Thanks guys for the input. My horse is very smart so I need to consider that too as far as what and where I’ll be putting it.
I’m thinking I might try the mesh one. And if that doesn’t work maybe I’ll spring for the portagrazers.
I’m a big fan of the HayChix hay nets. You can hang the half-bale nets, and they are very easy to fill (you just drape them over a bale and cinch them up…This video shows the whole small bale net…half-bale works the same, just half the length: https://youtu.be/ICT5Ggt7w8E). To make it even easier on the barn staff, you might buy a few of them and offer to fill them ahead of time for the week. I find that one half-bale net can last two or three nights (and I have them in the larger 2.5” holes, not the smaller holes).
Just thought I’d mention these nets. Mine have endured a year of constant use very well.
(They also have wall-mount options, too.)
https://haychix.com/collections/by-the-flake
If you do, please let us know how you like it!!
The barn where I live uses the Helix ones. They seem to work fairly well. I haven’t actually handled them so not sure how they are to fill but they look fairly straightforward. Not sure how tough they are.
P.
The only thing about the hay chix nets is he has shoes, so I would have to figure out how to keep him from getting a shoe caught.
And the hay nets with loops look awesome but I’m not allowed to bolt anything in his stall.
@Libby2563 I will report back if I go that route!
I use the Hay Chix feeder with one horse and this one: https://www.savvyfeeder.com/ with the other. I like them both…
I use the Tough One easy load wall feeder with small hole hay net that holds about 4 flakes- I have one from Hay Chix that must be 5 years old. Make sure you get the original feeder , not the one with hooks around the frame to hang the net. Quick and easy to fill, BO likes mine so much she bought them for other hay hoovers in the barn.
I have mine hung so bottom is about 30" from floor and secure bottom to ring on wall with clip.
I am researching the same thing on exciting NYE…and I was about to order a Porta Grazer, until I stumbled upon this post. I’m intrigued by the Helix! I like how the insert spins around a bit in the Porta Grazer. I don’t think my horse will mind his head being in the feeder, but the Helix is also $82 cheaper on RW, not to mention no oversized shipping. But I’m not finding as much info/reviews online for the Helix. Decisions, decisions.
So I bit the bullet and I ordered a Helix from RW last PM. Last spring while stalled at a horse show, I found my gelding’s hay bag torn down the next AM and a sprung rear shoe. I assume he rolled and got caught. Since then I’m really shy about hay bags. My gelding is boarded and given 3-4 flakes of hay to get through the night (which seems to be fine calorie wise), but I am sure he’s gobbling up that hay quickly then going through long stretches without. Considering the price, I figured the Helix would give us an idea if he/I liked this type of feeder, if it extends his eating, plus it’s collapsible, so easier for travel. Mine should be here next Wed. I’ll keep you posted.
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I have a High Country Plastics Hay Saver, and I love it! Yes, sometimes with a stemmier bale, my guys will eat from one side and make the grate uneven. But, they are hay snobs because we have such good hay, and I just make them tough it out. They will pull through what they want and then pick through it.
I think it’s really easy to load. Just pull grate through, drop 6-8 flakes, and slide back through. I have also used a bale in a Tough-1 bale net UNDER the grate, and it’s worked great.
I have a TB gelding who is as sharp as a tack, and a super plucky part-Shetland stallion. The stallion has gnawed on it a bit, but no problems with the construction or the grate- or their teeth, for that matter.
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I was talking with the barn staff today and I mentioned porta grazers and she said they have had horses with bleeding lips and gums from it? I was shocked to hear it as I’ve never heard that about the porta grazer, just ones with metal grates.
She did say that I might be allowed to put a net with a hoop on the wall. Still considering the Helix feeder though.
My horse has been using a PortaGrazer for over a year and it’s been fantastic. No issues with irritation/bleeding from mouth or gums. I’ve also been put off hay nets because my shod horse has gotten stuck. My biggest complaint with the PortaGrazer is how freaking heavy the corner feeder is. It’s too bulky to travel with most of the time - fascinated by the Helix feeder. It seems like it holds a similar amount of hay, if not more, without the added weight of the unit itself. If you end up trying it, please update with your review!
I’ve been thinking about these for my barn
https://hayhoarder.com/
They look easy. I currently have 8 hanging slow feed bags. These would cut down on time to fill and therefore cut down on my labor costs.
Reviving this thread, as I am now trying to figure out a slow-feed option for my OTTB mare with a history of ulcers at a barn that only feeds twice a day (6am and 3:30 pm) and 1 hour of turnout. She currently has Haychix 1” nets but still gets through 4 flakes of hay in about 2-3 hours.
Barn owner and vet have both seen respiratory issues with the PortaGrazers, the Helix seems to solve that issue - Hokie98 how did your Helix work out for you?
Hi @amottb92 - I haven’t used it for a while, but still have it. I didn’t really love it at the time but I probably should try it again. I was just a horse show this past weekend - I probably should try it at horse shows bc I have a love/hate relationship with hay nets (I don’t like him pulling hay out at an elevated position).
