# What I can expect from the boarding facility?



## Aprilswissmiss (May 12, 2019)

I don't think it's asking too much. I think there are more health risks associated with no forage for extended periods of time than there are health risks associated with eating off the ground. _However,_ at the end of the day, it's a disagreement of services, and both of you - as the provider of the services and the recipient of the services - have the option to agree or disagree to the terms. If you don't feel it's worth your $220, then so be it, you absolutely have the right to leave. You can't force them to do anything, it's their service they provide on their property in their barn, either you agree or disagree to the terms they set forward.

I would make it as easy as I can to say yes. "I will buy the extra hay, I will buy and install my own hay net, I will feed my horse so you don't have to." If they still say no, then it comes down to two things: either pack up and leave, or let them feed your horse the way they want to.

How early do the horses get out or get fed in the morning? If it's 8 am, and you're saying they don't have hay at 8 pm onward, then I wouldn't feel comfortable keeping my horse without any sort of forage for 12 hours. But that's just my opinion. My horse is out 24/7 and she loves it, and I love it too. She is sane (wouldn't be if she was stalled 12+ hours a day) and has 24/7 access to forage and friends.


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## Been There Dun That (Dec 23, 2015)

Aprilswissmiss said:


> I don't think it's asking too much. I think there are more health risks associated with no forage for extended periods of time than there are health risks associated with eating off the ground. _However,_ at the end of the day, it's a disagreement of services, and both of you - as the provider of the services and the recipient of the services - have the option to agree or disagree to the terms. If you don't feel it's worth your $220, then so be it, you absolutely have the right to leave. You can't force them to do anything, it's their service they provide on their property in their barn, either you agree or disagree to the terms they set forward.
> 
> I would make it as easy as I can to say yes. "I will buy the extra hay, I will buy and install my own hay net, I will feed my horse so you don't have to." If they still say no, then it comes down to two things: either pack up and leave, or let them feed your horse the way they want to.
> 
> How early do the horses get out or get fed in the morning? If it's 8 am, and you're saying they don't have hay at 8 pm onward, then I wouldn't feel comfortable keeping my horse without any sort of forage for 12 hours. But that's just my opinion. My horse is out 24/7 and she loves it, and I love it too. She is sane (wouldn't be if she was stalled 12+ hours a day) and has 24/7 access to forage and friends.


I offered to supply my own net, fill it myself, and provide my own hay, even write up a hold harmless agreement if he would get hurt from it, but it was all still a no. I believe they turn out around 6am and bring in around 4 or 5. They give him a flake then and I’m not super sure about later, but I’ve come to the barn around 7 and he’s had no hay. So I’d say he goes 8-10 hours without forage, if I’m not there to give it to him. 

Thanks for the advice, I’ll talk it over with my mom and horse friends and hopefully come to a conclusion that we’re all happy about.


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

If the barn objects to a net, would they agree to one of those plastic or rubber barrel-type slow feeders? Those are more expensive than a hay net, but the one-time cost might be worth it if you otherwise like the barn..


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## Been There Dun That (Dec 23, 2015)

phantomhorse13 said:


> If the barn objects to a net, would they agree to one of those plastic or rubber barrel-type slow feeders? Those are more expensive than a hay net, but the one-time cost might be worth it if you otherwise like the barn..


A good idea, however his stall is pretty small as it is and I wouldn’t want to take up any more room. The hay bag I have right now though is a nylon strap one which I feel would be much harder to get caught in. Also slightly confused with the situation as this was allowed before Benny destroyed the thing and it went out of commission for quite a bit.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I'll be the "bad guy"...
From the barns point of view..

You want to feed your horse from a slow-feed hay-net.
How many other horses are housed in the barn with yours?
My first gut punch is you are going to feed your horse and not the others kept in the barn with him?
Maybe your horse will be happy but the rest in the barn will not be listening to the munch, the tug, pull and thump of that hay-net for many hours of every night...
I think the barn has concern for other horses developing issues of stall kicking, pacing/walking in agitation and yup, ulcers since they hear but are not offered.
I totally get the barns side of saying no. Forget the risk of any dangers your horse is exposed to..Those dangers are unseen during the quiet of night when the place sleeps and is closed..
You can say that which you want, but by reputation if something were to occur the barn would be held responsible in the horse community.

