# Ideas for slow feeders



## KanoasDestiny (Sep 13, 2012)

I thought it might be a good idea if we could all share our slow-feeder ideas. Has anyone found or created something that really works well for you? If so, I would love to see and hear about it. It has taken me several years and many failed attempts to finally find something that works great for Zoey and Gideon. We call Gideon "Hoover" because I swear he inhales his food, then tries to push Zoey out of the way to eat her's. They are fed three times a day, and until recently, their hay and grain would literally last them 15 minutes at each feeding. This led to boredom, and a whole lot of wood-destruction.

Our first attempt at a feeder was a pretty "cheap" one. The problem was that the holes were too small and there would be a lot of hay left that the horses couldn't get to...







We corrected that problem with using soft chicken wire instead, which of course didn't last very long once Gideon realized that he could break the wire with his teeth...






We bought a hay feeder and added larger wire to it. It did work with slowing them down, but only by a half an hour or so once they got the hang of it. Gideon actually bent one of the front bars over. I think this idea would have worked a lot better if we had put the wire on the outside of the bars - that way the hay would have to fall into place and Gideon wouldn't have been able to shove the bar over as easily...






I ended up buying two Busy Snackers, which took the horses about an hour to eat the hay inside. My problem was that Gideon learned how to pin the bag against a wall where he could grab chunks of hay at a time. I tried them outside on the fence, but then it was subjected to the wind and rain...






I decided to put the Busy Snacker around my hay feeder, with a chicken wire bottom. This idea worked a little too well because the holes were small and the net wouldn't bend, so Zoey and Gideon couldn't get to the hay at all...






So I replaced the net with chicken wire thinking that it would bend a bit easier but still hold firm. But sadly, it also didn't work for the same reasons that the net didn't - the horses couldn't maneuver the hay enough to get any...






Finally, all out of ideas, I let my husband design and build something. The man is a genius! His feeder has been going strong for the past week and a half. It slows the horses down to several hours, depending on how much hay we give them. The amount we usually fed freely that lasted them 15 minutes now lasts them close to two hours. It is nothing more then a wooden box wrapped in small wire, with a wire shelf from Home Depot inside that fits over the hay...











For the first couple of years after I got the horses, I was able to use a regular plastic tub from a grocery store as their water bucket...






But after Gideon learned how to break them apart, I had to get a huge water trough. I hated that thing! It got slimy easily, and was so tall that I had a hard time bending down into it to scrub it. Not to mention, the horses couldn't reach down into it more then half way, so there was a lot of wasted water...






So again, my husband created a solution for me - another wooden box wrapped in wire, that goes on the outside of the original plastic tubs I used to love. The horses can drink all of the water, and not damage the plastic. Not to mention, the box must work as insulation because the buckets haven't froze over since we started using it...


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## muffntuf (Sep 13, 2012)

That is close to what I did. I used plastic tubing (very small so very sturdy) as a lid with a wood frame which inserted into a wooden box. They have to push the frame down to get their hay. Slowed the ponies way down, a couple hours for them to get their flake gone.


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## disneyhorse (Sep 13, 2012)

Just be very careful with homemade things, particularly when made with wire. I cannot TELL you how many eye injuries (ranging up to $3000 vet bills) I've had from various wire.... No wire should ever be around horses, from chicken wire to chain link.


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## bunni1900 (Sep 16, 2012)

I get mine from Jeffersequine and LOVE THEM!


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