as they get traction. I've also started openng up a rough old nasty brome square bale and throwing it down on the floor. When I am done I don't have to wash it out - it has all absorbed into the brome and I throw it on the garden. I won't be without mats.

Moline, Down Here in Texas where I am It is a mixed bag of tricks!
1..Many like thurlow Staple Cattle panels down for traction and footing, works well, but if you haul Horses any at all! Cattle panels are a shoe jerking off problem Looking for a place to happen!
2.. A large group will set a series of diagonal and cross board to have in-place to improve cattle footing!
3.. Seen this a couple of times Liked the Idea just haven't done it......melt some roofing tar in an old 5 gal bucket, use an old mop, broom, what ever and mop the roofing tar on to the Boards! (requisition a 3 or 4, 5 gal buckets of Road gravel) like the State uses on the Highway when they Oil and Gravel a stretch!!
Just pitch the gravel down on the freshly mopped on Tar. Roll it in or walk it in if needed. Retreat as needed, gives good traction. Even horses with shoes, surprisingly enough.
4.. Mats are used pretty sparing, and almost exclusively in the Horse sector only.
Keeping the Trailer washed out on a somewhat regular basis will promote the trailer lower superstructure integrity and floor longevity.
I traded for a Single axle 12x6 Gooseneck cattle trailer that was not taken care of over the last 33 yrs and I am having the Complete Lower 4 inches of steel Totally replaced! it will be better than new when we are finished with it! new floor too. I will figure out which way I want to go with it after I get it back from Sand blast and Paint here in a few weeks!
I like mats in 2 Horse trailers! Not bigger ones where livestock can turn around and the like!
Hope this helps!
Later,
John A.

Makes sense. I know for pickups the bed is one of those situations that there is no perfect answer. Easy to slide things in and out means things slide around while driving. Things stay put while driving and it's impossible to pull a RR tie out.

Too soon to have the kinks worked out. I cut the tread area out of several used Super modified race car tires (no steel belt) and wove them together like a rug. so far bolted the out side edges together to keep it from unraveling, makes about 7 ft square, and just laid on floor. Heavy and need to pull out and wash down floor after use. But gives good traction.

I have mats in my trailer and would not be without them. They are not fastened down in any way. I did notch them to fit around the center gate and the rear gate. They have never moved.
Bud

Ditto, except my trailer gets power washer out after every use. Matts seemed to hold moisture and rotted my floor out. Trailer sits outside and rain would get in, more moisture.

I used 4"x4" mesh 6 gauge utility panels. Won't pull horse shoes off and provides good traction for hogs, calves, sheep, goats, and horses.

When I bought my first stock trailer I got industrial belting for the floor from the dealer. It's relatively thin and has ribs running the length of it. Easy to move and clean under it, or take out when not needed, just roll it up. Use two pieces side by side. When I sold that trailer the buyer couldn't believe how good the floor was, looked like a new one. I kept them for the new trailer.