I do have to ask *what kind of hours does your barn have* for boarders that it is fine with them you arrive between 8 - 10 PM to clean a stall, awakening many animals that were settling down for the nighttime hours they rest...
Any place I rough-boarded at or worked at stalls had to be cleaned by a particular time every single day, always it was during daylight.
The price you pay is incredible for a stall, hay & feed plus shavings...
Price I pay for a bale of hay, feed and bale/bagged shavings equal what you pay for board or I pay more every month...not one extra penny of profit to cover electric, water, maintenance..forget the land/business taxes.

_You have one sweet deal where you are..wow!!_
_If I could find a place where I live now that offers a stall and all the things you mention for so cheap a cost..._
_I would be sorely tempted to board my horse again. :neutral:_
:runninghorse2:...


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## Been There Dun That (Dec 23, 2015)

horselovinguy said:


> I'll be the "bad guy"...
> From the barns point of view..
> 
> You want to feed your horse from a slow-feed hay-net.
> ...


Good points... I am very thankful for the deal I have and always did feel bad for the other horses who wanted hay but never thought of them going as far as to injure themselves... if that were an issue that she had been thinking of it would have definitely helped to know that though. I do try to be considerate of the other horses by not turning all lights on and being quiet. My work schedule & school just doesn’t allow me to do his stall much earlier most days. 

The barn is in sections and there are 4 other horses besides him. She doesn’t feed hay since it is “natural/healthy” for them to take a break from eating for a total of about 8 hours a day... however I believe they are meant to take periodic breaks and not all at once, so if ulcers are a concern I believe they should all have at least a bit of hay overnight. She is okay with him having self provided hay overnight, so cost is part of the problem, I’d say more than jealous horses. The hay bag was to slow him down so he wouldn’t consume more hay but have it last longer, and I was planning to add some of my own hay for variety anyway. I have some more counter arguments but it’s too hard to put into words haha. I suppose I may have overreacted a bit... 🙂


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Been There Dun That said:


> A good idea, however his stall is pretty small as it is and I wouldn’t want to take up any more room. The hay bag I have right now though is a nylon strap one which I feel would be much harder to get caught in. Also slightly confused with the situation as this was allowed before Benny destroyed the thing and it went out of commission for quite a bit.



If they won't allow a hay net, I would look into something like a Porta-Grazer (or similar). Yes, the hay has to be loaded properly, but if you are willing to do it, at least he won't be without for 10 hours at night.


If he has room to eat hay off the ground, he's got room for a Porta-grazer!


I'm really anal about my horses having food in front of them at all times. It is so much better for their tummies and long term health. Sure, they might not be physically eating the whole time, but I like to at least give them the option.


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## Been There Dun That (Dec 23, 2015)

beau159 said:


> Been There Dun That said:
> 
> 
> > A good idea, however his stall is pretty small as it is and I wouldn’t want to take up any more room. The hay bag I have right now though is a nylon strap one which I feel would be much harder to get caught in. Also slightly confused with the situation as this was allowed before Benny destroyed the thing and it went out of commission for quite a bit.
> ...


Me too! If my horse doesn’t want to eat, that’s totally okay with me, but if he does want to eat and there’s no food in front of him I don’t like that. I’ll have to look into that, thanks.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

I like the idea behind the Porta Grazer. It seems pricey but if it stops even 1 colic or developing ulcers, it will have paid for itself in no time. I can't think why a BO wouldn't allow you to furnish and fill something like this for your horse. I detest hay nets, love the idea but find that my horses can destroy the toughest nets in a matter of hours. This Porta Grazer looks like even my most mischievous horse would eat from it with no problems.


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## Horsef (May 1, 2014)

What breed is your horse? I noticed that some breeds cope much better with being fed less often. The standard around here is twice a day for our local farm mutt “breed” and I’ve never heard of those horses having trouble with ulcers or colic. Likewise Arabs (but it’s a small sample around here) and Lipizzaners (a much larger sample). Horses which are prone to those ailments, Thoroughbreds and fancy sports horses coliced even when having free choice. So, if you have one of those types - yes, worry about it. If not - you have an amazing deal, maybe see how it goes without a hay net for a while or try one of those portable feeders even if the space is a bit small.

My yard feeds seven times a day but they are without food 10pm to 7am. The yard owner tried hay nets overnight but they all got very fat very quickly even with small holes so we collectively agreed that it wasn’t a good idea. The horses we have are just not designed to eat all the time since their ancestors were fed twice a day only for hundreds of years. The few OTTBs we have are given a hay net overnight. 

