I have horses with shoes on. I also have hay-devourers. I just moved them to my own place this summer and am trying to figure out how to keep them in hay through the night when they are outside this winter. At the moment there’s still grass in the big fields, so they have stuff to graze on but I know it’s only a matter of time (and frosts) before that’s gone. They are stalled for meals and for bad weather but out in the cold otherwise. In stalls, they are all happy to have hay bags: two with normal holes and one fatty with slow-feeding holes. In turnout, the two normal-eaters go out together, one has front-shoes on and is somewhat accident prone. The slow-feeder gelding turns out alone and has four shoes on. All three are massive hay consumers in winter.
I’d like some ideas for reducing waste for all of them, and limiting face-stuffing from the fatty. I want them to have hay available through the night. I feed small square bales and don’t have a tractor to deal with roundbales. There are not shelters in the pastures and I have electric coated wire fencing with big metal gates. I am interested in low-cost, but safe, solutions.
I still wish there was a ball style one like the kind you can put pellets or treats in but that can hold like a flake… A whole flake.
