feeding habit - kicking over bucket

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millyspaniel

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My 4yr TB mare has a bad annoying habit of placing her feet in her bucket of feed and knocking it over then feeding off the ground. This results in her feed going all over the floor and going to waste.
I have tried placing the bucket in a tyre but she just pulls this over too. Theres nowhere i can hang a manger type bucket, any ideas? thanks
 
My mare does the same !!! Ive given up I just sweep the shavings from the front area of the stable put the bucket in and let her get on with it
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Yeah Tara does the same and like pefect11s I just let her get on with it now and keep the floor around it clear of shavings

tyre didn't work for me either.

What about an over the door bucket

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Personally, as I am a heartless owner, I'd live with the loss of a bit of feed and let her get on with it. Picking it up will give her something to do through the night
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Mine get fed in rubber skips out in the paddock, by the time they've finished playing musical bowls I can guarantee some have been turned over, they just hoover it up.

An over the door feeder would stop her kicking it. If that is too high, you could fit a couple of brackets (or a plank with corresponding slots to the door or wall) that the 'arms' of the bucket fit into at the height you prefer.

Good Luck.
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ps, your other option, of course, is to give her her feed and walk away so you can't see her playing with it!
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my mare does the same! she lives out though so is fed froma bucket in the field - i just pick a clean mud free spot and let her get on with it - give her something to think about for an hour or so as she picks every single nut back up!
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I look after one like this - she kicks her bucket over almost in rage and sends it all into her bed as soon as I give her the feed. I now have a hook on bucket like the one above, using a plank as a bracket as described by Enfys as our doors are too high. It's quite a snug fit and there is no way she can shift it now.
 
I have those corner buckets that fit into a frame on the wall. My horse is a nightmare, over door buckets last about 3 seconds!
 
you could put a corner manger with brackets or just use a plank of wood with some small blocks to bring it away from the wall to slot one of those mangers in the pic above or even drilling holes in the metal brackets and screw that to a piece of wood on the wall
 
I have a horse like this.
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And her only feed is pricey supplements, so I'm not really happy to let her kick it into the mud...

I know that you said you've tried putting the bucket in a tyre (that doesn't stop my girl either), but have you tried one of the buckets that slots in the tyre. Like this:

http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/Tyre-Bowl/productinfo/TYREBOWL/

I feed both my girls out of these, and it really stops them tipping them over
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Those tyre buckets are great!

If you are not feeding expensive supplements, you could try putting a 'plate' of hay down and then tipping her feed onto it - we used to do this at the RS, especially with the outdoor crew as we didn't have enough buckets!
 
3 of mine do that!!!! Ive tried over the door buckets, my boy just used to give it a flying head but so I didnt try that agin, like the others I sweeo my bedding back! x
 
I have 3 that do that and as much as it irratates me i have to let them get on with it.
It does take them loads onger to eat their dinners as they spread it all over the field but in the morning there is none trod into the ground so the obviously hoover it all up
 
Chilli does this. He kicks his bucket around so it's half empty then eats what he has left in the bucket before he eats whats on the floor. I did once try just emptying his feed onto the floor when I gave it to him but he looked so cross that I decided he's best left to do things his way. It doesn't seem to do him any harm so I just leave him to it now.
 
for some reason some horses prefer their dinner mixed with dirt/bedding/muck must just taste nice!!i think its quite funny. sounds like your horse would like her dinner in a food ball if she lives kicking stuff around
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I have one of these too....buckets just really wind him up and he wont hesitate in flinging all his feed right into a pile of poo. I daren't try a door manger as he's got a food aggression issue anyway so think that might just make him expode. If his bed is clean I let him get on with it, figure it will keep him occupied, but in the mornings I just have a swept area at the front of the stable and tip the contents of the bucket out and leave the empty bucket for him to clean afterwards and he is happy as.
 
both my Tb's used to kick a normal bucket over. Now use a corner feeder on the floor. Can't have the bracket as they just crib it off the wall......seems to work.
 
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