Bad flooring in a Rice Horse Trailer can be dangerous to your beautiful horse, but don't worry because the good news is that it is not too difficult to replace the flooring. Anyone with basic construction experience should be able to handle the task. Rice trailers have a double floor, with plywood on the bottom and planks on top. The double floor offers your horse extra protection and provides more shock absorbency for their legs.

  • Bad flooring in a Rice Horse Trailer can be dangerous to your beautiful horse, but don't worry because the good news is that it is not too difficult to replace the flooring.

Measure the original floor before removing the flooring. This will provide a pattern, as you will be recreating it. Also check the welds on the frame and repair weld joints if needed.

Rip out the old flooring. Be careful doing this as the old flooring can pop up and injure you or anyone close by. A crowbar can be a useful tool to assist with the removal.

Lay the new plywood down that is cut to size. Bolt it to the frame two inches from the sides and in the middle to secure it.

Lay the interlocking (grooved) planks, which are usually two to three inches in width, on the plywood. Interlocking planks work best as they stay together firmly under the horse's weight, plus they are easier to install. Drill three holes, two inches from the front, in the middle, and two inches from the back, and screw the planks into place with heavy-duty screws.

  • Be careful doing this as the old flooring can pop up and injure you or anyone close by.
  • Interlocking planks work best as they stay together firmly under the horse's weight, plus they are easier to install.

Paint the planks with a wood treatment to keep the floor from rotting.

Install rubber non-skid mats, or rubber matting, on the floor. This is for your animals' safety to help them maintain balance in the trailer.

TIP

If you have difficulty in repairing the flooring, most licensed construction contractors should be able to handle this task.