Field hay feeder

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Pearlsacarolsinger

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I'm looking for recommendations please for feeding hay in the field.
I need something to keep hay off muddy ground that won't roll away, or collect water but will allow the horses to eat at almost ground level.
It doesn't have to hold a lot, they have most of their hay in eazigrazers in the shelter but if we want to work in the shelter and keep the horses out of the way, it's useful to be able to put hay out.
I have seen some that look similar to wheelie bins with a hole at the bottom but can't remember the name and can't find them again.
TIA
 
I have a hay hutch it's not blown away yet, there is a tiny bit of water ingress but not much and if you clean the seeds and waste out the bottom regularly it's not an issue.

It's fairly pricey but I went with something substantial rather than DIYing a bin as I wanted to know the plastic was supposed to withstand horse behaviour without breaking into sharp bits.
 
Think I saw something on here about using a travel cot, strapped to the fence. A lot of the wheelie bin feeders are DIY. Cut the slot with a jig saw, and file off the sharp edges. Strap to the fence and either fill with hay, or put a haynet in and fill that. You Tube has some ideas too.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. We need something that can be fixed to a wooden post but not to p&r fencing, we have tornado type wire. The field is quite steep and very exposed, sheds have been known to blow away here, so we can't risk anything free-standing.
Although it sounds like the easiest idea, I don't want to DIY a wheelie bin because that would risk the horses catching their faces on the edge of the hole. I'm sure I've seen a commercial one that fits the bill, I just can't remember its name.
 
The Parallax Hay Feeders are pricey, but I'd say a good investment - mines been in consistant use for 5+ years now and is going strong, and my horse's fieldmate isn't easy on it! It has a drain hole, so drians and can be used for soaking,
 
I've also seen people using wooden tile crates or similar boxes made from decking... obviously you need to be careful its safe and there's no gaps that a hoof could conceivably get put through... but possibily easier to secure to a solid fence. A friend has a big tractor tire, with a large hay net in the center, secured to the tyre with clips, which works well on a hardstand or mud matting.
 
Thanks for the idea but I'm very aware that horses have been known to get stuck inside tractor tyres, so I don't want to mess about sourcing one of those. I am really looking for something bin shaped with a lid.

The RDA ponies have a big plastic crate with a haynet tied to the bottom which works well in their situation but I am particularly looking for something to keep the rain out.
 
I have a hay hutch with two concrete blocks in the bottom, and have drilled holes to allow for drainage.
As well as apple crates with tie rings in the corner for haynets.
We are on an exposed hill, havent had any problems with injuries or horses moving them.
 
IMG_20230114_132106.jpg

Caged rigid plastic water tank cut in two . Mr F welded the bars back on the shallower part , low enough for the littlies to feed comfortably ,wide enough not to trap a hoof but helped keep hay in place . The deeper side had an elastic small holed net stretched over the top and tied with baler twine , which dropped down as they ate . It also had what had originally been the filler hole in the bottom so made a useful drainage hole for soaked hay , cleaning out etc .
The plastic tank was too rigid/sturdy for them to be able to put a foot through the outer cage .
Very light to manoeuvre , we put a slab of paving stone in it to weigh it down in the field .
We got this off a local farmer for free ( seen loads of them lurking about in general farmyard junk ! ) . We'd had it for about 15 years without any problems and I passed it on to the new owners of our house when we sold up , who are making good use of it still .
 
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I have a massive industrial strength trug on bricks tied to the fence post. Have put holes in bottom so it drains. Completely horse safe and the  shitland shetland can reach the hay.
 
thefarsideofthefield said:
View attachment 168966

Caged rigid plastic water tank cut in two . Mr F welded the bars back on the shallower part , low enough for the littlies to feed comfortably ,wide enough not to trap a hoof but helped keep hay in place . The deeper side had an elastic small holed net stretched over the top and tied with baler twine , which dropped down as they ate . It also had what had originally been the filler hole in the bottom so made a useful drainage hole for soaked hay , cleaning out etc .
The plastic tank was too rigid/sturdy for them to be able to put a foot through the outer cage .
Very light to manoeuvre , we put a slab of paving stone in it to weigh it down in the field .
We got this off a local farmer for free ( seen loads of them lurking about in general farmyard junk ! ) . We'd had it for about 15 years without any problems and I passed it on to the new owners of our house when we sold up , who are making good use of it still .
Click to expand...


This idea is very similar to the RDA ponies' set-up.
 
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