Feeding greedy ponies at floor level

[Wheels]

Currently using low hanging haylage nets but they do need to put a bit of effort in and I worry about stiff necks / backs when they have to tug all the time.

Anyone tried muzznet bags or the other hay bags?

Any ideas for easy to make feeders that will slow greedy ponies down a bit?

 

[ester]

shod?

Unshod I've used nibbleze nets, didnt' even need the smaller holed version (that got donated to a greedy section a)

 

[TPO]

I've just bought a hay ball for Fat Cob and it's been a success

 

[Reacher]

I was feeding from the floor with a net so as to not develop bad muscle etc I found he still yanks at the hay chucking his head about which didn't seem much better than with tied up net so gave up with the net. I could do with something like the hay ball.
PS just shown Mr Reacher the hay ball video and he pointed out Mr H would very quickly be waving his hoof as he couldn't get the hay out quick enough!

 

[Wheels]

shod?

Unshod I've used nibbleze nets, didnt' even need the smaller holed version (that got donated to a greedy section a)

Unshod

Do you tie the nets low?

 

[Wheels]

I've just bought a hay ball for Fat Cob and it's been a success

Do you fix that to the wall?

 

[Wheels]

Anyone used anything like this?

 

[TPO]

Do you fix that to the wall?

No it's not fixed. Fat cob has no problem getting the (soaked) hay out but it massively slows him down.

https://www.horsefeeders.co.uk/shop/horse-feeders/hay-play/

 

[Wheels]

No it's not fixed. Fat cob has no problem getting the (soaked) hay out but it massively slows him down.

https://www.horsefeeders.co.uk/shop/horse-feeders/hay-play/

Do you use it in the stable? Does betting get mixed in with it?

 

[TPO]

Yes he gets it in stable during the day. So far it's not mixing with bedding (Nedz Pro). Hes out on a earth paddock with barely a pick of grass and soaked hay so he's not wasting any out of the ball

 

[Wheels]

They look really good, mines in the stable at night but I want to put in on the hard standing during the day although will need to sort fencing so it doesnt roll out of the hard standing area.

Thanks

 

[ester]

Unshod

Do you tie the nets low?

I don't tie them at all, means there is nothing to pull against so takes longer to eat. (+they aren't pulling against anything)
It would occsaionally land in the water bucket but generally not.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

It's better ime to give straw chaff to nibble at when the hay fed from the floor/haybar is finished, then the horse feels satisfied. I mad a huge trug of chaff available with a smaller hay ration. although I can see the use for a hay pillow type arrangement when the horse is outside on a bare paddock, except that here it would probably roll away down the hill into next door.

 

[tristar]

i have a hay ball same as that, they are excellent, only thing is i wish they would make one about 5 times bigger, as they don`t last that long for eating.

never sure about feeding straw though

 

[Wheels]

They say they hold 3kgs is that about right? I'm currently feeding 4x per day and only the night time feed is over that so should be ok, I can put some hay on the floor as well in that case.


Can they get all of the hay out or does some remain inside?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

i have a hay ball same as that, they are excellent, only thing is i wish they would make one about 5 times bigger, as they don`t last that long for eating.

never sure about feeding straw though

Oat straw chaff introduced gradually doesn't usually cause a problem. Long straw did cause my mare to colic.

 

[TPO]

They say they hold 3kgs is that about right? I'm currently feeding 4x per day and only the night time feed is over that so should be ok, I can put some hay on the floor as well in that case.


Can they get all of the hay out or does some remain inside?

Fat cob gets hay ball when hes in (out of heat/flies and other two have a few hours off grass) and the most that has been left is a handful.

He has a hay cube and its brilliant for soaking and draining hay but he eats it too quickly and it's a faff putting a net in.

If you have a haybar I noticed on the site that I posted the link for that they have a haynet type thing specifically for haybars.

 

[Wheels]

Thanks, I just need something to occupy him and slow him down as hes started eating shavings

Hes on 1.5% diet as recovering from low grade lami and still has a bit of a crest

 

[Gingerwitch]

Has anyone tried an easy grazer?

 

[brighteyes]

If possible, scatter it thinly on the ground. I have huge matted stables and a concrete area in front so I can really spread it about. It's soaked hay and plain oat straw chaff 50/50 by volume.

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

Oat straw chaff introduced gradually doesn't usually cause a problem. Long straw did cause my mare to colic.

Sorry to jump on this, but I hear people say this often. Do you mean something like top chop zero, or is there a (please cheaper!) version that I don't know about?! Ive started giving mine a couple of double handfuls of top chop zero with their tiny ration of balancer- they're not at all impressed, but I'm much stronger about ignoring them shouting for hay if I can see they've still got some chop leftover that they don't fancy!

 

[Wheels]

I bought some straw chaff today for the same reason not so brave!

I will give my horse the odd handful of chaff throughout the day so he can have a nibble every now and then. Tried chaff before and he wouldn't eat it but now he tells me hes starving so he might just eat it

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

Sorry to jump on this, but I hear people say this often. Do you mean something like top chop zero, or is there a (please cheaper!) version that I don't know about?! Ive started giving mine a couple of double handfuls of top chop zero with their tiny ration of balancer- they're not at all impressed, but I'm much stronger about ignoring them shouting for hay if I can see they've still got some chop leftover that they don't fancy!

I don’t know if it’s any cheaper but my mare is on honeychop lite and healthy which is free from molasses, alfalfa and soya. That’s also an oat straw chaff. It’s coated with linseed so bit more palatable maybe? My mare will eat anything so I haven’t had an issue. She gets a handful with her pony nuts

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

That's even more expensive ? But it's a mix of straw and hay, so I can see it would be more palatable. Looking at cheapest prices, top chop is about 54p/kg, honeychop 78p/kg, compared with hay for which I pay about 20p/kg. Sigh.

I don’t know if it’s any cheaper but my mare is on honeychop lite and healthy which is free from molasses, alfalfa and soya. That’s also an oat straw chaff. It’s coated with linseed so bit more palatable maybe? My mare will eat anything so I haven’t had an issue. She gets a handful with her pony nuts

 

[Griffin]

Anyone used anything like this?

View attachment 52587

I have tried a Haygrazer bag which is mostly solid but has holes with webbing inserts similar to the one in the picture. My horse liked it and it did seem to slow them down but they couldn't get all the hay out. This may work better but I would want to see reviews or it in action I think to assess how easy it is to get the hay out. A goo amount of hay though!

 

[Wheels]

Well he"s getting the hang of it after chasing it around the stable a few times at first

Not sure it's as slow to get through as a haynet but takes him longer than feeding from the floor so that's a great result

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

If possible, scatter it thinly on the ground. I have huge matted stables and a concrete area in front so I can really spread it about. It's soaked hay and plain oat straw chaff 50/50 by volume.

This is genius- I don't understand how I never thought of it myself?! I've literally just sprinkled her haynet across the whole concrete yard, and she's wandering around all over the place exactly as though she's grazing. Possibly won't last quite as long as a tiny holed haynet, but luckily mine's got a hawthorn hedge to nibble at if she's really starving/bored.

 

[tda]

I mixed hay and straw well together, it's takes more time to pick the tasty bits out.
I did net it but you could put in a tubtrug or similar.

I saw some plain oat straw chaff on efeed, can't remember how much it was tho