Safest Slow Feeders

[Rel6]

What are some recommendations for a hay net or slow feeder than can be used in a stall either on the ground or hung low, that a horse cannot find a way to get stuck in? If there is netting, my horse will catch a shoe in it. If there is a way for him to climb in it or get a limb stuck, he will. We’ve so far avoided any injury because he just freezes and waits to be freed, but I’d like to keep it that way.

Currently we use a non-netted smartpak hay bag hung pretty high (he’s tall) and that has kept him safe, but I would like to find something where his head is in a more natural grazing position. We would just feed him on the ground, but he likes to use his hay pile like a litter box and then won’t eat the dirty hay.

I’m eyeing these right now, but open to other suggestions: https://www.gg-equine.com/products/slow-feed-hay-bags?variant=44942763983167

[JB]

well that was the one that came to mind right away LOL

Look through www.sstack.com They have a pretty large variety

[theresak]

I have a PortaGrazer because my horse kept using his feet to rip his hay net and would bend the frame. He can stand in the PortaGrazer and be totally fine. He regularly knocks it over and if someone is around he will bang on it with his feet but he can always get it upright with his head and keep eating.

[Demerara_Stables]

I’ll second the porta grazer. I had a client bring one and I immediately thought “oh god what a PITA” but it was surprisingly easy to load, and the mare even flipped it over often with no harm to herself or the porta grazer. I liked it so much that I even thought of buying a few for my horses!

[lenapesadie]

I also like the Porta Grazer. I typically have mine tethered to the wall so it can’t be flipped over etc. Mine has been extremely durable. I think it’s over 5 years old and is still in perfect working order.

[Bluey]

Would something like this help and be safe enough?

Dura-Tech® Mesh Corner Hay Feeder | Schneiders

We made something similar once out of a holey wash stall type rubber mat that Home Depot sold as shop floor rugs, this is an internet picture of something similar out of a regular stall mat:

[Amy3996]

Another vote for PortaGrazer. I switched my late WB to it after I had to cut his front shoes out of a HayChix net. The caribiner broke, net came down, and it got tangled up in his feet. Thank God he didn’t panic, but never again.

I have the corner feeder model. It’s going on 5 years old and still looks like new. Solid barrel design means nothing for hooves, blankets, halters to get caught up in. My guy is 16.2hh and the top of the barrel sits comfortably at chest level when filled to capacity. Plenty high enough to keep stray hooves out, but still low enough to mimic a more natural head down grazing position.

[Cowgirl]

I had one horse that pooped in the Porta Grazer every single day. I moved it outside and it got rained in and snowed in, so I moved it back in. I thought, he can’t be pooping in there every day, can he? I went to clean it out on the weekend and there was poop at the bottom of the portagrazer and was underneath some hay. It was gross. I sold all of my porta grazers after that.

I use the Busy hay feeders and strap them to the wall about halfway up. My horses actually prefer eating out of them than on the ground.

I also use the Hay Balls at night check. They hold about a flake of a small bale. The horses LOVE them so much! I find the quality varies so I like the ones from Burlingham Sports.

[Pico_Banana]

How do you get the hay in the hay ball? Do you have to put it in by the handful?

To the OP, I have a Savvy Feeder, which is the same basic idea as a porta grazer but a different design. It’s very stable on the ground, easy to load, and the horses readily eat from it. It was great when I was boarding because it was way easier for staff than stuffing a hay net.

Now that my horses are at home, I clip a hay net inside a 110 gallon stock tank and put that in my big stalls. The sides are high enough a horse would have to be really determined to get a foot in there, but I understand your reservation. For me though, it’s easier to use this method when I’m weighing my hay and feeding specific rations.

[George_T_Mule]

Hi Rel6!
We use the “Savvy Feeders”, and also the “HayPlay” balls.
Both are durable, and popular with the Equines. About my only comment is that the SavvyFeeder doesn’t hold as much hay as claimed; I can get 8 or 10lb of uncompressed Timothy in one, but more than that and it’s too packed for the critters to get an easy bite and they complain. A HayPlay ball holds 1.5 - 2 lb; same hay, same caveat.
We have also used a “HayHut”, which works well, but the Savvy Feeders are more flexible for animals with different feeding needs.

