# slow hay feeders



## circlesinthesand (Jun 5, 2012)

does anyone use them? which kind do you like best? box, bag or net? and what size should the openings be? I'd like to use one for my new little mare (who I've decided to name Daisy, because she's bright and shiny and happy looking like daisies are with her 'white trim' and golden color in the 'center') but I worry about the ones designed for big horses not being small enough for little noses and little feet.

Daisy really needs to loose some weight but I don't want to give her ulcers in the process either....


----------



## maggiemae (Jun 5, 2012)

I use the small mesh hay net from Dover Saddlery. At first I put quite a bit of hay on the ground along with the hanging hay net so that it is easily accessed by the little noses. Then I gradually put less and less on the ground and more and more in the net. It will help with the frustration that they go thru while learning to use lips instead of teeth. My horses are not shod. They learn pretty quick and then it becomes more and more of a challenge to slow them down enough to keep their weight at a healthy level.


----------



## Flying minis (Jun 5, 2012)

I have Busy Snackers and LOVE THEM!

They are at www.busyhorse.com


----------



## LAminiatures (Jun 5, 2012)

I agree with Flying minis. Busy snackers are great.


----------



## JMS Miniatures (Jun 5, 2012)

I use a small slow feed hay net that jeffers sells at shows and been very happy with them.

http://www.jeffersequine.com/slow-feed-haynet/camid/EQU/cp/0040519/cn/25593/


----------



## Grace67 (Jun 5, 2012)

Have a question about the nets vs. the feed bags. I have the nibble net bags for my big horse and I clip the bag to the stall wall or fence so that it doesn't swing around and so I can keep it high enough that he doesn't get a hoof in it even though he's barefoot. Do you hang the nets from the wall, ceiling, what? How far off the ground for the minis? I like the small size of the hole openings on those nets from Jeffers as well as the ones that Shires sells but I'm wondering how and where to secure it so I don't come home to a destroyed net or a mini stuck in it.....thanks!


----------



## Margo_C-T (Jun 5, 2012)

I have several Busy Snackers and like them; however, one has been damaged and may soon not be usable at all, due to an 'aggressive' eater. Also, the 'Snacker' really won't hold QUITE enough hay for the 'overnight' feeding for this horse, so I am looking at one of the 'Nibblenets', the 'Small and Smaller', I think it's called, which is an 'all-web' bag, with one side having 1 1/2" square openings and the other side, even smaller 1 1/4" openings. It is NOT recommended to try the smaller openings for a horse who has never used a slow feeder before, but it can be a good choice for a horse who has learned how to 'eat too fast' even from one w/ the 1 1/2" openings!

How long do the slow feeding net bags last? I've wondered if my aggressive eaters might 'chew them up' pretty quickly...?!!

Edited to add: I also worry about how high to hang a 'net' slow feeding bag. A lowered head position is best, but since net is much more 'flexible' than web, I have some concerns about even an adult mini pawing and getting a hoof stuck if the bag is hung 'low'.

Also..early on after I began using the Busy Snacker,I came home from the grocery store one day to find the Snacker on the ground outside in the run, along w/ the entire, heavy, 8'long full dimension 2 X 8

it had been hung off of inside the stall! The 'Snacker' has only one D ring in the center of each side of the top opening; I can only guess that the horse somehow got his foot into the opening and jerked the whole thing off the wall!! Since then, I use strong clamps on each side of the center D's(which I snap a double-end snap into to hang the bag, so as to not leave an 'opening' large enough for a hoof!

Margo


----------



## Marsha Cassada (Jun 5, 2012)

I got my hay net from CinchChix. They come in different sizes. My horses love it. It holds a large flake. I hang it on the fence made of cattle panel and both horses can access it. I hang mine just off the ground and they nibble on it where ever they please, high or low. It has a clip at the bottom and the top. I believe you can just lay them on the ground.

I also have a canvas hay bag, but the net saves hay better and takes them longer to nibble. The horse can pull all the hay out of the canvas bag and waste it, thinking there is a morsel at the bottom.

I've never had a problem with any horse with the net or bag, but they are only confined at night, so they don't get into too much mischief during those hours.


