Posted: 5th April 2018 | Back to news feed
Horses are trickle feeders and in the wild, would graze for up to 75% of their day (18 hours.) Our current management of them reduces this, often giving horses limited access to forage and a high-concentrate diet. We also like to feed forage in haynets to control wastage and mess.
But these management practices have resulted in the horse actually spending just 10% of their day eating and the remaining 90% standing. Horses may react in different ways to this regime, but the majority of them find it particularly stressful.
Encouraging the horse to eat his forage slowly is vital - eating slowly increases the chewing, which breaks the food down into easier to digest pieces. Horses also only produce saliva when they chew - saliva is a known buffer for stomach acid, so the more saliva a horse produces, for a longer period, the less likely they are to develop gastric ulceration.
The Forager from Haygain is the natural way to slow the pace a horse eats. The design of the Forager and its’ positioning on the stable floor actually mimics the natural grazing position, with the head held low, while offering the benefits of tidiness and cleanliness to the owner.
This natural means of consumption offers many benefits to the horse, including;
- Imitates grazing behaviour and slows the pace of eating so there is always forage in the stomach, creating a protective mat to prevent stomach acid splashing and causing gastric ulcers.
- The Forager's Regulator grid ensures smaller bites of forage and increased amounts of chewing, which helps maintain a flow of saliva, acting as a natural buffer to stomach acid
- Reduces the risk of colic and aids in the prevention of gastric ulcers, obesity and laminitis
- Stops cross contamination of forage and bedding, saving you time and money
- Reduces stable boredom and the potential to develop related stable vices
- Easy to clean and pack flat for travel
The Forager from Haygain is available at just £249 or pay over 6 monthly instalments. The Forager comes with free delivery, a 30 day returns policy and a one year warranty.
For more information please visit https://haygain.co.uk/products/haygain-forager.
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