Anyway, I stopped using the Helix because I had concerns about my horse’s teeth. He was grating his teeth on the feed plate when trying to grab the hay. Since mine is older, it doesn’t have the “one size fits all” plate. Not sure if that would make a difference. When it was empty, it was full of small particles and dust (I’d literally dump it to refill it - so that’s less particles in his airways and/or stall). I’d say the other con was unless I anchored it in the stall, it would be all over the place. But I guess it could double as a toy. 
Since this post, my horse has been treated for ulcers as well, so I feel you. During treatment, I had to move boarding barns, fortunately at a place with amble turnout & hay. I don’t know if this is an option and/or you want an alternative to the Helix, but my barn owner has corner managers. They’re simply some boards in the corner, not sure I’d that’s an option for you (assuming your BO doesn’t mind a few nails in the wall). The ventilation may not be great bc it is in the corner, but it’s a big enough area, not like his head is buried in a PorterGrazer. My gelding is ok without a net, but I got some ideas from the DIY hay nets group on FB about how to put make a frame and put on top, which I haven’t done yet, but may for the winter. I don’t know if that would be an option for you at all. You could double net it to slow your horse down? There are a lot of other ideas on the FB page. You maybe to use some other smaller/short water trough with a hay net (depending of course if your horse is shod).
I don’t feel like I gave you a useful answer…I should probably try the Helix again because I haven’t in a long while. But again, my big concern was his teeth. If your vet has other patients using them, maybe ask if they have any teeth concerns?
Best of luck! I’ll include a pic of my grate & one of the stalls with a corner manger (you could easily use less boards to increase ventilation).
I also have the Helix feeder.
Honestly I really don’t like it as my horse used to take it and throw it around her stall which made me worried about her neck muscles, especially when it was full/heavier. For some reason, my horse got really frustrated by it (gets frustrated by all slow feeders/nets though), hence the throwing it around.
I did have the feeder with the adjustable plate holes for reference. It definitely does make the hay last a bit longer, probably because when it would get thrown, it would land on its side or upside down. Then my horse would have to go turn it right side up again before picking it up and throwing it again or holding it and dropping it to get the hay out. It survived all that so I guess it’s pretty durable too.
I do like the mesh sides and how it collapses down, so then they’re not eating out of a container with a ton of dust. I believe you can use it to soak the hay by sticking the Helix filled with hay in a big thing of water and then letting it drain out after a bit. Another horse at a barn I boarded at had one too and he didn’t really throw it around. It definitely could be a viable option for your situation if your horse is normal with slow feeders.
I’ve had the Helix for several years. In general I like it, but a complication with my horse is that she gets steamed hay because of her respiratory issues and I find that in the summer, unless it’s thoroughly cleaned every day, it can get kind of musty because of the heat/moisture. Since I can’t count on the barn staff to clean it well and my horse is only in for ~6 hours during the summer, I just stopped using it then and only use it in the winter when she’s in the stall much longer.
If you don’t have steamed/soaked hay then I don’t think you’d have that problem.
Mine moves it around her stall a bit, but it’s not too bad. She got used to it pretty quickly and doesn’t seem frustrated by it. I haven’t noticed any issues with her teeth or bite marks on the grate although I haven’t really looked at it closely lately since I don’t use it in the summer. I think it’s easier for them to get the hay out if the flakes are put on edge rather than stacked flat.
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Thank you everyone for the info! This has been really helpful.
@hokie98 Agree with you on the hay nets - my mare shakes hers pretty violently too to get her hay out which I’m sure isn’t good for her neck. I tried double-netting to slow her down and it didn’t at all, I’m assuming because she’s learned to shake it.
Teeth was a concern for me as well, as I have heard differing opinions. It sounds like it can be really horse-specific, with some horses good about pulling out of feeders like the Helix with their lips and more aggressive eaters using their teeth hence the teeth issues.
That’s an ingenious idea with the corner feeder though, I’m not sure if BO would be ok with something like that but I think it’s definitely worth a try. I might give the Helix a try first since it’s relatively inexpensive compared to others and just see how my girl does, I think worst case scenario it becomes something easy for me to just take along to shows.
@scislandsprite that’s helpful to know as well! I think I would definitely have to attach it, my mare has a run attached to her stall and I would be worried about her tossing it around and it rolling to a neighboring horse’s run.
@Gardenhorse that’s a great tip about the stacking!
Thanks everyone.
I’ve seen plastic corner feeders that you could use for hay (instead of building one like I have) - like THIS. You could probably put your double hay net in there BUT I would expect you’d have the same ventilation issues as a PortaGrazer. Otherwise, there are hay pillows, but not a good option if your mare is shod.
Aren’t horse problem fun to solve?! 
But try the Helix, it may work great for you. Best of luck!
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is your horse shod in front? i have this but didn’t keep it out long. same as some of the others’ experiences, my girl would toss it around and it would end up upside down in her run (getting the hay all dusty). then she would paw it to right side it, and ended up getting her shoe caught. thankfully it disengaged pretty quickly (ripped) and she wasn’t hurt.
