Ideas to stop shetland getting to hay!

[Ellietotz]

Good evening!

I have a predicament where it seems the shetland is scoffing most of the hay in the shelter when it's really only meant to be for my mare who I'd like to have the option to go in and out to eat hay when she wants as the grass is not quite long enough for her to go without it completely yet. Though it's plenty for the little greedy beast.

I don't stable them so I'm trying to think of some miraculous way to be able to put the hay in the shelter in a way that he can't reach.

I can't have it too high because I then can't reach, I'm also a human shetland, and understand it's not good for them to eat like that.

Is there an easy way to do this?

The only tools I have is an old empty freezer, wood planks, plywood and of course, baling twine! I also have to wet her hay now due to recent compaction colic from dehydration so nothing where the excess water can't drain away either.

All ideas appreciated!

 

[Nicnac]

Muzzle the shitland

 

[Ellietotz]

Muzzle the shitland

This was a thought but the grass is just too short at the moment, he wouldn't get it through the muzzle. He still gets hay through it too! I also can't catch him once it is off ?

 

[FireCracker238]

I also can't catch him once it is off ?

That is the most relatable thing I've read all day ?‍

 

[Ellietotz]

That is the most relatable thing I've read all day ?‍

? Can see why they are called sh!tlands. I can only take it off and put it back on if he is tied up. I have absolutely no hope of catching the little sod otherwise, even if I hold the muzzle behind my back!

 

[Cherryblossom]

Cut the top off a barrel and fill it? You’ll need to weigh the barrel down as those cunning wee gits will tip it to get in!

 

[FireCracker238]

Can see why they are called sh!tlands

Haha totally!

Cut the top off a barrel and fill it? You’ll need to weigh the barrel down as those cunning wee gits will tip it to get in!

That's a good shout, may give that a whirl myself. Thank you

 

[Bob notacob]

Ductape his mouth shut!

 

[quizzie]

A full size hay bar constructed of your timber and ply in the corner of the shelter, with a large holed haynet tied in the bottom of it....even if the Shetland stands on his hind legs, he shouldn’t be able to reach down into the hay bar

 

[Getbackboys]

Good morning, having been the owner of 4 adorable shetlands for many many years and sadly losing one recently to cancer of the sheath very dramatic and so fast, i can say i found mine much preferred grass to hay and if there was not enough grass to sustain a healthy gut to survive then they wud have a bit of hay, they were not piglets and only ate enough to stave off starvation but wud otherwise prefer grass esp new fresh spring grass, so whilst you may think there is enough maybe from the equine eye there isnt, an allocated amount of 1kg wud be my way of stopping a pony from being a scavenger/eating to survive - bless him. The shetland islands do have good grass for shetlands they dont live on fresh air but the cold harsh weather makes them use their stored body fat to make them survive and keep away the troubles of laminitis. Just another angle to look at the situation

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

Good morning, having been the owner of 4 adorable shetlands for many many years and sadly losing one recently to cancer of the sheath very dramatic and so fast, i can say i found mine much preferred grass to hay and if there was not enough grass to sustain a healthy gut to survive then they wud have a bit of hay, they were not piglets and only ate enough to stave off starvation but wud otherwise prefer grass esp new fresh spring grass, so whilst you may think there is enough maybe from the equine eye there isnt, an allocated amount of 1kg wud be my way of stopping a pony from being a scavenger/eating to survive - bless him. The shetland islands do have good grass for shetlands they dont live on fresh air but the cold harsh weather makes them use their stored body fat to make them survive and keep away the troubles of laminitis. Just another angle to look at the situation

Having very recently acquired a Shetland, this is very interesting. She's certainly not super greedy, and spends a lot of time dozing whilst the other pony stuffs hay. But the coat on her is ridiculous, and she's rather rotund. Do you clip for weight management?

 

[Ellietotz]

Cut the top off a barrel and fill it? You’ll need to weigh the barrel down as those cunning wee gits will tip it to get in!

I should mention the mare is only 13.2hh too so she can't reach down over a lot of these things and any lower then the little blighter can get it too!

 

[Dasher66]

Could you put the hay in the bottom of the chest freezer with a grid of planks or netting on top to hold it too low for the shitty to reach?

 

[Ellietotz]

Good morning, having been the owner of 4 adorable shetlands for many many years and sadly losing one recently to cancer of the sheath very dramatic and so fast, i can say i found mine much preferred grass to hay and if there was not enough grass to sustain a healthy gut to survive then they wud have a bit of hay, they were not piglets and only ate enough to stave off starvation but wud otherwise prefer grass esp new fresh spring grass, so whilst you may think there is enough maybe from the equine eye there isnt, an allocated amount of 1kg wud be my way of stopping a pony from being a scavenger/eating to survive - bless him. The shetland islands do have good grass for shetlands they dont live on fresh air but the cold harsh weather makes them use their stored body fat to make them survive and keep away the troubles of laminitis. Just another angle to look at the situation

I wish that were the case but unfortunately, judging by the size of his belly already, it isn't. He just eats absolutely everything if it's there, he isn't hungry.

 

[Ellietotz]

Having very recently acquired a Shetland, this is very interesting. She's certainly not super greedy, and spends a lot of time dozing whilst the other pony stuffs hay. But the coat on her is ridiculous, and she's rather rotund. Do you clip for weight management?

I wish mine slept ? I'm not sure I've ever seen him with his head up, he doesn't stop eating.

 

[Ellietotz]

Could you put the hay in the bottom of the chest freezer with a grid of planks or netting on top to hold it too low for the shitty to reach?

This could be an option. The freezer is too low for my mare to get to the bottom so I could raise it up enough for her to reach but low enough for him not to. Other issue is that her hay needs wetting down so I don't want anything going mouldy at the bottom and needs to drain away.

 

[Getbackboys]

hi yes i do clip feb time which is when i find horses tend to lose most of their weight which seemed to help keep them slimmer going into spring time still restricting grass cos of sugars but still offering hay which they nibbled on to keep hunger at bay whilst watching the grass grow in hope. of course this is only my experience. The rotund one no doubt suffers from ems so i wud take off the grass completely st this stage feed a bit of hay until we get past spring shud have dropped some weight by then and still strip graze. Good luck it is so very hard. i do find if the right food is avail ie hay rather than nothing at all they actually dont have this desire to be greedy in case it all disappears, again a survival instinct

 

[Dexter]

i do find if the right food is avail ie hay rather than nothing at all they actually dont have this desire to be greedy in case it all disappears, again a survival instinct

You find that with some, but others will eat themselves to death. And I've never found clipping makes the slightest bit of difference. On vet advice I full clipped one, one winter and turned out. The horse gained weight and I gave up after a couple of months and rugged him as it felt incredibly cruel.

 

[ycbm]

Edited, Suggested already.