So I got busy and put together a full bale sized challenge feeder with the (really) small mesh shrimp netting I brought back from Florida. I didn't size it quite right and it was a tight fit around and way too long, but it worked as an experiment. Pretty interesting overall - the horses have been "picking" at it for about a week. The netting is holding up well - doesn't show any wear or tear, and it definitely slows the horses down a lot but they still haven't finished the bale.
Now, the horses haven't been particularly hungry so it's hard to tell if it's too slow or if they only pick at it for fun. I have noticed the horses prefer to eat out of the hay nets than out of the upright hay feeder. The only thing they prefer over the hay nets is to ground feed. I think they actually know what's better for them.
Tonight will be a better test - I put out one bale and didn't put any extra hay in the barrel feeder (there was still some in there). The challenge bag is in the upright feeder so they can pick at it, but it doesn't get dragged all over the ground. We'll see how much they eat out of it tonight. In the spring, I may separate Cisco from the other horses and only give him a challenge bag. That would be the ultimate test!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
New ideas!
Since I've got a little extra time while I'm here in FL, I was cruising the web for new ideas on slow feeding and have a few new ideas to try out when I get home. One is to take the small bale Cinch Net, fill it and hang it from the rafters in the loafing shed. I saw a good clip with the horses eating at the net. Looked pretty good.
Now, all my horses are pretty darn proficient at eating out of our current small mesh hay nets, so I've been looking for some netting with a smaller mesh. Today, while down at the sponge docks in Tarpon Bay I found some netting with 3/4" netting. Very strong small mesh. I bought a 10'x12' net and am going to try it out and see if it slows the horses down a bit more without making it impossible for them to eat out of it. Should be interesting.
I've seen a few other slow feeders that people have figured out that look pretty darn interesting. This has become a pretty experiment and I'm enjoying looking into new ways to feed the horses that is better for them and easier for me! More to come!
Now, all my horses are pretty darn proficient at eating out of our current small mesh hay nets, so I've been looking for some netting with a smaller mesh. Today, while down at the sponge docks in Tarpon Bay I found some netting with 3/4" netting. Very strong small mesh. I bought a 10'x12' net and am going to try it out and see if it slows the horses down a bit more without making it impossible for them to eat out of it. Should be interesting.
I've seen a few other slow feeders that people have figured out that look pretty darn interesting. This has become a pretty experiment and I'm enjoying looking into new ways to feed the horses that is better for them and easier for me! More to come!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Slight issue with the barrel feeder.
Talked to Greg tonight and he said he went out to feed the horses tonight and the barrel feeder was hanging upside down! Looks like the horses must have hit it really hard because one of the lag bolts was pulled right through the barrel. That allowed the barrel to rotate and flip upside down. Looks like we need to add some big washers with the lag bolts and maybe add another lag bolt or two. The good part - because the barrel is round, there isn't anything the horses can get hurt on! No marks on any of the horses! So a failure in one aspect but a success in another.
My friend Cassie is testing out another version of a slow feeder we made. It's similar to a basketball hoop with a small mesh hay bag for a net. The hoop is made out of a reinforced section of a plastic barrel. It's designed to be bolted in a corner on two sides, maybe about 5 to 6 ft off the ground. Just toss the hay into the net and let the horses pull it out of the net. More to come on how it's doing. I'll post pictures when I get them.
My friend Cassie is testing out another version of a slow feeder we made. It's similar to a basketball hoop with a small mesh hay bag for a net. The hoop is made out of a reinforced section of a plastic barrel. It's designed to be bolted in a corner on two sides, maybe about 5 to 6 ft off the ground. Just toss the hay into the net and let the horses pull it out of the net. More to come on how it's doing. I'll post pictures when I get them.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Gotta Love 4 Day Weekends!
The days go by way too fast. It was a 4 day weekend, but I didn't get nearly enough done. I was hoping to get at least one horse trimmed, but didn't get around to it. I did get a new rasp though so when I do get to it, it will be much easier!
