Takin' it Slow

In my last few posts I have talked about both keeping my horses busy and keeping them full of hay to stay warm.  Well, here I am going to do both.  I decided to make "slow feeders".  A slow feeder is just a device to slow down the intake of feed.  These are commercially available but I decided to make my own for half the price.  

In this case I made a bag with small holes that makes it more difficult get a mouthful of  hay.  They still get the same amount but it takes them twice as long to eat it.

I started with 2 inch nylon webbing and cut them into strips of 18 and 22 inches.  I chose these measurements because they are approximately the dimensions of a flake of hay.

I pinned them together in this grid pattern and sewed where the pieces overlapped. 

I sewed each section in a box pattern then across the middle in an X because these areas are going to take a lot of abuse.

I cut pieces for the back, sides and bottom out of duck canvas.  (Again, I chose the canvas because it will take a lot of abuse.)  I cut the sides and bottom to be 6 inches wide (not including seam allowances) so I could fit more than one flake in the bag.

Sewed them together...

then added the nylon webbing and some handles.

I was able to get 2 1/2 flakes in each bag.

I hung them from an eye screw with a double ended snap to the inside of the dutch door to each stall.  That way I could use them at night as well.

Happy Horses!

Boys and Their Toys

This winter has been extremely warm for this part of the country and my horses are bored!  Normally, I let them have run of the pasture after it has snowed enough where they won't damage it, but we have had almost no snow this year.  As a result, they have been locked in their paddock and are starting to get on each others nerves.

I try to stem their boredom by giving them activities to keep them occupied throughout the day.  I spread out their hay so it is more like grazing and it takes them longer to eat.  I also made them some toys...

I started by buying some 5 gallon pails with lids at Lowes.  I cut large holes (about 2"X2") on either side of the buckets, filled them with treats or dengie and put the lid on.

 It took them a little while to figure out how to get the treats out, but now they are experts.

The buckets can take a lot of abuse, but they do need to be replaced on occasion.  Each time I give them a new bucket I make the hole smaller to keep them busy longer.  They are now down to just one hole, 1"X1" (just big enough to get a treat out).

Whatever it takes to keep the boys happy!