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The Hay Pillow Blog

Enhancing Equine Health

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7 Slow Feed Do’s and Don’ts for Horses

7/14/2022

2 Comments

 
By Monique Warren
Last Updated July 14, 2022. Originally published November 15, 2017.

Following are 7 helpful tips and realistic expectations to consider when using any brand of slow feeder or small mesh hay net. This is valuable information whether you currently use slow feeders or are debating to try them!
Two horses eating together from Hay Pillow slow feeders on the ground

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Horse Slow Feeder Safety Tips

5/5/2022

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By Monique Warren
​

​Slow feeders and slow feed hay nets offer numerous benefits for our beloved horses, donkeys, mules and their barnyard buddies. As with any device, there are potential risks (including, but not limited to, damage to teeth, gums and lips and entanglement). The vast majority of incidents are preventable. Read on to learn general safety measures to follow when choosing and using your slow feeders.  
horse teeth damaged from slow feeder
Photo courtesy of McKinlay & Peters Equine Hospital

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Slow Feeding – Tips & Techniques

8/12/2021

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By Monique Warren

​Many of us make the switch to slow feeding with good intentions – whether it's to introduce the benefits of trickle feeding, minimize hay waste, or to manage weight. Whether your companions are new to slow feeding or you want to introduce smaller mesh sizes, we have tips and techniques to ease the transition.
​
Horse and pony eating from slow feed hay bag filled with grass hay

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9 Benefits of Slow Feeding Horses - Get Slow Feed Savvy

8/30/2018

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By Monique Warren
Last Updated December 30, 2019. Originally published June 15, 2016.


Slow feeding requires the horse to eat smaller amounts over a longer period of time. This concept simulates natural free-choice foraging - and provides a host of benefits you might not be aware of.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are meals consumed by humans but are not natural for a horse. Equines are grazing herbivores with a digestive system designed for - and benefiting from - constant uptake.

If your equine does not have forage available 24/7 - and is fed traditional "meals" -  consider implementing a slow-feeding program to keep them nibbling longer. Read on to learn about slow feeder options and the nine ways your horse can benefit from a slow-feed program.


5 miniature horses eating from 4 ground slow feed hay bags

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How I Chose the Best Slow Feeder for My Horse

4/3/2018

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By Monique Warren

My quest to offer slow fed free choice forage began in 2008 because I had an insulin-resistant mare, Lily, that I was determined to keep happy and healthy. While researching and learning the importance of slow feeding, and eating from ground level, I could not find a slow feeder to purchase that was 1) safe, and 2) slowed down my horse’s consumption rate enough. In addition, ease of “loading” and the weight of the feeder became key challenges. And so began my 4 year experimental journey of creating a slow feeder that met my needs.

During that time I bought, designed, built and prototyped a variety of slow feeders and slow feed hay bags for my and Lily's use. Following are the pros and cons I discovered while experimenting with my own version of each slow feeder type: hard-sided, webbing mesh, and netting.
horse slow feeder options - hard-sided, webbing, netting

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Are You a Prisoner of Feeding? Here's How I Broke Free

2/26/2018

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By Monique Warren

Are your activities scheduled around - and limited by - your feeding schedule? Are you feeding multiple times throughout the day and night? If so, consider yourself a prisoner of feeding (POF)! 

Is there a way to free yourself? Absolutely! You will be happier and your herd will love you for it. More relaxed herd = more relaxed guardians and vice versa. 

For most of us, we become a POF because we don't want our beloved equines to be overweight or without forage for an extended period of time. And so the multiple feedings begin! I too was a POF: getting up early to feed in the morning, making sure I was home to feed lunch, and feeding late in the evening hours (horses only sleep 3-4 hours throughout a 24 hour period). 
​
Stress associated with feeding horses numerous times a day

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Weigh Hay Rations? No Way! What You Need To Know...

9/29/2016

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By Monique Warren

The vicious cycle of meal fed, hungry hoovers can be remedied. We feed meals due to convenience or concerns about a horse's weight - and rightfully so. Obesity promotes inflammation and a host of other health challenges. However, meals restrict access to forage, which presents its own adverse effects - both mentally and physically. In this post, we'll discuss alternative approaches to feeding that can lead to happier, healthier horses and less stress at feeding time.
Weighing hay rations for horses

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Slow Feed Tip - Feed Grass Hays & Alfalfa Separately

9/29/2016

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By Monique Warren

​Take advantage of the least palatable varieties of forage to naturally slow consumption rate by feeding them seperately. Immature cuttings of cool season grasses and alfalfa are very palatable and highly digestible (more concentrated source of calories per pound). For most horses, donkeys, goats and other barnyard buddies if you blend palatable and less palatable varieties it will result in the same enthusiasm and rate of consumption.
Three horses eating grass hay from Hay Pillow ground slow feeders.

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Slow Feed Q&A: What's the Best Approach for Fast Eaters?

3/15/2016

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By Monique Warren

If your horse attacks their hay or herd mates for food, this is not "normal". They may be Insulin Resistant - a voracious appetite is one of the many signs of IR. Or they are stressed due to waiting for and receiving meals - instead of always having forage available.
​
If your current "slow feeder" is not slow enough, it will take time and experimentation to supply your equine with a limited amount of hay AND have it available 24/7.
Horses fighting over food - food aggression
Hierarchy will always exist in a herd, the majority of aggressive behavior is associated with food aggression. If free choice forage is available, the intensity of dominant combative behavior typically subsides.

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    Hay Pillow Slow Feeder Inventor, Monique Warren.

    Monique
    Warren

    Monique Warren invented the Hay Pillow® slow feeder and is the owner of Hay Pillow Inc.
    ​
    Warren has been an equine guardian for over forty years and slow-feed advocate for over 10 years. She contributes articles on equine nutrition and digestive  health to publications such as Equine Wellness Magazine, The Naturally Healthy Horse, The Journal,  Natural Horse Magazine, Nicker News, Horse Back Magazine, The Horse's Hoof, and  Miniature Horse World Magazine. Equine nutrition and horses feet are her passions. She resides in Southern California.

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  • Home
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