Went to Leah and Shane's today for Ruby's 5th birthday party. Had a really nice time. Leah make an excellent pot roast for us. Definitely one of my favorite meals during the winter - the ultimate comfort food. Then a number of Ruby's friends came over for the actual party. All the kids were good and everyone had a good time.
Leah made a cake that looked like a castle that was really good. Chocolate cake with Rice Krispies made into the towers on the corners. Cute and tasty - a good combination!
Went to Leah and Shane's today for Ruby's 5th birthday party. Had a really nice time. Leah make an excellent pot roast for us. Definitely one of my favorite meals during the winter - the ultimate comfort food. Then a number of Ruby's friends came over for the actual party. All the kids were good and everyone had a good time.
Leah made a cake that looked like a castle that was really good. Chocolate cake with Rice Krispies made into the towers on the corners. Cute and tasty - a good combination!
Friday, November 26, 2010
Modifications and other musings....
When I went out feed tonight I was looking at the barrel feeder. I filled the feeder and was looking at how it loads and trying to think of easier ways to fill it. Thinking about a drop down trap door arrangement for the next revision. I get tired of hay going down my collar when I have to fill something above shoulder height. I think I'll draw it up and get Greg's thoughts on a design change. He always has a good perspective and has a great eye on how things will go together.
Had a good day this AM - got to spend the AM with my dear friend Steph! Haven't seen her in way too long and it was fun just to get out and bum around. Hit Fleet Farm for Black Friday! My Black Friday purchases at Fleets was 14 feet of a nice heavy 1/2" rope, hardware to make it into a lead rope and a new rasp so I can trim the horses. Am I exciting or what!! LOL! Didn't matter because Steph and I had a great time! Looking forward to seeing her Saturday as well. You know they are a really good friend when you can pick up like you just saw them yesterday!
Had a good day this AM - got to spend the AM with my dear friend Steph! Haven't seen her in way too long and it was fun just to get out and bum around. Hit Fleet Farm for Black Friday! My Black Friday purchases at Fleets was 14 feet of a nice heavy 1/2" rope, hardware to make it into a lead rope and a new rasp so I can trim the horses. Am I exciting or what!! LOL! Didn't matter because Steph and I had a great time! Looking forward to seeing her Saturday as well. You know they are a really good friend when you can pick up like you just saw them yesterday!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Low Starch (no grain) Diets for Horses
There is getting to be more and more good information on the advantages of feeding horses no grain. Pretty interesting when you really think about it. I'm working to change how I feed my horses, to eliminate the grain and feed them in a more natural manner. I've incorporated the slow mesh hay feeders to more closely simulate grazing where the horses eat over a longer period of time, I'm adding more beet pulp instead of grain and when I need to get them more calories I'm looking for other options. It will be interesting as I bring on Max and work with Fannie to see how the changes in feed affect them. I'll keep you posted on how this works as we start conditioning in the spring!
Has anyone else tried the new compressed beet pulp pellets? I tried them today for the first time. They are nice because they take up less room. A 40 lb bag takes up about the same amount of space as the shredded beet pulp - that part is nice. It definitely takes a lot longer to soak. Even in hot water, it takes a long time. Will have to change my feeding routine - going to start soaking it in the AM instead of just putting hot water on the shreds about 10 minutes before I feed. Oh well, the horses all seem to eat it just the same!
Has anyone else tried the new compressed beet pulp pellets? I tried them today for the first time. They are nice because they take up less room. A 40 lb bag takes up about the same amount of space as the shredded beet pulp - that part is nice. It definitely takes a lot longer to soak. Even in hot water, it takes a long time. Will have to change my feeding routine - going to start soaking it in the AM instead of just putting hot water on the shreds about 10 minutes before I feed. Oh well, the horses all seem to eat it just the same!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Rainy Sundays!
