Feeding hay, hay racks etc

[Scostin15]

We’re currently in the process of building our stables and I’ve been looking at the best way to feed hay. I like the look of the full height hay racks that you fill from the outside. What are people’s opinions on them? I don’t want to use hay nets as he always gets his rugs caught on them and he currently has his hay in a barrel cut in half but he wastes sooooo much as he pulls it all out. I don’t want to feed on the floor either due to wastage. So at the minute I’m thinking the hay racks.
Thanks for anyone’s help!

 

[FinnishLapphund]

I've seen many threads on here about hay racks but I couldn't recall having seen one specifically about full height ones, though I've probably just missed (or forgotten) those. Anyhow it sparked my curiosity, so I googled full height hay racks, and judging by the other threads which I remember reading about hay racks on HHO, and articles about how horses are built to eat with their head downwards, I really like the looks of these corner hay racks from Allenweld, which is only open for the horse to eat from the bottom ⅓ of the hay rack (Available both with access door to the front, and without, but who chooses the latter? Won't they need to use a ladder every time they want to fill it?):

In my googling I also saw some almost full height hay racks which left only a little bit of space between the hay rack and the floor, which I presume has to do with wanting to be able to easily clean below the hay rack. To me they look like an invitation for a horse to somehow find a way to get injured whilst trying to get to some last pieces of hay which have fallen down from the hay rack, but what do I know:

 

[adamntitch]

We had them or a yard I was on but they where taken down due to getting neck problems ( they where higher up) and filled from outside the stable and grass seeds etc going in horses eyes

 

[Glitter's fun]

We’re currently in the process of building our stables and I’ve been looking at the best way to feed hay. I like the look of the full height hay racks that you fill from the outside. What are people’s opinions on them? I don’t want to use hay nets as he always gets his rugs caught on them and he currently has his hay in a barrel cut in half but he wastes sooooo much as he pulls it all out. I don’t want to feed on the floor either due to wastage. So at the minute I’m thinking the hay racks.
Thanks for anyone’s help!

How many horses are you building for?

My impression of that type of rack you describe is that they're for the convenience of a groom who can walk down a long length of boxes feeding multiple horses without going inside each box. I don't think they're best for the horses.

If you're only building 3 or 4 boxes and don't mind walking into each one , maybe something like this would suit?

 

[Quigleyandme]

I know what you mean about wastage. It’s very annoying especially when prices are high or good quality hay is scarce or both. I have corner mangers that match my stables both sourced from Monarch. I buy weanlings and sell as four year olds so development of good dentition and head and neck physiology outweighs wastage especially as I’m in a soggy part of Ireland where grazing during the winter months isn’t possible.