I have tried every remedy out in the market to have a grain bucket that my horse cannot spill. I have bought everything out there and tried to make my own remedies as well. He is now reduced to putting the grain on the hay flake. I cannot find anything that he cannot scoop the grain out with his nose or have it fly everywhere. Does anyone have anything they have made that works? I recently saw a bucket at the show where there were literally 100 screw heads in the bucket wall. This worked for the horse but I am afraid to try this unless its a last resort. He is a hard keeper so losing grain is not a good thing. Help!
When my filly was younger she used to fling her grain, she was also a rescue so couldn’t affod to lose the feed either. I used a muck bucket, and hung it by using bucket straps clipped to the handles of the muck bucket. That way she could fling the feed around and it still stayed contained.
I use a muck bucket for the old guy. He’ll fling a regular bucket but the muck bucket appears to have enough room for him to chase his feed around, plus catches quite a bit of what he drops.
You might want to try using a nosebag, for feeding your horse. Sling it around, they still will only lose a couple oats, and get the benefit of all their grain. Depending on quantity fed, you might need to refill the bag again, once they finish the first serving.
I would feed using a nosebag in a stall or tied up, because dunking nosebag in the water tank, could let it fill with water and drown him. This would be the old-style canvas bags with no ventilation. I understand there are new designs, with mesh bottoms that won’t hold water.
Horse quickly learns to use a nosebag, puts head down to the ground for getting that last morsel. No one else can STEAL his grain, so reduces problems in group settings if they all are wearing a nosebag for grain.
You might want to purchase a couple, use a different one each feeding, while the first one dries out.
Moisten the feed with water just prior to feeding. It will be heavier, stickier and harder to fling around.
I bought a rubber feed bucket and bolted it into the middle of a stall mat.
That stopped our gelding from flinging his bucket around and even if he knocks feed out it lands on the mat where he eats it. Perhaps that would work for you?
Or that mixed with the no spill bucket.
Have you tried putting a large rock or two in the feed bucket? Dump feed in , set rock on top. Rock has to be heavy enough they can’t flip it out but light enough they can roll it around to get to the feed.
In australia we used feed buckets on the ground that were pretty hard to flip but can’t find them online right now.
P.
I switched to a feed without molasses, it’s less ‘exciting’ so less flinging. Granted now I can’t just dump powders in his feed (like bute) and have the feed be sticky and yummy enough that he’ll just eat it anyway.
I agree with the nose bags. I bought three Feedrite nose bags and I really like them for three features.
- They are mesh with a solid reinforced bottom. Horses can’t drown because water runs out.
- They have a flap inside that catches feed when the horse throws his head.
- They have a snap on the head strap if you have a horse that is shy about putting something over his ears.
One other benefit of nose bags if you use them on all your animals is there is no fighting and stealing others feed.
The only down side is you have to stay around until the horses are finished eating to remove the bags. I use this time to groom, or check out my horses, or just find the peace of listening to horses chew. A wonderful sound to me.
I have an ex=flinger and ex=tipper. Get one of those black round rubber feeders, the kind made out of old rubber tires, then get a car tire and push feeder in hole of tire, wet feed and voila, no more flinging or tipping. After 6 mo. or so you can remove the tire as the habit is extinguished.
I like the Better Bucket
I cut a feed sack and spread it on the ground and sit the feed tub in the middle. This ‘table cloth’ works well an old rescued Appy. He still noses his feed out but then he eats it off his table cloth.
[QUOTE=ladipus;7695442]
I like the Better Bucket[/QUOTE]
I use these for some situations but they are far from spill proof. They actually spin and dump very easily per my mare.
Hi, Summerfarm,
I know this post is not new, but I ran across it tonight when looking for something else. Isn’t that often what happens when searching via Google?! : ) Anyway, I’d love for you to try a Rockinghorse Feeder. Visit our website, www.rockinghorsefeeders.com, where you’ll find videos and information. You may order there or at Jeffers by calling (800) JEFFERS. We’re in their spring Equine catalog and their Livestock catalog as well.