One nice thing about the colder weather on Friday/Saturday - the mud in the paddock froze solid! I feel bad for the horses though- it's like walking through a boulder field filled with lots of ankle twisting rocks. Miserable when I'm hauling hay across the paddocks too! Why can't it just dry up a little bit before it freezes - sure makes it miserable!
I put a yard of gravel in front of the barn, in front of the waterer and around the feeder the day before the sloppy snow - thank goodness! The purpose was to force the horses to walk across the gravel to help toughen up their feet. My timing was good, it will not only help out their feet, but it kept those areas from turning into deep mud which is so much nicer! I think what I really need to do is to gravel all the paddocks with class 5 driveway gravel. That would be perfect - I'd have horses with rock hard feet and no mud! I think I'll be hauling a lot more rock next summer..... worth it to buy it - at least I don't have to load it this way! :)
Next week, I need to get a couple of horses trimmed. It's been interesting to work with the horses and see how their feet progress. I need a new rasp - working with an old rasp is way too much work! Cisco and Trapper are both due. Trapper is growing out the nail holes from the shoes had on when we went to SoDak in September. To shoe or not to shoe is always a bit of a dilemma for me. I would really like to keep them barefoot, but have struggled with the boots for long rides. I may need to work with a boot expert to figure out what I'm doing wrong. It will be really interesting to see what happens with Max. He's very tender footed (at least he was when I first got him - he's been in shoes since October). He gets his shoes pulled on Tuesday evening after work - I'm hoping to work with him over the winter and transition him to barefoot all the time. More to come as we work through this process....
Good night!
I put a yard of gravel in front of the barn, in front of the waterer and around the feeder the day before the sloppy snow - thank goodness! The purpose was to force the horses to walk across the gravel to help toughen up their feet. My timing was good, it will not only help out their feet, but it kept those areas from turning into deep mud which is so much nicer! I think what I really need to do is to gravel all the paddocks with class 5 driveway gravel. That would be perfect - I'd have horses with rock hard feet and no mud! I think I'll be hauling a lot more rock next summer..... worth it to buy it - at least I don't have to load it this way! :)
Next week, I need to get a couple of horses trimmed. It's been interesting to work with the horses and see how their feet progress. I need a new rasp - working with an old rasp is way too much work! Cisco and Trapper are both due. Trapper is growing out the nail holes from the shoes had on when we went to SoDak in September. To shoe or not to shoe is always a bit of a dilemma for me. I would really like to keep them barefoot, but have struggled with the boots for long rides. I may need to work with a boot expert to figure out what I'm doing wrong. It will be really interesting to see what happens with Max. He's very tender footed (at least he was when I first got him - he's been in shoes since October). He gets his shoes pulled on Tuesday evening after work - I'm hoping to work with him over the winter and transition him to barefoot all the time. More to come as we work through this process....
Good night!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Oops! Gotta turn the knob the right way!
Looked outside and the horses were drinking with their heads in a funny position! Greg went out and there was a sheet of ice on the top of the waterer. Needed to turn up the heat in the automatic waterer so Greg have the knob a turn and we went on about our business.
About 6 hrs later - time to do chores. Took a look at the waterer - another glaze of ice. Dang it!!
Greg went out with a light and took a look - oops - he turned down the heat instead of turning it up! At least it was an easy fix! LOL!
Just checked and it's all liquid now! Hallelujah!
About 6 hrs later - time to do chores. Took a look at the waterer - another glaze of ice. Dang it!!
Greg went out with a light and took a look - oops - he turned down the heat instead of turning it up! At least it was an easy fix! LOL!
Just checked and it's all liquid now! Hallelujah!
Design Change Needed on the Barrel Feeder
Well, live and learn I guess. Just identified a couple of design flaws in the barrel feeder. Neither affect the functionality of the feed - just ease of use for me.
#1 - need to be able to open the hay net on the bottom to remove old hay as needed. I put a bale that had a bunch of corn stalks in it in there last night. The hay field had been corn field the year before and there are a number of 'volunteer' corn plants in random bales. I spent 15 minutes pulling the left over corn stalks out through the small mesh. Not fun but doable. Corrective action: remove the metal ring at the bottom and run tie string through instead so it can be opened and easily dumped if there is any bad hay.
