5 Reasons for Using Slow Feeder Hay Nets for Your Horses

The horses' digestive system is designed to eat small, frequent meals so that food moves continuously through the digestive tract.  For horses that live on pasture 24/7, this is not an issue.  Unfortunately, most domestic horses don't have access to this type of grazing, many can't cope with high quantities of grass and not many properties have healthy pasture to offer them.   So, most horses are fed larger meals less frequently.  When horses go for even a couple of hours without food, they can suffer insulin spikes and there is a build up of gastric acid in their guts.  This acid is the cause of damage to the digestive tract, ulcers, cribbing, and wood chewing.

Slow feeder hay nets are an economical way to encourage your horse eat in a way that more closely imitates grazing.  Here are 5 reasons for using slow feeder hay nets:

1. Save money and hay.  The slow feeder hay nets stop hay from being wasted by being trampled and soiled with manure and urine.
2. Stops your horse gorging at feeding times.  Eating more slowly makes the hay last 2-3 times longer and imitates grazing behaviour.
3. Horses eat at a more natural level.  The small holes (1 1/2" to 2") allows the nets to be put on the ground or hung low.  If your horse has shoes, it best to hang the nets up high enough that your horse won't step on it and get his show caught in the netting.
4. Saves you time.  A full bale hay net can last one horse 24 hours so you don't have to feed as frequently.
5. keeps your horse healthier.  By having hay available more frequently the gastric acid that causes stomach upsets such as ulcers and colic is reduced.

When you first introduce your horses to slow feeder hay nets, make sure there is loose hay available as well. It takes them a day or two to learn to adjust how they eat.  Hungry horses who are used to gorging themselves will paw the nets or bite through the netting.  As they adjust, they use their lips to pull the hay through the holes.  

Tying the net inside a box or a tractor tire helps stop the horses from pawing the net, keeps it out of the mud and manure and allows your horses to eat at a natural height.

Slow feeder hay nets come in several different sizes:

• small ones to hold a few flakes (good for ponies & minis)
• small square bale
• large square bale
• round bale

I originally started using the slow feeder hay nets for my insulin resistant horse.  It was easy to soak his hay in the net, hang it to drain and then keep him happy for a few hours with a few flakes of hay.  Because insulin resistant horses are also hungry all the time, he was happier because he had in front of him for longer periods of time.  

I liked how it worked so well that I bought a few small square bale sized nets for feeding the 3 geldings that live out 24/7.  One is allergic to dust so I can't give them a round bale.  He also has had ulcers in the past, so keeping food in front of him more often is much healthier for him.   I spread the hay nets around their paddock and away from their water trough to encourage them to move around rather than standing in one place all day and night.  Now, they prefer to eat from the hay nets than from loose hay.

With the drought this summer and the scarcity of hay, I just bought a round bale net.  It took the mares 2 days longer to finish the round bale than without the net.  That's going to save a few round bales this winter.  And, there was absolutely no wasted hay.  I was already using a Duplessis hay feeder and now with the slow feeder net, the results are even better.

You can save more money by buying the netting to make your own hay nets.  For my North American readers, this company is located in Welland, Ontario, Canada and ships across North America.

For the DIYers, you can build many different styles of feeders from scratch or from materials around your farm.  Check out the ideas on Paddock Paradise for photos, videos and instructions.

Give the slow hay feeders a try and share your experiences by posting a comment below.

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Written by Anne Gage, Confident Horsemanship (www.annegage.com).  I would also appreciate it if you’d send me a copy for my media files.

 

Anne Gage

Confident Horsemanship

www.annegage.com

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