[theresak]

FYI I wouldn’t tether a porta grazer at least at first if you suspect your horse might use their feet. I didn’t want my horse to slip and get a leg stuck between the porta grazer and wall if it was tethered to the wall.

[Rel6]

Hi all! Thanks for the suggestions. I do like the idea of the Porta Grazer and Savvy Feeder. I think the shape of the openings on the Savvy Feeder would probably be a bit safer for him (just based on photos).

I really like the mesh corner hay feeder and am going to send that to the BO to get her thoughts. It seems like it would be the easiest to fill, but it would have to go in a back corner so I’m not sure if that would end with him pooping in it.

Has anyone used a Helix Feeder? One popped up for sale used, and I’d prefer to try something under the $100 price range before shelling out for something like a Savvy Feeder.

[Pico_Banana]

@Rel6

Has anyone used a Helix Feeder? One popped up for sale used, and I’d prefer to try something under the $100 price range before shelling out for something like a Savvy Feeder.

I know there’s a thread where someone tried it and reported back, so I’d try a search.

[scislandsprite]

@Rel6

Has anyone used a Helix Feeder? One popped up for sale used, and I’d prefer to try something under the $100 price range before shelling out for something like a Savvy Feeder.

I had the adjustable Helix feeder and made a couple comments on threads about it: Reply 1, Reply 2, Reply 3. My horse eventually cracked it a bit at the bottom since she was so rough at it from throwing and flipping it constantly. Thankfully she’s barefoot so I wasn’t super worried about her getting caught on the bottom of the feeder but I would be a tad concerned if she was shod. Granted, I boarded with someone with a horse that used it while being shod and didn’t seem to have too many problems.

[Tee]

I really love the PortaGrazers (I have three) and feel they are super safe. I have mine tethered on one handle, and even with the young horse regularly sticking a leg in it (seriously - why???), I’ve never had an issue in the two years I’ve had them. I left the young horse’s untethered for a while, but when he figured out how to flip it and use it as a stepstool to play over the wall with his neighbor, it got tethered.

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[clanter]

@Cowgirl

I also use the Hay Balls at night check. They hold about a flake of a small bale. The horses LOVE them so much! I find the quality varies so I like the ones from Burlingham Sports.

same for our horses, they will most often go for their hay ball first then it sounds like some kid bouncing a baseball off the side of the building

we have one mare whose hay net is suspended from the ceiling mid stall, even so she is not hindered just slowed down Some.

[FjordBCRF]

We were Portagrazer failures. In spite of there being multiple portagrazers in the barn that were being properly loaded, my hay enthusiast fjord managed to crack two separate pans. The company also insisted it wasn’t their product, it must be improperly loaded which wasn’t the case. That left a bad taste in my mouth. They are too expensive to be replacing pans every year and it didn’t slow him down much, if at all once he figured it out.

[DMK]

I use the Helix feeder when I’m at shows/away from home. It’s great for that because it’s easy to pack and bring along and I like not wasting hay or dealing with hanging hay nets in stalls that may or may not make that an easy task!

I have a hay hut with a slow feeder net that they have 24/7 access to so I don’t need to worry about it as a daily feeder. Friends that do use it as a daily feeder like it though

[blue_heron]

I’m not really suggesting but asking for myself: what about a hay pillow? The holes are similar size to a nibble net but the nylon webbing seems less likely to get stuck in a shoe. Anyone have thoughts/experience?

I have a horse with ulcery symptoms and an older mare both of which I would like to have hay 24/7. They’re both hoovers and often have a few hours overnight or while I’m at work where they don’t have hay in front of them. I don’t like hay bags because I’d like them to eat with their head low.

[FjordBCRF]

If I recall, the Hay Pillow brand hay pillows state they aren’t intended for horses with shoes. The ones I am thinking of still have the same type of netting as a hay net, but just on the top of the pillow.

During the times they may run out of hay, are they in stalls or turned out? I have an iFeed auto feeder for my guy when he’s in his stall overnight in the winter time that dispenses forage pellets every hour from about 11PM to 6AM to hold him over. He will get through his PM hay bag before midnight. It wasn’t cheap, but boy has it helped give me peace of mind that he won’t be on an empty stomach.