I don’t think that “always have food” is a hard truth for all horses. Just an example, Arabs are desert horses and were not even fed hay at all most of the time. They lived on dates and camel milk. The ones which couldn’t cope were weeded out naturally.


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

Horses typically graze for 18 out of 24 hours. That pretty much leaves six hours of non grazing and more than likely, if left on their own, that six hours is not all at once. To say that some horses weren't designed to eat often is ridiculous to me. What they weren't designed for is standing around in a 10x10 or 12x12 cubicle for 10 to 12 hours. That is 10 to 12 hours with lack of movement that they were designed to do and that is why some get too fat, but getting fat is not the only health issue from this. 

Personally, I don't even know how the B/O can afford to hard feed, hay, and do shavings for this price. It's like their time is free or at least a very small pittance for their work. I can see why they don't want you to give your horse extra hay. What I can't see is why they won't allow a net. Is your horse shod? If yes, that could be the reason. A shod horse can very easily get caught up in a net with the shoes. For now, I would just throw him extra of your own hay, at least that is another couple of hours that he is not going without forage. See if the porta grazer might work.


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## Horsef (May 1, 2014)

@LoriF horses as a species, yes, they graze all the time - in nature. When man interferes with breeding all sorts of strange things happen, like easy doers in this case. I am sure you’ve seen horses which can’t be left to graze as they please. Minis for sure, a lot of ponies... we even invented grazing muzzles because of it. Yes, it’s better for them to have some food all the time, but if it isn’t possi


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

Horsef said:


> @LoriF horses as a species, yes, they graze all the time - in nature. When man interferes with breeding all sorts of strange things happen, like easy doers in this case. I am sure you’ve seen horses which can’t be left to graze as they please. Minis for sure, a lot of ponies... we even invented grazing muzzles because of it. Yes, it’s better for them to have some food all the time, but if it isn’t possi


I somewhat disagree with this. Man certainly interferes with genetics to a point. But, they are easy keepers in the wild and always have been. They just didn't get obese until we started feeding them in a way that was convenient to us. They are easy keepers for a reason. Because their genetics always have been designed to travel far in rough conditions to search for food. They do find the food often but they have to travel far to find enough to sustain themselves. They also have a chance to slim down in the time when snow covers the ground and forage that can be found is not as nutritious. And, they also become laminitic at times in the wild as well even though they rarely founder. We did not make them this way. What we do is feed them in a way that their systems were not designed for.

I have easy keepers and they are out 24/7. They just are not out in rich, up to their knees pasture. I have to supplement with some hay and vitamins and minerals. I have one that I can feed pretty much anything that I want. Two of them grass only. No legumes of any kind including soy and no grain or they have issues. The one that I can feed anything to still does great on grass only with the vitamin/minerals.


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## Horsef (May 1, 2014)

LoriF said:


> I somewhat disagree with this. Man certainly interferes with genetics to a point. But, they are easy keepers in the wild and always have been. They just didn't get obese until we started feeding them in a way that was convenient to us. They are easy keepers for a reason. Because their genetics always have been designed to travel far in rough conditions to search for food. They do find the food often but they have to travel far to find enough to sustain themselves. They also have a chance to slim down in the time when snow covers the ground and forage that can be found is not as nutritious. And, they also become laminitic at times in the wild as well even though they rarely founder. We did not make them this way. What we do is feed them in a way that their systems were not designed for.
> 
> I have easy keepers and they are out 24/7. They just are not out in rich, up to their knees pasture. I have to supplement with some hay and vitamins and minerals. I have one that I can feed pretty much anything that I want. Two grass only, no legumes of any kind including soy and no grain or they have issues. The one that I can feed anything to still does great on grass only with the vitamin/minerals.


I think you misunderstood me. Yes, it’s better that they eat a little all the time and move all the time. Are there breeds and horses which can relatively easily cope with no food for 8 hours overnight? Yes. Of course, it would be best to have a horse out to graze on large swaths of lean land - but that just isn’t realistic in most cases. I can either have a horse which is confined to a box 10-20 hours a day (weather dependant) - or not have a horse at all. That’s what I meant. Our native breeds cope really well with being fed only twice a day. It is most certainly not the best way to keep a horse (and I would’t do it) but it is what it is and they cope. Some horses cannot cope with that at all. Just like our natives can’t cope with having food all the time and not moving enough.