----------



## circlesinthesand (Jun 5, 2012)

I can hang it just about any way that will work. My stalls are big horse stalls in an old barn with fairly low ceiling (but still tall enough for a draft) with exposed ceiling beams so I can hang as high as the ceiling if I want to pull out the mounting block. Though I doubt I'd need to go that high for these guys. The front and side walls are like tightly spaced a plank fence, they're not closed up tight like you see many solid wall stalls. The outside wall is solid but the rest is not. Poor ponies would roast in stalls like that down here. It's designed for maximum air flow without letting the rain in, or being a danger to the horse. So basically it's closely spaced boards (the mini's can't get their nose through it but I can put my flat hand and some rope through it) from floor to ceiling that I can choose any height to tie and attach a hay net or bag. I've been checking out the suggestions! thanks!

I really don't think she'll have a problem with small spacing, she's a greedy little thing, I'm using a hay bag with a net in the hole, but it's rather big for all the mini's I'd say about a 3 inch spacing or so. It was to slightly slow down my big ulcer prone gelding. It worked great for him but it is probably not slow enough for her. She rips through it pretty quickly. She's also probably considered an aggressive eater.


----------



## targetsmom (Jun 5, 2012)

I love the Busy Snackers too but also used a Nible Net, which is much bigger. I would hang the Snacker lower and sometimes so horses could each from both sides of the fence. I you do a Google search you may find a nice comparison of the brands and types. And if you search on this forum you will also find a lot more information.

Do NOT confuse slow feeders with regular hay nets that they can easily get their feet caught in.


----------



## Cupcake (Jun 5, 2012)

I habe nibblenets for both my large paint and my mini. Hers lasts long enough to where i only fill it ever 1.5-2 days, his lasts 12 hrs, so one fill AM and one PM. He's a hard keeper and hay is too expensive here in Texas to let any of it go to waste. She's a messy eater and likes to get to the bottom of her food, so she throws the rest all over the place, it gets mixed with bedding and she wont touch it then. With the nibblenets I have zero waste, they're very durable, fasten securely and have so many sizes and opening sizes that there's one for any horse. Price is on the high end but I would have paid way more in wasted hay had I not gotten them.


----------



## JMS Miniatures (Jun 5, 2012)

I had a nibble net and just hanged it on the gate and 3 minis shared it, the hay lasted a lil longer but I'm sure better results if only 1 was using it. I had a bunch of waste from it tho that would just full out. With the jeffers nets I haven't had an issue with that. I just hang it on the stall wall and I've kept it low to where I've had no issues but I personally like it up a lil bit higher tho.

MHO wouldn't waste my money on the nibble net.


----------



## Reignmaker Miniatures (Jun 5, 2012)

I have made my own nets from hockey goal netting and found they worked well but I have since found a supplier for marine netting that has 1.75" holes and I prefer that. The netting I use (and the hockey net for that matter) will not stretch enough to allow a hoof thro and slows hay consumption dramatically. I have noticed a dramatic change in my horses both physically, - they have dropped weight and are more energetic- and emotionally - they are notably calmer about feeding time, don't fight over feed any more and do not chew my fences either. I hang my nets at ground level (the bottom sits on the ground) and use a rope run thro the netting at the top pulled tight and tied to close it and tie it close against a post or tree. Tied closed it is safe for them even if I just toss it in the pen with them but I prefer not to have to search the entire pen for the empty nets. I have had great success with the nets and safe about 30% of the hay I was feeding that no longer gets tromped into the ground, I know exactly how much my horses are being fed (I weigh the nets every time they are filled) and can adjust portions for fat or thin horses with out trouble. Works for me and several others I have made nets for.


----------



## Cupcake (Jun 7, 2012)

When researching the "Jeffers" one I ran across this: http://www.jefferspet.com/product.asp?pn=RI-S5&source=pjn&subid=3663

Is this it? Looks exactly like the nibblenet at a much lower cost. Does anyone own this and how happy are you with it?

While I do love the nibblenet I'm not impressed by the (lack of) customer service. Have yet to receive a reply to several emails I sent with questions before my purchase. I also offered them to promote the net where it would have been seen by 2.3 million people internationally. Never heard back. My smaller net is holding up great after almost a year of use and abuse. The xl one I bought in march and there are rips in the sides of the bag of the black material exposing the white thread like material underneath even though it's hung in the stable on the wall ever since I got it so these sides don't get rubbed against anything. I will try to contact them by phone to see if this is a manufacturers issue.


