Over the several years that we have had horses we
have used and observed several different types of hay feeders for horses.
This article is not a recommendation for any
specific type of feeder. It is intended
to provide some information and observations about how different types of
feeders work, what problems we have encountered and what features work well.
Home Made Feeder:
It seemed to me that it would be pretty easy to
build a feeder for my horses. I cut a 45
gallon Plastic barrel into two
halves. Then I built a wooden frame to
hold them in place. The picture shows
this wonderful creation in use by the two horses. It took them about 30 seconds to push all of
the hay out of the feeder and onto the ground.
Because the feeder was rounded and very smooth it was super easy for
them to just flip the hay out.
It wasn`t a total loss. I now use the feeder as a planter for
tomatoes.
Metal Round
Feeder:
There are many variations of this type of
feeder. It was the feeder that was used
at the boarding stable where we bought our first horse (Bob). They are primarily used with the large round
bales and accommodate 4-6 horses. As
long as you have the equipment to handle these large bales , they work quite
well. I did notice however that there is
quite a bit of waste as the the horses pull hay out of the feeder openings and
onto the ground. Also because of the
large bales and the weight of the feeder they stay in one place for quite some
time. This can result in the area
becoming very muddy and mucky.
Plastic Dome Feeder:
This was our second feeder. It is a four sided dome shaped plastic
structure that is large enough for a large round bale. There are two openings on each of the four
sides. It is delivered in two
halves. They can be bolted together to
form the dome or, each half can be used separately and mounted on the ends of a
run in or a barn. We have used them both
ways.
If you are using them with large round bales you
will need the equipment to handle the bales.
The feeder is supplied with a lifting loop on the top so the feeder can
be picked up and then lowered over the bale.
If the halves are used separately they work with
small square bales. Used in this way one
can alternate feeders and reduce the wear and tear on the grounds surrounding
the feeder. In either configuration
there is very little waste of hay.
We have had this feeder for 6 years and we have
noticed that the plastic is starting to break down as shown in the photos.
Bowl Feeder:
This feeder is the favourite of the horses. Given the option they will use this feeder
every time. It is easy to move around
which reduces wear and tear on one area of the paddock. If there is water or snow in the feeder it is
very easy to empty, if you are using
small bales. Because of the shape of the
bowl the horses can not easily flip the hay out and as a result there is very
little waste. We have had this feeder
for 2 years and it has proven to be very durable and certainly would be our first
choice in the future.
Corner Feeder:
The corner feeder is used in the run in barn. We simply installed a 20 inch high piece of
plywood across the corner at the back of the run in. We use it during inclement weather. It is really only usable with small bales. We installed
two, one in each corner of the shelter.
This works well for two horses and it could be adapted to accommodate
more.
Ground Feeding:
This is the simplest. No feeder at all. Some people use this consistently, and there
is nothing wrong with it. It allows for
maximum flexibility of location. I don`t
use it because it leads to a lot of waste.
It also allows the horses to pick up undesired things and critters off
the ground.
