Feeder Solutions for Horses

Karla wrote to ask about Horse feeders: "I just finished reading a Western Horseman article about preventing colic. My horse throws her hay around no matter what kind of feeder I use. I have used hanging feeders and large rubber buckets. They (Western Horseman article) suggested mats so the hay will be off the ground when they do throw it around. Do you have a suggestion on where to find large mats? How do you feed your horses? Thanks, Karla."


Hey Karla, I read that good article from Western Horseman as well. Keeping hay off the ground, especially sandy ground, is one of the first step to reduce risk of colic. Horses can have up to 80 pounds of accumulative sand in their gut. And all horses are different so I reckon some do better than others picking hay off the ground and consuming less sand than others.  If you watch closely, you'll see a horse blow through his nose, probably clearing sand away (intentional or not) then picking up a piece of grass.  The problem with some feeders, like the one in the picture above, is that hay gets dropped to the ground out of the feeder by the wind, and we have a lot of wind in West Texas.   

A periodic Sand Clear (psyllium) and/or bran mash rountine is another measure you can consider to help in getting some sand out of the gut. When I throw hay for my horses I break it up so the horse's can't grab a large flake and fling it out of the feeder onto the ground. This also helps me find all sorts of garbage in the hay,....plastic bags, things like that.

Some may use large trailer flooring mats to feed off of, but these can be really heavy to pickup and clean off. You could always use a broom to sweep the mats before each feeding. If you decide to use mats, I would check out an auto parts store for truck bed mats. We have used a couple of these and they have lasted now for 10 years.

I have also tried or seen about all types of feeders being used,....large buckets, hanging feeders, free standing feeders, and even hay nets or bags. Can you imagine the pain in the butt on loading a hay net a couple of times a day? 



What I use now for feeders are large plastic boxes that look like milk crates. Called the Arca Systems Big-Box they are made by Daco Corporation - Arca Systems, phone 1-800-423-3221. I have them in two sizes, the bigger one (see picture above) is 48"L by 44"W by 29"H and weighs 95 lbs, and works great for feeding two horses.  The other Big-Box I'm using is the smaller version (see picture below) 42"L x28"W x 29"H which weighs 69 lbs, and is suitable as a one horse feeder. Both are easy to move around even in heavy sand and have slots to allow using a forklift.

I have these boxes under overhead cover, but it might be a good idea to drill a couple small holes to drain water and help sweep any dirt out every once in while, as well as drain excess water if you feed water soaked hay from time to time. One of the best things about using feeders on the ground is that this is more natural for the horse to eat this way.






Porta-Grazer.  Another feeder solution that someone recently told me about is the Porta-Grazer, which is basically a large bucket with a perforated insert that makes the horse pulls hay through holes with it's front teeth, reducing the amount of hay the horse can grab and drop or throw around. Makes them eat slower too.

From the Porta Grazer site: "Natural grazing slow feeder for hay and pellets. Lets your horse graze hay slowly tearing each bite with the incisors creating more even dental wear thus relieving TMJ problems. Great for the prevention, treatment and elimination of gastric ulcers, colic and many other problem stall vices and bad habits. As the pan rotates the holes lift the ends of the hay stems up so the horse can search, pull, tear while he is chewing and swallowing. This allows him to size each bite as he eats insuring that his food is thouroughly chewed and salivated as it is when grazing.That's grazing and no other product does this. No wasted hay. Travel safe and sanitary. Head down and dust free Also collects sand and dirt from the hay to be thrown away later."

Here is a short video on the Porta-Grazer:



In any event, good luck Karla in finding a feed solution.