Feeding hay on the floor

[dezimonster]

My pony has recently been diagnosed with kissing spines and I have opted for the surgery route. He is usually fed hay from a hay net, however I would like to feed him from the ground to help stretch through his neck and as it is more natural.

My problem is when given just a pile of hay he is incredibly mucky and drags its through his bed, wasting most of it despite it being good quality. I have been looking at the hay cubes and really like the idea, but I cannot afford the price tag. Does anyone have any suggestions for alternatives? If necessary he will just be given it in a pile, but I would like to avoid this if there is an alternative. Thanks

 

[emfen1305]

My pony has recently been diagnosed with kissing spines and I have opted for the surgery route. He is usually fed hay from a hay net, however I would like to feed him from the ground to help stretch through his neck and as it is more natural.

My problem is when given just a pile of hay he is incredibly mucky and drags its through his bed, wasting most of it despite it being good quality. I have been looking at the hay cubes and really like the idea, but I cannot afford the price tag. Does anyone have any suggestions for alternatives? If necessary he will just be given it in a pile, but I would like to avoid this if there is an alternative. Thanks

Second hand haybars, I picked mine up for £40 and works a treat! You can get pony size ones too and just push the hay down so he has to stretch his neck lower to get it!

 

[JillA]

Contain it with a board of some kind - this is mine, and I tie a haynet inside for those who insist on dragging it out and all in their bed

 

[Hannahgb]

I use tub trugs. Attach a ring to the wall at bucket height, add a clip to the bucket and attach witth baling twine. That way it will snap if horse gets caught but I never end up with hay in the bed! Plus easy to carry hay around!

 

[PorkChop]

Or big blue barrels cut in half work well.

 

[ozpoz]

Make sure it is in his preferred corner for eating. Use 2 if he swaps around and if you have a clean straw bed, it doesn't matter if he moves it around so much. I wouldn't feed from the floor with a shavings bed.