You’ve tried everything. You’ve tried adding some molasses for a little flavoring, you got rid of all the moldy hay, and you’ve even pretended to eat the hay right in front of them. But your horse just won’t eat! 

This is a serious issue. Your horse needs to eat and relies on those essential nutrients – protein, vitamins, and minerals – within the forage. Luckily, there are a few things you can do that we’ve had success with in the past. 

Here are some helpful tips to get your horse to feed again: 

First, try to identify why your horse isn’t eating

This could be tricky, but take a step back and really think about what and how you’re feeding your horse. Maybe the hay is stale or too salty, which could cause a horse to stop eating. Or maybe you’ve been putting new medications like Bute into the feed. Your horse might want to avoid eating if that’s the case. 

There are a variety of reasons why your horse won’t eat. But if you can, determining the root cause of the issue, rather than just trying to force them to eat, is a great way to start. 

Utilize quality square or round bale feeders 

If you’re using lesser quality hay feeders, there could be some serious issues that arise. An effective round bale feeder will allow your horse to eat freely, at their own pace. Other hay feeders, however, can lead to overeating, bloating, vomiting, and other problems – all of which could subsequently lead to your horse wanting to avoid eating again. 

Look at your horse’s teeth

Dental issues can affect your horse’s ability to eat. Certain problems could cause hooks, waves, and other malformations that inhibit chewing. Additionally, broken or infected teeth can be so painful, your horse won’t want to chew anything. Warning signs of serious dental issues, in addition to loss of appetite, include aggressive behavior, introverted gaze, and self-mutilation. Keep an eye out for these signs and have a vet take a look at your horse’s teeth if you think that’s the issue. 

Beware of any changes to your horse’s environment 

Your horse might avoid eating if they are stressed, nervous, or anxious. Think about any major changes or circumstances that have happened recently. The loss of a stablemate, major weather changes, or the addition of a new stablemate could all cause some stressful problems and result in a lack of eating. 

You’re doing everything you can to help your horse get back to eating healthy. Sometimes, just slowing down and thinking about the problem can help you find a solution. If you need quality round or square bale feeders, give us a call today! 

Hay waste might seem like a minor inconvenience. Just a messy area, right?

Wrong.

Hay waste is actually a serious issue and can lead to multiple costly, stressful, and even unhealthy issues for your horses.

If you’re not equipped with quality horse hay feeders, you’re going to end up wasting a significant amount of hay. A little extra hay on the ground during a single feeding period isn’t that big of a deal, sure. But after a few days, weeks, and months – all that extra hay wasted up certainly is a big deal.

Conventional hay feeders or ring bales are not properly equipped to hold hay, leading to the hay being shifted outside the feeder or blown around. With the “Hay Saver” Hay Feeder, the folding grills keep the hay in place to prevent waste.

Hay Waste: The Problems

Wasting money – One of the most cost-efficient things you can do as a horse owner is to utilize quality hay feeders for horses. Keeping more hay confined within a feeder will end up saving you a significant amount of money. Decreasing the amount of wasted hay could more than pay the cost of the hay feeder itself.

Wasting health – If you’re constantly wasting hay, you’re actually running the risk of harming your livestock. With a quality feeder, your horse will be able to eat freely, as opposed to the stresses that come from slow, traditional hay feeders. The stress, however, can cause overeating and subsequent choking, bloating, and vomiting. Also, the “Hay Saver” Hay Feeder’s folding grills also prevent horses from burying their heads into the hay bale, which causes serious breathing problems due to inhaling too much hay dust.

Wasting time – The amount of time and work it takes to haul the hay, stack it, store it, and deliver it to the horses is a lot compared to using a quality round bale feeder. Plus, the cleanup around a feeder with folding grills is much easier. With old, chaotic feeders, you could be out there cleaning up wasted hay for hours.

Using the Hay Saver Hay Feeder is over 93% efficient at containing hay. Put an end to hay waste today! Check out our hay savings comparison chart and give us a call today to learn more about the benefits of our hay feeders for horses!