----------



## Kaitlyn (Jun 7, 2012)

Has anyone tried this feeder? I really like how it is designed to be fed on the floor, but I am worried that it would become quickly destroyed by being stepped on, especially because it uses a zipper closure. They do offer a hanging option as well, but I do not like the mounting system they use, as I feel it would be possible to catch a hoof in.


----------



## sedeh (Jun 7, 2012)

I have used the busy snackers for a few years now. They've been pretty indestructable for me. However I don't know if they slow their feeding down as much as some of the others. My guys learn pretty quickly how to eat from them. I still like them better than just loose feeding and they're great at the shows.


----------



## chandab (Jun 7, 2012)

Kaitlyn said:


> Has anyone tried this feeder? I really like how it is designed to be fed on the floor, but I am worried that it would become quickly destroyed by being stepped on, especially because it uses a zipper closure. They do offer a hanging option as well, but I do not like the mounting system they use, as I feel it would be possible to catch a hoof in.


I'm field testing them right now, love them. I did have to hang the pillow as two of my two girls were damaging the mesh (regular size is a bit too big, so they can stand on them and really work them over), but hanging they do great. The zipper is holding up very well; every now and then the teeth get out of alignment, but you can push them back in and ready to go. The designer is working on mini-size, will let you know how they work.


----------



## My2Minis (Jun 7, 2012)

How do you safely secure your busy snacker from the bottom? I have a bigger Busy Horse one I just secured fom the top and it swings around too much.


----------



## Ann knight (Jun 7, 2012)

I love the nets I got from www.purelyponies.com . It is call Slow feed pony hay net was $45.00 + shipping and hold a square bale of hay . My guys love it , in fact they give up treats when a new bale arrives!

It holds a square bale . The netting is smaller than traditional nets . They're great !

ann


----------



## Flying minis (Jun 7, 2012)

My2Minis said:


> How do you safely secure your busy snacker from the bottom? I have a bigger Busy Horse one I just secured fom the top and it swings around too much.


I don't. . .so I'm no help! Mine are attached by clip to a wall, so they don't really swing that much. I really like mine though, and it slows down my horses quite a bit - especially as the hay amount goes down and it gets harder to pull out (when they are really full, the horses can still eat fairly quickly from them).


----------



## rubyviewminis (Jun 7, 2012)

We started with Busy Snackers for big horses and minis in 2010 and they are still in very good shape. I also tried the Freedom Nets which are my favorite. I started with the 1.5" holes and now just got the new 1" hole, the 1.5" is now 1" and the new 1" will go to 1/2" which is what I want. We never had to teach any of them to use them, in fact they still empty them too fast which is why I want smaller holes. These nets never waste hay, are very durable, washable, have been to heck and back and still look almost new. I have some very rough horses and they don't show wear. I use my own carebiner's to close them, and double end snaps to hang and attach. In these pictures we bought cattle mineral feeder's and my husband put those O ring bolts in them near the bottom with a cap nut (?) outside for safety. I snap in the nets and nothing is wasted, no pawing, no dirt, and a natural eating position. I carry these little barrels all over the place. We also have tie rings in all the shelters and stalls and use those too to snap nets to. The new 1" nets for minis/trailer's are bigger and hold a lot of hay. We also used to snap them to the fence until the electric wire went up. We never have problems with spinning nets, or frustrated horses. Two are absolute glutens and aggressive eaters, this has solved a lot of problems and keeps them all busy all day. I prefer these to the Busy Snackers. Hay in the dirt in the first pic was my husbands fault, he doesn't know how to hook nets completely closed!










I would also like to add that the Freedom Net customer service is the best! She will work with you and help you any way she can. We also can easily weigh our nets and know exactly how much they are eating.


----------



## Shari (Jun 8, 2012)

Dyfra will chew through a hay net quick. And we need slow feeders here.

So I bought a few of theses and they work great. Like the 1.75 hole best for the Icelandic's. They are holding up well so far. Also have a 1.5 for the sheep, Maggie and goats, perfect size for them.

http://www.busyhorse.com/

Dyfra used to eat her hay and everyone else's in about a half hour... now it takes 4 hours and the others get their share too. Never seen a horse eat so fast... she is a vacuum!


----------

