This case study was provided by OATs, a provider of animal-facilitated occupational therapy services.

They reached out to us for assistance with their muddy and boggy fields that were causing issues during wetter months, as these fields are crucial for the therapy animals and their clients. Ensuring the safety and comfort of the animals is a top priority for OATs to ensure they are healthy and happy whilst providing the best support possible.

Jessica Court said: "Our very special animals play a huge part in people's lives and in promoting positive mental health and wellbeing. Over the winter months, we often struggle with mud, and this can be a problem as it is not good for the ponies to have wet, muddy legs. It is also more difficult for our young people to walk around the fields when they are all churned up and boggy!

"We were on a mission to find a solution to eliminate muddy areas at the OATS centre, when we came across GCL Products."

The Installation

Following a discussion with the team at OATs, we came to the conclusion that our grass matting would be the most suitable solution for their requirements. We decided to donate the required matting to the not-for-profit organisation to ensure their service animals would be able to perform their duties without hindrance from waterlogged areas.

The OATs team began their installation as soon as they received their mats. Due to the nature of the installation, they decided that no pegs and ties would be necessary so could simply move the mats into position and begin using them immediately. As you can see from the photos in the blog, everyone was a big fan of the mats!

Jessica Court continued: "The mats are so easy to install, and even though they are very thick and sturdy, they aren't difficult to manoeuvre and put in place. The mud mats are so useful, we even decided to put some in front of our cabin office and compost toilet!


"Gandalf, Fleur and Alphie the ponies were very intrigued by the whole process of installing the mud mats - they couldn't resist inspecting them and trying to give us a helping hand!"

About Rubber Grass Mats

Rubber grass mats are one of our most popular products thanks to their incredible range of benefits and outstanding versatility. Offering an excellent solution for both grass protection and safety flooring, they can be easily installed on both level or uneven surfaces such as existing soil, grass, or concrete.

Our rubber matting is weatherproof, able to withstand heavy foot traffic, and is wheelchair friendly making it perfect for an incredibly wide range of applications. The unique design of rubber grass mats also provides a strong and durable surface with efficient drainage and allows the grass beneath to grow through, preserving the natural appearance of the area.

You can learn more about our rubber grass mats here.

Project Feedback

Following the completion of their rubber grass mat installation, we spoke with Jess from OATs who was very impressed with the overall outcome of the project. She told us: "The grass mats have been an absolute life-saver in keeping our fields mud-free, especially the areas that get heavier footfall."

"GCL Products have been extremely helpful every step of the way, assisting us with these rubber mud mats. Always friendly and knowledgeable on the phone, always called back when they said they would and always quick to respond to queries and emails. Very quick delivery - couldn't have asked for any more.

"Thank you so, so much for your generous donation. Many people will benefit from this kind gesture!

"Thank you, from all at the OATS team!"

Conclusion

We are delighted that our donated grass mats have been so effective in achieving the goal set out by the team at OATs and our products will ensure both animals and clients are kept comfortable and mud-free even in the high foot traffic areas of their field.

For more information on our rubber grass mats and other rubber surfacing solutions, or to request a quote for an upcoming project, please do not hesitate to contact us.

You can call us on 01246 418144 or LiveChat during office hours, outside of these times you can leave us a message.

Learn More About OATs

Outdoor Animal-Facilitated Therapy Services is a not-for-profit organisation that offers therapy services for people with additional needs. Offering animal-facilitated therapy to help with a wide range of needs, including physical, sensory, feeding, social, emotional and mental health.

Their unique animals play a huge part in people’s lives and promote positive mental health and well-being.

You can discover more by visiting the OATs website.

www.gclproducts.co.uk