Ideas for a safe hay feeder on a flat wall.

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Louby

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I really want to feed hay off the floor but she is so messy it will be trashed and wasted so Im looking for ideas or recommendations please. She is a walking liability so ideally something she cant get her legs into and something she cant break. I dont fancy a hay cube, can see her twiggy legs finding their way in there somehow!! I would like it to fit on the flat wall rather than the corner as she likes to munch whilst looking out of the door.
Seen a flexible rubber feeder, a bit like a hay bar but it looks expensive for what it is!
 
My horse managed to climb into his hay cube ! Once they are in there is no space to bend their legs to get out. I had to get help to saw through the cube to release him.
 
He stood still and waited for help to arrive. He’s only young but he was very patient! I posted a photo of the hay cube on their Facebook page. I was too scared to take a photo while he was still stuck.
 
palterwell said:
He stood still and waited for help to arrive. He’s only young but he was very patient! I posted a photo of the hay cube on their Facebook page. I was too scared to take a photo while he was still stuck.
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OMG what a good boy!!! My friend had one, the concept is great, but they give me the eeeby jeebies!! What are you using now? Im thinking of just a big tub trug?
 
I have a wheelie bin feeder with two big holes in to eat from and a hay crate, which is a wooden crate that had tiles or similar in. Both work fine in or out and on a flat wall. I tie large hole haynets into the hay crate to stop hay being thrown about.
 
I have teardrop feeder from JFC. They can be fitted as low as you like and as all curved nothing for daft ponies to get stuck in. Mine is pony natural nose height as she has a hayball too so two different heights to eat from :)
 
I got one of these, a hay sling https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184131709998
It seems expensive for what is essentially a piece of nylon with four clips and four screws for the wall but it has worked for me and when there was a problem, customer service was good.
I have it on a corner, but it might work on flat wall.
Not to say a horse can't try to get in it, or break it, but if they do, because of its simplicity, there is less chance of damage to horse I think
 
Louby said:
OMG what a good boy!!! My friend had one, the concept is great, but they give me the eeeby jeebies!! What are you using now? Im thinking of just a big tub trug?
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I’m soaking a hay net in a wheelbarrow,then hanging that above a big rubber bowl to stop his bed getting wet. i couldn’t find a big enough tub rug, he’s a very big Traditional gypsy cob and he eats a vast amount of hay !
 
palterwell said:
I’m soaking a hay net in a wheelbarrow,then hanging that above a big rubber bowl to stop his bed getting wet. i couldn’t find a big enough tub rug, he’s a very big Traditional gypsy cob and he eats a vast amount of hay !
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Yes my girl likes her hay :) I may try the trug, my friend has a massive one, but imagine it will end up all round the stable. I remember in the past seeing some great ideas on here, hence asking.
 
There's almost nothing that would be impossible for them to self harm with - some have to try really hard but horses are pretty inventive when it comes to self harm!

Is she shod? if not hay pillow might work, wheely bin would be a good option, you could fix to the wall with robust bundgy type rope.

How far is the corner from where you'd like her to eat? corners are stronger to fix things to and slightly harder to get stuck between! I have home made hay bars (monarch plastic planks - spares for internal partitions) very thick, very easy to clean, horse proof / friendly plastic, the wood batton is fixed to wall and plastic planks slide down so 2 seconds to lift them up and clean inside.
My 3 y/o has been know to stand on it and it's been fine, - i take a plank off for the shetland and if needed could put another one on for bigger horse.
I can almost get a whole small bale in - my big horse ate a lot!

Hay bar.jpg
 
I have a wriggly, twiggy legged mare too, she puts her feet into anything provided in her stable to 'play' with. I tried various methods and have found that an old fashioned metal hay rack or a haynet tied to a breakable piece of twine are the safest for her. When she is rugged I don't use the haynet because if she got the fastener caught she would panic and hurt herself, unlike my other mare who stands patiently waiting to be untied. I prefer the haynet during the summer though because I can give her less hay and it lasts longer than in the hayrack.
 
That looks fab Polos Mum, maybe Im going to have to consider the corner. Shes just so nosey, will no doubt take hay and then walk to the door, then back and so on.
WandaMare, shes done the same, got attached to her haynet with her rug. I now cut a sock in 2, cut the toe area off and you have two 'sleeves' to cover the fasteners on rugs that have the surcingle type front fastener.
 
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