Why a slow feeder is good for your horse
Slow feeders for horses: why a continuous supply of roughage is important
Horses are naturally continuous feeders. A slow feeder helps them to consume roughage more calmly and evenly throughout the day. In this blog, you can read why slow feeders for horses are becoming increasingly common in stables.
Horses are naturally continuous feeders. In the wild, they spend as much as 14 to 18 hours a day calmly grazing on roughage. Yet in practice, we still often see horses going without food for several hours. This can cause problems without us realising it.
In this blog, we explain why continuous access to feed is important and why a slow feeder in the stable is a smart solution.
A horse is designed to eat small amounts throughout the day. Its digestive system is entirely geared towards this:
- A horse’s stomach continues to produce stomach acid
- Roughage (such as hay) helps to buffer this acid
- Eating slowly aids gentle digestion
When a horse goes without food for a prolonged period, this natural process is disrupted.
If a horse goes without roughage for several hours, this can affect:
- Restlessness or boredom
- Scratching, gnawing or biting at wood
- Skin sensitivity and overall resistance
- Digestive imbalance
- Many horses that are prone to itching (such as those with itchiness, mud fever-prone legs or a tendency to develop eczema) benefit particularly from a consistent diet.
Horses are often given hay two or three times a day at the stables. The problem is:
- The hay is often gone within 1–2 hours
- After that, the horse goes without food for hours
This is a far cry from how a horse naturally eats.
A slow feeder ensures that a horse takes longer to eat its roughage. As a result:
Does your horse need something to eat for a bit longer?
Does it reduce boredom?
Does it help keep your digestion calmer?
It is more in line with natural eating behaviour
💡 Especially for horses that spend a lot of time in their stables, this isn’t a luxury, but actually a basic necessity.
Summary
A horse is designed to eat all day long
Going without food for a long time is not in keeping with the natural system
It is particularly in the barn that breaks without roughage often last too long
A slow feeder is a simple way to solve this problem
Would you like to know what’s best for your horse (for example, if it’s suffering from itching, rubbing or restlessness)?
👉 Visit www.paardenkriebels.nl or feel free to send us a message for some no-obligation advice