The things they do.

AmyMay

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I saw that earlier. A local tack shop has a sale on and I was going to buy one until I saw the article.

I know that horses can injure themselves on thin air but......
It’s one of those things I can’t imagine a horse ever needing tbh.
 

SpotsandBays

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I saw that earlier. A local tack shop has a sale on and I was going to buy one until I saw the article.

I know that horses can injure themselves on thin air but......
I was thinking about getting one of these too. Perhaps not!
 

PinkvSantaboots

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Never liked them they make so much noise when the horse is trying to eat out of them and it must be so frustrating for the horse.

I've encountered many an evening hearing treat balls and those hay things being kicked and slammed against the wall by other people's horses, I have no intention of ever buying them for my own horses.
 

SEL

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That’s a freak accident. The lid hasn’t been put on and the horse’s jaw is through the larger hole where the lid should be.
Hayballs are great for slowing down feeding from the floor. Incidents with hay nets are much more common but people continue the use them.
Is that what happened?

I want a couple for the paddocks in summer so they've got something to nibble on, but was a bit shocked at this.
 

Maxidoodle

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That’s a freak accident. The lid hasn’t been put on and the horse’s jaw is through the larger hole where the lid should be.
Hayballs are great for slowing down feeding from the floor. Incidents with hay nets are much more common but people continue the use them.
You’re spot on, I was trying to figure out how it could have happened, as the holes surely were too small, you’re absolutely right, the lid hasn’t been put on it.
 

ycbm

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Never liked them they make so much noise when the horse is trying to eat out of them and it must be so frustrating for the horse.


This. A horse in a barn I was liveried at had one and the noise drove me absolutely mad!

I know horses will injure themselves on anything but they clearly aren't safe unless the jaw in far too big to go throughout the holes.
.
 

SEL

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On the first photo of the post the lid looks to be on the bottom?
That's my idea canned then! Horses can self harm without adding a helpful toy into the mix.

I may look at the smaller holed ones.

And I agree treat balls in the stables are annoying but they're great in the field. I have fond memories of my friend's cob finding his in the snow and happily building himself an enormous snow ball.
 

SpotsandBays

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That's my idea canned then! Horses can self harm without adding a helpful toy into the mix.

I may look at the smaller holed ones.

And I agree treat balls in the stables are annoying but they're great in the field. I have fond memories of my friend's cob finding his in the snow and happily building himself an enormous snow ball.
I wanted some for the field too, let me know if you find anything suitable!
 

poiuytrewq

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I think you can get different sized holes. I bought one when our horse was on box rest and being stabled at my work. All the other horses got amazing seed haylage which obviously wasn't ideal for a chubby on box rest!
He had a mix shoved in it and it kept him occupied for ages. There was no way he could have got his jaw in the holes.
I wonder if this one was damaged? as in had a way bigger hole for some reason prior to being given to the horse. I just can't see how that happened.
 

I'm Dun

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It’s one of those things I can’t imagine a horse ever needing tbh.

It was the best thing I ever bought. 4kgs of hay can be squashed in and lasts hours. It keeps them moving with their head down in a grazing position. Its a brilliant bit of kit. The holes are small and even my yearling highland couldn't have fitted his lower jaw in, so I think this is a completely freak accident with a horse with a tiny, tiny jaw!
 

poiuytrewq

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It was the best thing I ever bought. 4kgs of hay can be squashed in and lasts hours. It keeps them moving with their head down in a grazing position. Its a brilliant bit of kit. The holes are small and even my yearling highland couldn't have fitted his lower jaw in, so I think this is a completely freak accident with a horse with a tiny, tiny jaw!
Id place money on it being broken.
 

SEL

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It was the best thing I ever bought. 4kgs of hay can be squashed in and lasts hours. It keeps them moving with their head down in a grazing position. Its a brilliant bit of kit. The holes are small and even my yearling highland couldn't have fitted his lower jaw in, so I think this is a completely freak accident with a horse with a tiny, tiny jaw!
That's why I want one for the track. Bored horses plot escape routes when they can see grass, treat balls only last 15 mins but hay balls could go on for a lot longer.
 

I'm Dun

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That's why I want one for the track. Bored horses plot escape routes when they can see grass, treat balls only last 15 mins but hay balls could go on for a lot longer.

I've used them in the stable and on the track. The cobs have always gone to them in preference to any other sort of hay as well. They didn't like the tiny holed ones, I think it was just too small to get the long hay strands out. But there is no way in hell any of them could have got their whole lower jaw through the 7.5cm gap. Its just not possible. And the larger hole has a lid that screws in tight. I still don't think their jaws would have fitted through that either though as I regularly left it off.
 

nutjob

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Having seen my horse stomp on a treat ball when the nuts didn't come out fast enough I would guess this is what's happened to this. It's a crack in the plastic not a hole where the teeth are stuck.
 

Love

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The horse in the stable next door has one and is always crashing around with it and banging it off the walls and the door etc. I've never felt the need to get one anyway but certainly wont be now.

Coincidentally, the owner is always commenting on how trashed and churned up her bed is every morning 🤣
 

AShetlandBitMeOnce

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One of the horses at my yard ripped his nostril off with his own stable door (that wasn't damaged and had nothing wrong with it).. accidents happen, and the fact that this is such a big news article shows it doesn't happen often, so I would still get one if Dex needed stimulation.
 

poiuytrewq

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One of the horses at my yard ripped his nostril off with his own stable door (that wasn't damaged and had nothing wrong with it).. accidents happen, and the fact that this is such a big news article shows it doesn't happen often, so I would still get one if Dex needed stimulation.
Ouch! We had one at work with a massive distended looking nostril and it had caught it on a lead rope clip somehow 🤷‍♀️
We also had one remove its tongue on the walker 😳
 
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