How do you feed hay?

[nuffield]

I feed hay off the floor in the stable and off the floor in the field.

 

[HayleyUK]

Haynet, she refuses to eat it if its been on the floor.. fussy bugger!

 

[Pedantic]

If feeding at the field he has it off the floor after his dinner/breakfast while I walk dogs or wait, he has it from a hay net if at the stable while he is groomed/tacked up, "when" he used to come in at night and not jump the door he had it in a large plastic tub tied in the corner of the stable with drainage holes drilled in it, this was for two reasons, 1, he would sometimes get his foot stuck in the hay net on the wall, 2, it's a natural position for his head to eat so his teeth wear normal when chewing.

 

[bexandspooky]

I use a small holed haynet as spooks gorges himself otherwise, and just minces what he doesn't want into his bed.

 

[RachelB]

On my vet's orders, I feed Maiden her hay soaked, in a huge TubTrug on the floor. If I put it straight on the floor she wastes more, but I'm lucky because she doesn't waste much in her Trug. Some of the horses at work are awful with their Hay Bars and waste loads!
I would always try a new horse eating hay from the floor first. If they were too messy then I'd try everything else and use a haynet as a last resort. Hate the things, my friend once found a horse strangled to death in a haynet

ETS: my vet told me to feed from the floor to stop Maiden's nosebleeds. Seemed to work quite well!

 

[zoesophie]

I lied slightly coz I put "off the floor", but originally I wanted a haybar thingy but decided they were too expensive

so got one of the biggest plastic buckets you can get and put it all in there but there is usualy so much that half falls on the floor anyway

 

[LankyLucy]

All from the floor.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Feed off the floor cos our pony is notorious for getting her legs caught in hay nets. Don't ask me why but unless you hang a net so high she can't reach it she paws at the net and ends up hanging by a foreleg!

 

[Blackhawk]

I prefer it shaken out on the floor, but I'm on full livery so it goes in a large haynet.

 

[molehill]

All mine have it from the floor,i believe its natural for them.My stallion has a haybar,as he drags his around the stable,but it does not work,he still manages to get it out and mixes it up with his bedding,but will not use a hay net as they are dangerous in my opinion

 

[spotty_pony]

Hay Manger (similar to a Hay Bar)

 

[madhector]

Spooks has his in a homemade haybar

Jerry has his in nets with huge holes as hate the constant tugging action that the small holed nets create, he used to have it on the floor as I much prefer feeding it this way, but he wont touch it now if I do this

 

[Chex]

I feed it in a big bucket, so sort of on the floor.

 

[DiablosGold]

Off the floor

 

[debsflo]

off the floor better for them confirmed by dentist and vet

 

[SouthWestWhippet]

off the floor - more natural. Worry that haynet will cause further development of 'under neck' rather than topline muscle in addition to horror stories about horses strangling themselves.

 

[skye123]

off the floor. back lady said it builds up the muscles on the underside of their necks too much and i think its better for them as my mare yanks it really hard out of her net but is a lot better with it on the floor

 

[beatrice]

I have 2 horses but they have different but have chosen Haybar.

Bea has hers out of a haybar and Josh has his out of a small holed haynet with extra on the floor (if we put it all on the floor he makes nests with it in his bed!!). Josh will also have a haybar in the near future.

 

[Molineux]

Ren has 2 Haynets at night time - Large ones too!

If it goes on the floor its all in his bed etc, so I put it in a nice haynet and no mess!