Horses are not meant to be in a stable. They never were.”
John Aditajs has used that philosophy to help turn Deer Run Stables, just south of Brucedale, into a farm known around the world for its stable products.
“We try to make it easy for them to live in stable,” he said of a flooring system that encourages horses to sleep while lying down, just as they would in a pasture. There are two reasons why horses might choose to sleep standing up, and those are because it hurts them to lie down or it hurts them to get back up.
Aditajs said he hates seeing a vet drive in because it means big money will be leaving. He believes a good bedding system can save on vet bills. He said none of his horses get hock sores because the SoftStall flooring mimics a pasture. It has give in it.
Aditajs was a marketer with a beer company, but when that job ran down in 2000, he wanted to work from home. His wife, Laurie, is the horse fanatic in the family. He concluded, “SoftStall was born from my laziness.”
He was referring to that most necessary and tedious job of mucking out stalls. He knew most stalls for horses were covered with rubber flooring because it was easier on horses than concrete. But urine had nowhere to go, and even when shavings absorbed it, it was still a dirty job.
SoftStall comes in a rubber-encased therapeutic pad that uses recycled rubber. It is durable and is easily installed without having to use screws. Because rubber is sewn into pockets, it does not bunch up or lift, leaving stall floors soft and even; it is lighter to handle than rubber mats, has no creases so urine cannot seep through,and is easily maintained.
Aditajs said using shavings more like kitty litter than the regular shavings allows a stall mucker to see places that need cleaning, and the amount of shavings that are used is much less than for regular rubber mats – again saving money.
He sells the system in Ontario for Champagne Industries Inc., of Calgary. That company was specializing in stalls from recycled rubber for cows, and Aditajs figured if it worked well for them, it ought to work for horses. Alan Champagne agreed and a new horse flooring system was underway.
Two years later, SoftStall was the first company of its kind in Ontario, and Aditajs said it became the number one therapeutic bedding for horses.
Today, “People call me and tell me ‘My horses is lying down for the first time in 10 years’,” he said. “It’s a cleaner environment because we’re turning the stall into a giant cat litter box.”
Horse owners say the stall system reduces their shavings costs from 30 to 50 per cent. He is working on a system of pellets that absorb five times their weight in urine, and he already uses odour absorbent shavings, which means the barns with SoftStall smell less like barns.
As an accompaniment to the floors, the company also has SoftWall, a padded rubber similar to the flooring. Aditajs said the walls protect horses known for kicking, and there are no loose pieces for horses to chew or tear. He said one horse was known by its owner as a “stall destroyer” but SoftWall eliminated that. The horse stopped kicking, and Aditajs said it was because horses kick to make noise, and there was no noise coming from a rubber wall.
Yet another product for the company is called Flexi-Grid. It is a series of mat squares made from rubber that is flexible and filled with square holes. The idea behind it is to lay it down, fill the holes with whatever is underneath (like sand, light gravel, or even shavings. The mats are laid out for walkways that are easy the feet of horses and people. A bonus is they are easy to clean. Shake them out, take a hose to them, and put them back.
Aditajs used SoftStall at the World Equestrian Games in Lexington Kentucky last year, and he supplied walkways. They are ideal for entrances to barns and paddocks, because they fit the contour of the land and will not lift or separate, and they can be disinfected regularly for areas that require quarantine.
For the horse, those mats, running 3-feet by 3-feet with two inch holes in them, provide a soft cushion.
Aditjas said he has other ideas for improved stall materials, and he has asked Champagne to start experimenting.
Aditjas particularly likes the idea that all the products are environmentally friendly. They are made from millions of recycled tires. Six million tires annually are converted to the company’s products.
He noted, too, he not only supplies horse barns, but also zoos. Ideas for new products simply keep coming.
Like rubber sidewalks. He has already supplied the Toronto Zoo with a walkway, and supplied one for the winter Olympics. People have been contacting him about his products.
He is hoping municipalities will see the efficacy of using rubber sidewalks. They can be put it place, last for years, and when work is needed below them, they can be removed, the work done, and then be replaced. With concrete, the sidewalks are removed, and have to be rebuilt – a big cost.
The Rockwood medical centre has a rubber sidewalk from his company although Aditjas said he doubts many people are aware of that. He noted in winter, it is among the first parts of the property to melt when weather warms, for the simple reason rubber heats faster than concrete.
Aditjas noted the company also supplied products for the Lax Vegas Invitational jumping competition in 2005, although the promoters skipped town without paying prizes they promoted. “Even there we were recognized,” he remembered, noting the event was one of the biggest scandals ever in the horse world.
In the meantime, the small farm near Rockwood is sending goods all over the world, including the Middle East, Germany, Australia, and the Orient, not to mention across Canada and heavily into the United States.
A who’s who of international riders and people in the equestrian industry have helped because they love the products.
Ian Millar, of the Canadian Olympic Showjumping team said, “Anything that benefits a horse has got to be good; we find SoftStall truly benefits horses”
Tim Grubb, a British and U.S. Olympic Equestrian team member, added, “Finally, a stall flooring system that makes sense. SoftStall is a remarkable product and I have seen the positive effects it has already had on the horses I work with.”
Dr. Wendy Vala, the world renowned veterinarian for neo-natal care, said, “Until SoftStall I used to use real mattresses for sick foals. SoftStall has created a very safe environment for recovering foals. I find with SoftStall in place, weak foals can stand easier and are protected if they fall”
Finally, Balanced Image trainer Doug Nash phoned Aditjas a while back about his horse’s health since moving to SoftStall. He said the stud had not been laying down to sleep for over 18 years, and so did not get Rapid Eye Movement sleep, the best type of sleep for those needing rest. After switching to SoftStall, the horse, which has stud fees in five figures, not only became more active, but his sperm count increased.
There are a number of ways to contact Aditjas: Those include a newer company of his, eco-flex Recycled Rubber Solutions, with email to john@eco-flex.com, and websites www.eco-flex.com and eco-flex presentation www.eco-flexsolutions.com or email john@softstall.com, or visit www.softstall.com. He can also be reached at 519-856-1500.