(Sorry, my keyboard is playing up so I am making a lot of mistakes)


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

Horsef said:


> I think you misunderstood me. Yes, it’s better that they eat a little all the time and move all the time. Are there breeds and horses which can relatively easily cope with no food for 8 hours overnight? Yes. Of course, it would be best to have a horse out to graze on large swaths of lean land - but that just isn’t realistic in most cases. I can either have a horse which is confined to a box 10-20 hours a day (weather dependant) - or not have a horse at all. That’s what I meant. Our native breeds cope really well with being fed only twice a day. It is most certainly not the best way to keep a horse (and I would’t do it) but it is what it is and they cope. Some horses cannot cope with that at all. Just like our natives can’t cope with having food all the time and not moving enough.
> 
> (Sorry, my keyboard is playing up so I am making a lot of mistakes)


I wouldn't do it either. If my choice were to keep my horse stalled 20 hours a day or not at all, I would choose the latter. Especially as I have almost no time to ride. 

I think that is why the OP wanted to net her horses hay, so he can trickle feed. Eat less on a longer period of time. I really don't see any risk at all unless he is shod.

If I remember right, are your native breeds lipizzaners?


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## 282999 (Jan 6, 2020)

If your horse isn't shod, consider using a Hay Pillow. Of course it may get peed or pooped on if not anchored someway in the stall. But the horse can still eat from the ground and the hay will last longer. You could get two, pre pack them for the barn staff to use so all they have to do is grab the hay stuffed pillow and place it in the stall. I would recommend putting some loose hay in on top of the pillow to start for getting your horse acclimated to eating from it. 

Hay Pillow slow feed ground hay bags

As a long time horse barn manager I will say this: Most barns are managed more for time efficiency than budget efficiency. (Barns managed for budget efficiency feed the crappy hay, feed once a day, don't refill buckets for fresh water, don't repair broken boards in stalls, etc) When a boarder, no matter how well intended, jacks around with the daily schedule the barn staff is used to doing to getting all the horses taken care of, it's not exactly met with open arms (exceptions are medical emergencies, medical care or accommodating a new horse). Even if you say or put in a written contract that you will do all the extra work, what happens during those times when you can't for whatever reason. In other words, who is going to have to take the time to pull the extra slack out of the rope, so to speak. That would be the barn staff. And that is going to ruffle feathers. If you were paying $600/month in board that's one thing, but you are not. 

Think of if as putting your child in an inexpensive simple but legally certified daycare verses an expensive bespoke pediatrician supervised daycare. Which one is going to be more accommodating to what you think your child needs to be healthy and happy? Say you want your child to eat only organic food meals, which one is more than likely to say "absolutely yes" and the other, well, an emphatic "NO". 

When you board your horses, compromise is part of what you pay for, that's just the horsey life LOL.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

Is she absolutely refusing, or is she just making a strong case? I ask because my BO often makes strong cases about things, but then when I am clear that I don't want to do it that way, she's like "O....K....." in that tone of voice that lets me know she knows more about horses than I do, and whatever I'm wanting to do is going to hurt my horses. We also had a disagreement about a hay net. It was a slow feeder net, so there was no way even the pony could get his hooves into those tiny holes. 

I might ask her in a way that makes it really clear: "Are you absolutely forbidding me from providing MY OWN hay to my own horse at night?" Maybe at that point she would back down. And if not, then you would know it's time to start looking into other options.

Cheap boarding is great, but not at the expense of your horse's health.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

I missed my window for editing. I wanted to add that, like others have said, it makes a huge difference if your horse is shod or not.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

You could try the porta-grazer, OR try a hay net but put it up high enough, so no risk of it getting caught. I understand there are risks with hay nets, but I've always put mine high up enough. 

If the BO is upset about you giving your horse extra hay (even though it's not 'extra', it's NECESSARY, she should be providing this) then maybe she needs to up her prices & she needs to understand that horses need forage.

For example. My old BO was cheap, & didn't believe in horses needing forage 24/7. Yet charged over $450 for board. EXPENSIVE!
Plenty of horses there developed ulcers. She would put them on a 12 on, 12 off schedule. That's how my horse developed ulcers. :sad: I moved her to a new place, now she has forage 24/7 & is also outside 24/7. She hates stalls, but I know everyone is different. I prefer my horse to be out.

I am also paying less for board, & getting better care. So it really just depends.

It's basic care, period. I wouldn't feel comfortable if my horse had an empty stomach all night long. They need constant forage. It's not worth the risk of ulcers/colic. Trust me.

