Sorry, I meant something like this: https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/smartpak-slow-feed-hay-bag-13939
They have in and outs, so they’re very very rarely closed in overnight, but there’s no grass.
I think I’d still be hesitant with those and shoes; where there is a will there is a way 
I’d think if the goal was to have the head down and to minimize shoes getting caught, a portagrazer or helix might fit the bill the best.
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He has this now, but it still needs to be hung high because he has gotten his feet into it. I wouldn’t feel comfortable with it on the ground.
It does sound like something like a Portagrazer is my best bet if the corner feeder posted above doesn’t pan out. I board, so when it comes to installing things into walls I have to defer to BO. She’s the one who has shown up to find my horse with one leg through his water bucket, so she is sympathetic.
Found the old internet picture of a safer looking holey rubber mat corner feeder someone posted long ago, that said it was safe for shod horses, not sure it is a slow feeder type, may be worth trying something like that, with a less deep front cut:
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I use a Helix feeder and LOVE it! I tether it to wall otherwise my mare will fling it willy-nilly and make a mess of her stall, but if you don’t mind, you can leave it free. In fact I sold my porta grazer in favor of this.
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I bought a few of these a while back, when they had some on sale. That gator mouth they describe was actually difficult for me to open once it got used a few times – takes a lot of hand strength to pull it apart and then shove the hay in. I have small, hyperflexible hands, so stuff like this is tough.
Can’t easily slide a flake in, either, at least with the coastal bermuda hay we feed. Have to break the flakes up and jam handfuls in the bag. Rarely use them anymore – mainly just when I need extra hay bags filled before leaving my neighbor to feed while I’m gone.
I bought this style quite a while back:
My horses were un-shod, but the issue with this type is that the zipper was problematic. It didn’t like the constant dust from both hay and the sacrifice paddock, and the bag became difficult to fill. But that problem may be resolved by now.
Can you talk more about the forage pellets you feed your guy? Do they provide the same anti-ulcer-y benefits as hay? I always thought they wouldn’t because there aren’t any long stems, and the long stemmy nature of hay is what provides a mat over the stomach acid to prevent it from splashing around. But buying a automatic feeder for pellets would be a helluva lot cheaper than a special automatic hay feeder.
It is easy to stuff a hay ball, but you do have to rip chunks off the flake to stuff it in there. I have muck type buckets that are designated just for hay (where I put overflow from the bales, or prepare for morning feed for my morning helper). I put the ball in a muck type bucket and then stuff away and any excess is caught in the bucket. It takes less than a minute to do. My morning help will stuff the hay balls from the night before for me and he has never complained about it.
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I used those type of rubber mats when my horses were weanlings to line the metal panels I used to have for their runs for safety. I did only zip tie them onto the panels. Those baby horses could rip them up so fast though! Anything soft like that would be a toy.
If the hay pellets are based on alfalfa, the buffering comes from the extra calcium, not the long stems, there is not that much fiber as stems in pellets.
Our vet formulated a whole feed pellet based on alfalfa that would work for those automatic feeders.
I bet there are others using similar formulas out there.
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There is a new pellet by Unbeetable that is alfalfa and beet based and also contains flax oil. There’s a thread on it (two actually I think) if you search for it. Prior to those just coming out, I just filled it with hay pellets.
Not letting them sit on an empty stomach for too long is a big part of preventing ulcers. Hay or hay pellets shouldn’t matter as they both take up space in the stomach. I don’t know if they are digested different or not.
Having a very easy keeper, I like that I can basically ration out an extra flake for him over the course of several hours with the auto feeder overnight. If I offered enough hay to keep him eating all night…he’d eat it all and that’s too much for him.
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I got a savvy feeder for my mare after using a DIY version that involved a hay net, clips, and a muck tub - the savvy feeder is much more shod-horse-friendly and more intuitive. The downside is if you really want to stuff it full you need to slightly angle the flakes to so that the gate can drop as they eat from the center and not bank up the sides. My mare will throw it around her stall like a toy, but it slows her down, and she hasn’t damaged herself, the feeder, or the stall. She actually seems to prefer it in the middle of the stall, which you couldn’t get from a hay net or the corner feeder. I considered the Helix but this seemed more robust (see comment on throwing things around).
Speaking of the corner feeder - we tried it with one horse and she ripped it at the seams within a few weeks. It was nice while it lasted.
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I have one easy keeper mare that we have suspended her hay net from the ceiling centered in her stall. We attached a drop cord from a rafter that has a loop where we attach her hay net. Slows her down SOME as she can not pin it against a wall,
I used to suspend the net from the ceiling for my mare. Same result - maybe slowed her down some, but not substantially. She is barefoot, so I just throw the net (1 inch holes) on the floor. It slows her down a touch more, but she still goes through it crazy fast.
I may need to consider one of the auto feeders for her.
I ordered one of the Hay Play XXL hay pillows (the giant one that can lay on the ground) yesterday, and it’s already on its way, which is fast service.
I’ve been using basically every type of slow feed bag and net out there, for many years, but I’ve got a horse who doesn’t need a slow feed feeder as much as one that keeps him from strewing his hay all over, while allowing him a more natural eating position. I’m hoping that the Hay Play will be the answer.
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That is exactly it for mine. The slow feeder aspect is less important than the “keeping the hay contained” aspect. I just wasn’t sure how else to word what I’m looking for. I’m curious what you think when it arrives! It was the Hay Play that originally prompted this post.
@Knubbsy, I think mine may also rip the corner feeder at the seams. For the $40 price tag I’m willing to risk it in case it saves me from shelling out for some of the other more pricey feeders.
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I have to disagree with the comment that a pellet feeder is cheaper than an auto hay feeder, at least in the long run.
Please tell me how you were able to make an auto hay feeder a cheaper solution than a auto pellet feeder! I was thinking you could use an auto feeder designed for small animals. Even if you spent money getting a really nice one, it would be way cheaper than any auto hay feeder I’ve come across. The cheapest auto hay feeder I’ve seen is $4k I believe. While small animal feeders can be found for less than $100 on Amazon (which obviously won’t last long, but even spending significantly more on a nice one will be eons cheaper than an auto hay feeder).
I should note that my horse is boarded so this doesn’t need to be a permanent solution.
Yikes! You’re absolutely right, prices have doubled since the last time I opened my yap to comment on my beloved auto feeders. However, for anyone interested, here is my take.
I will use your $4k as an example, and my High Noon 6 shelf hay feeder. I bought it in 2014. In continuous use for 9 years. So about 450 a year. What I get is continuous “slow feed” for my horse at ground level. Easy use for anyone having to feed my horse for me, you just fill it up once a day. I could go on about the benefits.
My 450 a year will go lower every year I have it in use. Even if something in it fails, I have the box, and will be able to fix it. I will never have to replace it. If your horse needs soaked feed, the hay feeder works, but I bought a Equine Automation in 2015. I stored it for 3 years, took it out and it did not work. The company is still in business, they told me the battery will not work after sitting so long, sent me a new one and is keeping my wave mouth horse going. I get 10 feeds a day on it. My feeders will feed pellets, but a pellet feeder cannot feed hay or soaked cubes. More economical in the long run to get something that works for so many different uses.
I have 4 autos. 2 old home made ones where you have to supply separate power and timer. They all work. The only time I have ever had an issue, it was my fault, battery was low or I programmed it wrong. These things work. There are videos of how to rig up autos yourself, with a little help from someone who knows electric, you can build your own.
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