Hay Feeding Systems
Written by Jennifer O’Boyle
What hay feeding systems are there?
There
are many types of hay feeding systems, and several schools of thought as to
which is the  most effective, healthful system for the
horse. Many people prefer to use a
hay rack or hay net for stall feeding.
They believe that keeping the hay off the ground is more sanitary,
because it keeps the hay away from the dust and waste found on the stall
floor. However, caution must be used
when installing hay racks or hay nets. They should be place with the bottom
at wither height. If they are too
low, the horse can become tangled in them, or possibly get a hoof or leg
caught. If they are hung too high,
then the dust and chaff from the hay can get into the horse’s eyes and
nose.
What feeding system does Penn
State use?
Both
the old and new horse barns were designed without hay racks in any of the
stalls. Hay is placed on the ground,
in a clean corner of the stall. The
old barn’s run-in shed is equipped with mangers. Dr. Edward
Jedrzejewski, unit manager at the horse barns, was quoted as saying, “I
prefer to feed hay on the ground, as I feel it is healthier for the horses,
because they don’t have all the dust and hay chaff falling down on their
heads. Also, it lets them eat in a more natural position.” In the picture below, hay would be placed
in the corner of the stall opposite the waterer.
Penn
State has a different
type of hay feeding system for when the horses are turned out on
pasture. In the large pastures, they
utilize manger-type, covered hay feeders.
These feeders can hold 10-12 open bales at a time. They are re-filled as needed so that
horses have hay available at all times but old hay doesn’t accumulate and
spoil. In the smaller, individual
pastures, there is a single hay feeder and in the larger pastures that hold
between 10 and 20 horses several feeders are available and spread out to
decrease competition between individuals.
In the grass plots where Penn
State’s free-running
pony herd is kept, hay is fed on the ground.
How could Penn
State’s feeding system
be improved?
One
possible improvement that might be made to Penn
State’s stall feeding
system would be to place concrete aprons in the corner of each stall, in
order to help keep the hay free of waste material and stall bedding. Another possible feeding system would be
the installation of mangers into each stall.
Mangers, approximately three feet tall, made of solid wood, could
provide a happy medium between hay racks and ground feeding. The hay is off the ground, protected from
contact with waste materials and stall bedding, while still being lower to
the ground, allowing the horses to maintain a more natural posture when
eating.
References
Wheeler, Eileen. Horse Stall Design. Published
by The Pennsylvania
State University,
2002.
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