I'd move my horse if this continues, better to be safe than sorry. The price may seem great, but the care is not. Up to you, but 24/7 turnout & forage sounds like a better deal.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

I use hay nets in my stalls, but not the small hole ones. The slow feed nets did not work with the hay I have, and the horses got upset and frustrated with them. Some did not bother eating, some bit through the nets, banged on them and would have kicked them if possible.

They hated the small holes, and it caused more upset using them than being out of hay for a while. 

Different horses act different ways. My mare Sassy is a slow and careful eater; she takes her time and savors every bite. She always has. What stresses her is not getting her food first, so she always is fed a few minutes before the others. I had a boarder for a while that did not follow this rule, and Sassy was very stressed and unhappy. 


My RMHA gelding eats his hay at a consistent pace, and doesn't stop until it is gone. Then he tries to figure out how to get at the other horse's hay. But he doesn't stress it. 

New Horse Lacy loves hay, and eats it even when out on the grass. She starts at the top and works her way through it. 

I only use the hay nets because when feeding on the ground in the stall there was a lot of waste because they wanted to pick through to the "good stuff" first. Some got trampled underneath. Stalls stay much cleaner with the nets, and I can set them up ahead of time to make feeding time quick and efficient. 

I have timed it, and if I feed at 8-9pm (after work) they are totally content at 5-6 am to get their breakfast and go outside. So about 8 +/- hours and their hay is most likely gone in 2-3 hours (depending on the horse - Sassy sometimes doesn't finish her hay) 


If they are in 12 hours, they are anxious and obviously uncomfortable. So I let them out as early as possible. 


I have cameras up on my property, and when they have free choice to their stalls (most of the year) they tend to go in for a nap about midnight to 4-5 am. So I think that may be a natural sleep time anyway. 

Outside, I put the hay on the ground. They do fine with that. 


If your horse is not acting obviously stressed, I would not worry about it too much.


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## Been There Dun That (Dec 23, 2015)

Thanks for everyone’s input! 
He is not shod, which is why I wasn’t worried about getting caught, especially since it is a nylon strap bag which I feel would be harder to get caught on. For now I think I will stay and provide my own hay without a net overnight. 
If I come across a self care place that seems like a better situation I’ll definitely consider that though. I’d love to just rent a pasture where I do everything and no one touches my horse LOL. 
As far as the cost, it is a very good deal and for those wondering, they do purchase everything in bulk and spend very little on help, which is what lets them charge so little. They also do not provide insurance which is a big money saver for them too. The farm I was at previously charged $400 for base, and grain, a stall, and required lessons were all extra, but we were covered in their insurance. Came out to about $650 and it was just too much for the small paddock he was in anyway, and for me not wanting lessons from them. 
In my opinion, I would much rather spend a bit more (within reason & budget) for him to be fed throughout the night than accept the good price for what I believe is subpar care; my horse has very little say in his life & care so it is my responsibility to make sure that he is cared for and happy to the best of my ability.
I’m not sure of his breed, but he’s a large pony that looks most quarter horse-ish. He is pretty hardy and doesn’t act super stressed out without food, but does get very excited for hay and exhibits behavior that makes me suspect ulcers. (Sensitive to his belly being groomed, occasional kicking at his stomach when there are no flies, always nervous and uptight with little improvement with training or improvement that goes away the next session. His environment is also a prime cause for ulcers etc). I’d like to start him on some gastric supplements but need to figure out what I can afford and what products are best.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Yeah, definitely keep an eye out for another place. I've found that private barns are better than a lot of big boarding facilities. No drama, come & go as I please, etc. Nice & quiet.

Sounds like a plan though for now, at least your horse will have all the hay he desires & you will not be risking ulcers/colic.  It sounds like you are doing what is best for him, even if you have to buy your own hay - at least you will be at ease knowing he has it.


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## CaliforniaDreaming (May 8, 2011)

When I first started wanting to do slow feed hay nets on full care board, my barn owners were fairly accommodating to the idea. Their one stipulation was it had to be something that would be easy for the feeders to fill, and we started out trying the Freedom Feeder hung on the fence in such a way that they just had to slide the hay in like a mail slot. Unfortunately, my Haffie is a net destroyer, and it didn't last long so I got a Busy Grande (nylon bag style, but spaced like a hay net) which was pretty easy to fill. A few of my barn mates even got interested and started using them too. I also tried a Nibble Net at one point.



