DIY Haybar for wall rather than corner

[CBFan]

I feed my boy's hay off the floor but he likes to kick it around and stomp on it which leads to a lot of wastage.

He's in a big stable but unfortunately I don't have a corner suitable for putting a haybar in so I am trying to work out a way of fixing something to one of the long walls to work like a haybar. I'm thinking something made from rubber rather than wood to minimise the chance of injury and have been looking at grass mats rather than full rubber mats but they only come in 1m x 1.5m pieces and I'm not sure 1.5 m will be long enough to create enough of a void for the volume of hay? - he's 17hh and has at least half a bale of hay a night / day.

Any ideas?

 

[Dizzydancer]

we (well OH) made me one we made it out of 2x4 wood which we then attached a rubber mat (with small holes in-like a door mat thing but bigger or you could connect two together). We didnt actually want it fixed to wall so we have monarch stables and he got a couple of metal brackets which hook over the wall made an upside down A out of wood which was all smoothed off and then fixed the matting to that usijng safety screw hooks. You could use the same basic idea but obviously you need different brackets to connect the wood to the wall!!

 

[Tickles]

Big flexi-tub thing(s) either free-standing, fixed to wall directly or stood inside tire might be easy to try (if less elegant!) and have the safe softness you're looking for.

Whatever you do something quite wide and in a position so that horse's head is facing stable door would probably be good. Some horses kick out when apprached if they have nose in hay-bar at back of stable as they have less visibility/hearing which is fine except for the one time you forget to say 'hello' cearly enough and ask them to turn around. (Sorry if that is blindingly obvious!)

 

[CBFan]

Thanks for the sugestions.

Flexi tubs just aren't big enough and would need to be fixed to the wall to prevent him playing with it.

The wall spece I have available is a side wall. His stable is an ex bull pen and therefore has a gate rather than a door at the front! hense my problem with no suitable corners!

 

[juliette]

Following this post with interest as my horse is in a field shelter with 2 stall guards across the front, i also have not got enough room for a haybar at the front and he won't want to stay at the back to eat. Makes him box walk.

 

[Aoibhin]

what about acouple of the big buckets a mentioned but with small holes cut into them so you could tie them to the front gate, cant move & play with them & can still see whats going on.

 

[Paint Me Proud]

could you buy one of those plaster mixing baths, then attach two tie up rings to the wall and secure the bath in place on the floor with baler twine.

Not really explaining that well - shall i draw a picture.....

 

[Paint Me Proud]

something like this maybe?

 

[Paint Me Proud]

brainwave - what about a dustbin - attached to wall as above

 

[Alexart]

I use half of one of the big galvanised bale feeders bolted to the wall - it takes enough haylage for 24hrs if need be and stops them faffing it all over their bed, plus you can put a lick/treats at the bottom!!

 

[Paint Me Proud]

what about a grit bin - those big yellow ones - you can buy them new and they are the right size and shape etc - you could rig up a tie ring to secure the lid up when they are allowed hay but put the lid down when they arent!!


Or search 'plastic pallet box' on ebay and marvel at the array of square free standing haybars! lol

 

[mandy4727]

I don't really have a suitable corner in my stable so thinking of using a spare dustbin that I have as a "haybar" fastened to the gate/door with a bungy strap to stop her trampling around her stable and also going to garden centre and see how much the compost bins are as they eat from the bottom in them where the hole is which is more natural for the horse.