Power to the Mini-Donkey!

This is a really cute mini donkey commercial!


You just can't underestimate these little guys!

Rainy Day Activities: Preventing Stall and Paddock Boredom

I often feel guilty this time of year as I watch Comet and Lucky standing idly in their stall and gravel paddock. Unfortunately, the ground here in Western Washington gets too wet in the winter for grazing. Allowing them to go out on the pasture would just create mud, cause compaction and stunt and/or kill the grass I am working so hard to cultivate. So in these rainy winter months they are confined to their stall and gravel paddock. A few months ago, I came across a picture of a slow hay feeder. More research led me to an article that explained that by slowing down the rate at which your horses eat their daily hay, you can keep them from getting board. Slowing down their hay consumption also better simulates natural grazing, which is good for their digestive systems. The basic concept is that you use a hay bag or net with very small holes that only allows the horse to remove a small amount of hay at a time. After reading reviews of different products on the Paddock Paradise website I purchased an inexpensive ($10) 4 cm small hole hay net from Millers and a heavy duty NibbleNet with 1.5" holes ($55). I have been using them for about 2 months now. They both work great. When I feed Comet and Lucky their morning hay in a manger they usually have it mostly finished off in about 2 hours, then they hang out for another 8-10 hours until I feed them again. When I use the small hole hay net or hay bag the same amount of hay lasts them 5-7 hours. This means they spend much of their day gradually munching hay. I think they like it because it gives them something productive to do. They are grazing, rather then just standing around. They still get the same amount of food, it just lasts them longer.

I would highly recommend these products to anyone with a horse that is confined in a manner that does not allow for grazing. Just be sure to hang these low to the ground so your horse isn't breathing in dust from the hay. Feeding horse from hay feeders that are more than a few feet off the ground causes respiratory problems! Because the holes in these slow feeding nets/bags are small the risk of getting a foot stuck in the net is not the same as it is with a traditional, large holed hay net. (Note:Large holed hay nets should not be tied low because an animal can get a foot stuck, resulting in major injury.)

In terms of being easy to use on a daily basis, I prefer the 1.5" Nibble Net. I bought some hardware and mounted it in the stall. It is easy to refill. I just open the top that is secured with a metal clip, insert hay, and re clip the top closed. The hay net has to be taken down to be filled and then tied back in place. This makes it more labor intensive to use. In terms of keeping the horse busy, both products work equally well.

Eating out of a small holed hay net or bag still isn't as exciting a grazing, but at least Comet and Lucky have something to do to keep busy on rainy winter days. Just like kids, Horses need rainy day activities to keep them from getting into mischief.