Feeding hay from the floor without it getting trashed!

[tobiano1984]

All this wet weather has got me to thinking about the horses coming in for winter, and I want to be organised this year! I want to feed mine from the floor this winter, I ended up using haynets last year because it all got so messy and a lot got wasted.

So - lets have your suggestions for methods please! The Hay Bars look smart, but at £75 a pop I can't really justify it for 4 horses. Plus 2 of them like to rub their bottoms on any protrusions in the stable so would probably sit on them anyway...I've had a sheet of plywood bracketed in the corner but this also became a bum rubbing station. One of them developed a cough eating out of the wood arrangement because he spent all night with his face wedged in it. Loose on the floor isn't really an option as the youngsters just walk it around and poo all over it.

I don't seem to have left many options, but hopefully someone has a genius idea! Aside from the physical benefits of feeding off the ground, not stuffing haynets will save lots of time hopefully!

 

[impresario08]

Could you look out for second hand haybars? I love mine and it's definitely worth the money

 

[tobiano1984]

Could you look out for second hand haybars? I love mine and it's definitely worth the money

I do keep an eye out, but the second hand ones don't seem to be that cheap especially when they have £20 postage whacked on top!

 

[eggs]

I find the hay tends to get trashed when fed off the ground if they have more than they need. Try cutting back a bit and gradually increasing the amount until there is just a handful left.

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

we feed it in the huge trugs

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

I cut the top of a blue 45 gallon drum and feed it in that. Easy to move about and quite deep so hay stays in there. I also use them to soak haynets. Very useful things!!

 

[tobiano1984]

we feed it in the huge trugs

Do they leave it in them or flick it out all over the floor? And do you just attach the trugs to the wall? And do you use the massive 75 litre ones? Sorry - lots of Qs

 

[Poo Picker]

I had haybars in two stables, one the horse sat on it and pulled it off the wall and the other one just pulls the hay out and spreads it around the stable!!! So watching this post with interest.

 

[JillA]

Fix some boards across a corner

or I know some people who have used a rubber stable mat, cut so it tapers and fixed to batterns on the wall

 

[cobgoblin]

Big rubber troughs. I have round ones but you can get oblong. Useless for scratching on , heavy enough to stay put and easy to wash out.

 

[hairycob]

Following. Bought a 2nd hand hay bar for my son's horse as he trashes his hay. He just pulled it out & continued to trash it. Hoping for good ideas.

 

[tobiano1984]

Just found this online, made by tubtrugs manufacturer - http://www.tanks-direct.co.uk/multi_tubs/multi-tub_(rectangular__slash__90_litre) Could secure it to the wall somehow (just screw it in maybe?!) and then it would be like a manger...

 

[Annagain]

Google image "homemade haybar". You can make something similar just by putting a sheet of ply across the corner of the stable. Even better, if you put a frame up with a groove on either side so you can slide the sheet of ply up to sweep the old hay out.

There's also something similar to a hay bar that's made of a frame and a piece of strong webbing like material. Not sure what it's called or if it's any cheaper / better though sorry.

 

[Annagain]

Following. Bought a 2nd hand hay bar for my son's horse as he trashes his hay. He just pulled it out & continued to trash it. Hoping for good ideas.

Put a heavy log on top of his hay. It stops him being able to pull so much out.

 

[mega spoilt ponies]

I used a cold water storage tank - just a massive plastic tub after mine kept ripping his haybar off the wall. He also puts his front feet in haynets!

Its fab!

 

[PorkChop]

Big blue plastic barrels with the top cut off

 

[hollyandivy123]

Just found this online, made by tubtrugs manufacturer - http://www.tanks-direct.co.uk/multi_tubs/multi-tub_(rectangular__slash__90_litre) Could secure it to the wall somehow (just screw it in maybe?!) and then it would be like a manger...

i use to attach and large trug or laundry basket the soft pop up type to the wall with a quick release tie onto a ring that i had screwed into the wall. kept it in one place and not much got wasted

 

[Cortez]

If horses are discarding hay, they are getting too much.

 

[Meredith]

Following too. I also use big plastic cold water tanks. My horses still toss the hay about and waste it. I hate haynets but if I put the same amount in a net they eat it all. OH has tried to make a grid that sits on the hay and keeps it in better but the horses just tilt it sideways. Has anyone a method that works? All suggestions gratefully received....

 

[turnbuckle]

Wheelie bins bolted to the wall, with a cut-out at floor level. Probably a catch on the lid would be useful.

There is a risk of feet getting caught in the hole, cutting flush to the floor and the sides of the bin will minimise that.

 

[horsesforcourses]

I use black builders plasters bath, similar to http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Heavy-Duty-165-Litre-Plasters-Bath-/321841249202?hash=item4aef3bbbb2
and small holed haynet.
the haynet is attached to bath by clips ( like on lead rope) and bath is clipped to wall.

 

[Rlister89]

I saw this advertised through Facebook the other day, not sure about the feed bucket being higher as always feed mine off ground but maybe for licks/salt/grooming stuff - http://www.saddlery.biz/stubbs-munch-station.html

Not sure about the price though, but could maybe make your own version somehow and if it had something over the top it would hopefully stop them pulling it everywhere, until they learn how to remove the bucket i guess!

 

[dreamcometrue]

When my horse was on box rest I used two shavings bales at right angles to make a hay bar in a corner. You could use small bales of straw too.

 

[Dexydoodle]

I bought a wooden compost bin, fine so long as you've got enough space in your stable. Cost me about £30 i think and can move to sweep underneath easily, they're slatted as well so shouldn't have the same cough problem

 

[curio]

I had haybars in two stables, one the horse sat on it and pulled it off the wall and the other one just pulls the hay out and spreads it around the stable!!! So watching this post with interest.

yep my welsh flicks it out spreads it around then redunks his wet hay so is netted and tied into hay bar. the cob will eat nicely from it but rubs on it though. but with wet hay my haybars are made of wood and wooden stables im finding the wood getting wet and smelly

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

Do they leave it in them or flick it out all over the floor? And do you just attach the trugs to the wall? And do you use the massive 75 litre ones? Sorry - lots of Qs

i think they are the massive ones yes, you can easily fit 4/5 slices in them.

we have clipped them to the wall with quick release clips but it depends how much of a pig the horse is, 1 of ours pulls a bit out but doesnt mash it in to the bed, the other would waste a lot but now its clipped to the wall he cant tip the trug over and thus cant get it all over the floor.

 

[DD]

I tried just about everything and in the end gave up and installed old fashioned hayracks. they still manage to trash hay by pulling it out of the top, giraffe like. its over night its a problem as have to give them lots to see them through the night so they get a rack full and a net.I'm hoping to keep them out as much as possible this winter rugged if necessary. then I feed hay on the floor in the field and they still trash it walking it into the mud.

 

[nikkimariet]

i think they are the massive ones yes, you can easily fit 4/5 slices in them.

we have clipped them to the wall with quick release clips but it depends how much of a pig the horse is, 1 of ours pulls a bit out but doesnt mash it in to the bed, the other would waste a lot but now its clipped to the wall he cant tip the trug over and thus cant get it all over the floor.

Like this

 

[dianchi]

Or tub trug with haynet secured in them- has worked before and likely to need for my youngster this winter!

There is the amazing haynet/pillow things but they are mega pricy!

 

[nikkimariet]

There is the amazing haynet/pillow things but they are mega pricy!

They scare me! Even with barefoot horses!

Horses are kamikaze lemmings!