Now that I'm on self care, and have more control over how the hay goes in, I've got a porta-grazer which I fill twice a day. I'd love to be able to provide hay 24/7, but Mitch is one of those "wut iz this self-regulashun u speek of, hooman?" horses so he is on a restricted amount of hay (for now 1.5% of body weight a day, hoping that I can increase him back up to 2% once we start working harder now that the weather is good). Haflingers are pretty much stomachs with hooves, so I've had to try and stretch out his meals as long as I can without overfeeding. He's had the porta-grazer for 4 years now, so he's gotten pretty good at it. It does slow him down, but not by a whole lot (maybe 3-4 hours to finish his meals?) so I started splitting his portion into other feeders too. I was using a regular haynet, that's hung from the rafters of his shelter so it's kind of like a punching bag and it swings so he has to eat it carefully. It's been working fairly well that he's still munching when I go back in the afternoon. I just swapped that out for a haynet with 1" holes. Mitch will eat from the porta-grazer first, which has larger holes so he gets his food aggression out first, and then moves to the hay net. I decided to try the smaller holes to see if it was something I was more likely to use at night since there's a long span of time between when I leave at 5-6 pm and when I arrive at 7-8 am (would love to do a night run, but it's not really feasible for me right now).


Trying the haynet for now, might end up ordering a hay pillow eventually.



You could always consider getting your horse a new "toy" :wink:








. Mitch just got an Equi-Essential Slow Feed Hay Ball Feeder from Riding Warehouse (he actually won it, so I didn't spend any money for it) and I've been using it to hold some of his hay, particularly at night. Even found a little scrap of hay in there this morning.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

I lease the land I am on, and the owner pretty much lets me do whatever I want. I have to take care of the maintenance; mowing, fence repair, etc. I also had a simple shed row type barn built (mostly plywood) that allows the horses to come and go as they please. They love it. 

Generally I put them up at night during the winter (known in the south as the cold rainy season) to keep their feet somewhat dry, to monitor their individual feed, and to give them a dry place to sleep. 

Once the grass starts growing in good, they only go in the stalls for their hard food, or occasionally overnight if I have a trip planned or sometimes in the rain. All other times they are out 24/7 and I rarely have to feed hay. 

I have a very easy keeper, so three horses is the perfect number for my size pasture to keep him from over eating. 


Since you do self care anyway, you will prefer your own place. I love the no drama! :smile: 

I just drove around and asked people if I could rent their property. Have found several places that way


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## Been There Dun That (Dec 23, 2015)

AnitaAnne said:


> I lease the land I am on, and the owner pretty much lets me do whatever I want. I have to take care of the maintenance; mowing, fence repair, etc. I also had a simple shed row type barn built (mostly plywood) that allows the horses to come and go as they please. They love it.
> 
> Generally I put them up at night during the winter (known in the south as the cold rainy season) to keep their feet somewhat dry, to monitor their individual feed, and to give them a dry place to sleep.
> 
> ...


That’s a good idea, and yeah, I do love being responsible for my horse; I get to do what I want and be in charge of how he is treated and fed. I’m very big on making things as natural as I can, 24/7 turnout, lots of forage and little processed grain, etc. it’s also super cheap to just rent a pasture or something, where you aren’t paying for any labor or feed costs.


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

Been There Dun That said:


> That’s a good idea, and yeah, I do love being responsible for my horse; I get to do what I want and be in charge of how he is treated and fed. I’m very big on making things as natural as I can, 24/7 turnout, lots of forage and little processed grain, etc. it’s also super cheap to just rent a pasture or something, where you aren’t paying for any labor or feed costs.


It works for me because I can't afford to buy property. But still costs a lot to have three horses. 

You are probably paying less now, since you don't have the repairs to worry about.


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## CaliforniaDreaming (May 8, 2011)

AnitaAnne said:


> It works for me because I can't afford to buy property. But still costs a lot to have three horses.
> 
> You are probably paying less now, since you don't have the repairs to worry about.


I like my situation. Self care at a boarding facility. It’s a separate part of the ranch, but I still get access to the riding arena, barn trails and round pen, etc. I just have to do my own feeding, cleaning and watering. Plus get my own hay (which is fine because I like the hay guy I’ve been using for 9 years now and don’t really like the hay the facility gets from a different distributor). If I have water fixture problems, my barn owner fixes it, and I dump my manure in the main pile he composts with his tractor. Still have to do minor repairs myself, but overall, it’s not a bad set up. 

Kinda like my own little slice of paradise, but still part of a barn community.


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