I’m not sure if you’ve heard me mention the slow down hay feeders but they are made here locally and I found out that the barn I ride at has them.
I really like the concept of the feeders so I asked Mona how she liked them and she took me to an empty stall and said “I don’t, do you want to try one?” I told her that MIL had talked about buying one this spring but they were too rich for my blood (they run around $400 each). She told me to take one to MIL to try for the winter and said if she liked it she’d sell her one for ¼ of the cost.
I took one to MIL a few weeks ago and her horse (and my horse) seem to have figured out how to get the top off just like Mona’s horses did. I’m glad we got the opportunity to try it and learn we didn’t like it before buying one.
I’d really like to try to make one. Check out the one on Swedish Hoof School website. While some of them aren't exactly ideal IMO, I do like this one.
The gravity works the same as it does in the other feeder only this one has a lip so they can't get the top of. Plus if I can just find some grid (I think they said 2 x 2 is preferred) then I can easily make one.
Until the I think I will place an order and try a few of these at least in the stalls.
So do you have any thoughts on "restricted" feeding?
On a side note: Between the holidays and the weather I've hardly seen my ponies. I'm hoping after the new year I can get back on track.
1 comment:
We use the Metal feeders that hang over the pipe fencing. It slows them down a bit. We feed baled alfalfa that comes off in flakes and they get about 10 lbs in the morning and 10 in the evening. If the flakes are coming off small we will give them a flake when we get home from work around 6-6:30 and then go out about 10pm and drop another skinny flake. They have no covered area for protection (we are terrible owners) so if it's cold (30's here in CA) we'll give them a little more.
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