OP mentioned that when bossy mare claims hay piles, shy horse won’t go to ANY pile of hay.
Putting more piles has not helped.
Since shy horse is also slow eater, I think that keeping them separated makes the most sense if all are to get only their designated amount.
Plus shy horse should not have to worry about being bullied, will be happier with friend across a fence, I think, once it realizes the other won’t get to her any more.
Thanks for replies was hoping to find a cheap option until panels were more affordable but im just going to go ahead and buy them so i dont have to worry about my older girl being chased and i agree she will definitely be happy.
Tonight i skipped the nets all together and only did piles at opposite ends and so far they are okay staying with their own food see how long it lasts.
Panels … you’ll use them in various ways forever … always beneficial to have panels ~ IMHO.
While this is nerve racking now, it will all work out and you will enjoy having your horses at home ~
Good Luck ~
Seriously though, and maybe this isn’t helpful. What kind of “options” did you think might exist? If you were talking about feeding concentrates, feed bags would be an easy solution. But for eating - all day long - there really aren’t many things that will allow multiple horses to be turned out as a herd and each only eat the right amount of hay. Every herd has a pecking order, no matter how well they get along. One horse will always move the others off their hay and/or otherwise take the better resources.
Unfortunately it isn’t usually connected with their need - my boss mare is a big, fat, permanently lame WB. My TB mare, who needs more food, is 2nd or 3rd in the herd. It’s not really possible for me to keep them together and have them both be “ideal.” I settle for “good enough” for now.
Separating them would give me some benefit at a significant cost to me. Pretty much the story of horse keeping, in my experience. Some upgrades are totally worth it, others have a marginal impact.
My mare is affectionately named Hoover as she inhales her feed then goes to eat everyone else’s. I put up a couple of poles and used electric ribbon fence to make feed pens. It’s easy and works well. She stays corralled while the other 2 finish eating
Brilliant! I never thought about doing that! I might have to try it. I have 2 greedy fatties and 2 TBs that are slower eaters and they are the ones that need the grain the most.
I haven’t seen this mentioned – it may be your TB isn’t eating as much hay because she isn’t hungry. I have a QH and TB together too. The QH eats all day (with a muzzle) and the TB spends most of the day with his head on her bum staring lovingly at her.
I just give him more concentrate to make up for it. What concentrate is your TB eating? You can use nosebags to make sure fattie can’t steal his grain.
I think many TBs just don’t have the constant appetite that many stock breeds do…a greedy QH will eat for a much longer period because food is there, must get in my belly! TBs are more meh about constantly snarfing food.
I meant more along the lines of temporary fencing until something more suitable could be put in place. Im not trying to keep them together and only get their right amount of hay, im not new to horses and i realize that generally isn’t possible when keeping more than one animal. It wouldnt be such a concern if i could make sure there was more than enough hay for both horses as i have always had horses free fed or on pasture but because of how easy of a keeper the one mare is i cant do that.
As long as you are not too far away, you can tie the mare until the gelding finishes.
Is this paddock so small that the shy horse doesn’t feel she can safely go to another hay pile? How big is their space?
I second (third?) the muzzle-the-fatty idea. Hopefully it will slow her down enough to allow the other one to finish.
Figured this out a few months ago! Works great.
She is trying to eat, but the other horse chases her away from the food. She is doing better now about actually going to the other piles thats ive laid out but i still plan on getting panels.
She gets a small amount of beet pulp only for the purpose of mixing in her supplements, no grain.
I dont know the exact size of it but its big enough that they can get completely away from eachother.
Is it bigger than a breadbox? I mean it’s not hard to say it’s about the size of a football field, or it’s about 50 feet by 100 feet. I think it’s incredibly relevant to know about what size Paddock you’re talking about.
my best guess would be just over 50 feet x aprox 150 feet the property is 1.74 acers so probably around an acre of that is fenced
I use big tire feeders, placed in the center of the paddock. These are BIG tires, off logging equipment, skidder tires. They are 6 feet wide, and 2 1/2 feet high. I cut one side of the tire off, to make a LARGE tub, with the top corners intact to help hold hay from being thrown out of the tire. I have two horses in each paddock.
When you have a few horses co habiting, there is always a pecking order. One horse is dominant, and the other is the underling, as you have already seen with your two. But with the BIG tire feeder, the weaker horse always can keep the tire between them, uses the tire for protection from the more aggressive horse. It works well for my guys. The tire feeder CAN also take a round bale, and hold it from being stomped and peed on, but normally, I just fill it with loose hay peeled off a round bale twice a day.
These tires are free to acquire from tire stores that service logging equipment. They will load it for you, onto your truck. You will likely need a tractor at home to unload them, and move them into the paddock, because they are very heavy. You can cut them with a number of different saws, chain saw, or my favourate, a reciprocating saw. Drill holes in the other side, the bottom side, so that any rain water that gets in there can drain out. Also will hold a TM salt block in the bottom channel, and give it enough protection from rain. Put this tire feeder OUT in the middle of the paddock, away from any shelter that the horses might have access to. They go OUTSIDE to eat, and come INSIDE to get out of weather. Less competition when in a confined area.
It will likely take a few days for your two horses to work out personal issues between them in their new home.
A friend does something similar with her paddocks. She got the tires from a local private airport. They were thrilled to dispose of them. She did not cut them. Placed large rocks in the center to keep hay off the ground itself.
Good option, as is a horse style RB feeder. We quit feeding rounds but it’s a safe way for my three to eat amicably after circling it once or twice 
we pUT small squares in it, on a pallet
Have you tried feeding in feed bags?
I thought feed bags were no longer sold. They can cause respiratory problems.
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