#2 - the lid doesn't stay open during filling which makes it a two hand operation to fill. Corrective action: look for a different type of hinge or a mechanism to hold to lid open while filling. Sounds like a trip to the hardware store!
Still happy with it overall. It's a great learning project!
#1 - need to be able to open the hay net on the bottom to remove old hay as needed. I put a bale that had a bunch of corn stalks in it in there last night. The hay field had been corn field the year before and there are a number of 'volunteer' corn plants in random bales. I spent 15 minutes pulling the left over corn stalks out through the small mesh. Not fun but doable. Corrective action: remove the metal ring at the bottom and run tie string through instead so it can be opened and easily dumped if there is any bad hay.
#2 - the lid doesn't stay open during filling which makes it a two hand operation to fill. Corrective action: look for a different type of hinge or a mechanism to hold to lid open while filling. Sounds like a trip to the hardware store!
Still happy with it overall. It's a great learning project!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Sad Day
Today we got the news that the Eagan Lockheed Martin facility will be closing. It makes me sad, it will be a slow death - will take 18-24 months to phase all the activities out. It means that there will be a steady stream of friends leaving at different times. I've only been there a couple of years but had been hoping it would last for at least the next 10-15 years until I can retire. Oh well, time to sharpen the resume and see what else is out there. There's always the possibility of moving to another LM location - which is nice to know. Something to think about anyway! There are some good locations we could go to, but it would be hard to leave family and friends.
On to more fun things - the barrel feeder has been a great addition. The horses have fully accepted it (like any of mine would turn down food!) and it fits well with the routine. I have another prototype that we created for a different type of feeder that I just need to find a place to hang it. Similar to a basketball hoop - it has a small mesh haybag on a large plastic ring. I think it would be great in a stall, but I don't have a place to hang it right now. Gonna have to talk to some other people and see if they would like to try it out and see if it works the way I think it will.
More to come on both topics!
On to more fun things - the barrel feeder has been a great addition. The horses have fully accepted it (like any of mine would turn down food!) and it fits well with the routine. I have another prototype that we created for a different type of feeder that I just need to find a place to hang it. Similar to a basketball hoop - it has a small mesh haybag on a large plastic ring. I think it would be great in a stall, but I don't have a place to hang it right now. Gonna have to talk to some other people and see if they would like to try it out and see if it works the way I think it will.
More to come on both topics!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Day Two of the Barrel Feeder
This is the 2nd day using the barrel feeder. The horses seem to really like it. By this afternoon it was empty but a couple of the hanging hay bags still had a little bit of hay. That's a good thing! It means they had enough to eat all evening and through the day today. I'm really happy with the way it's working. The barrel is slick inside and the hay can't get stuck in it. The hay bag hangs low enough for the horses to eat in a more natural head down position but the hay isn't on the wet ground. No wasted hay either! That's one of the best parts! That and Cisco can't eat everything before Max gets his fill. It has all the benefits of the small mesh hay bags yet holds more. Love it!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Getting Started
First attempt at blogging - not sure how this will go, but I have to start somewhere I guess!
Damp and cold today - didn't really want to spend too much time outside, but I did get something done I've wanted to do for a while!
I've been looking at the Paddock Paradise slow feeders and saw one I thought would work well for us. We (Greg & I) took a 50 gal plastic barrel and cut off the bottom with a SawsAll (sp?). I used a 3/8" spade bit and drilled holes about 1 inch from the botttom. The holes were about 2 inches apart all the way around. Next, we took an old small mesh hay net and attached it to the open bottom of the barrel. We used some 1/4 inch rope and whip stitched the hay net to the bottom of the barrel.
Greg got the SawsAll out again and made a lid for the barrel by cutting about 3/4 of the top off. We reattached it using a couple of strap hinges and wah-lah, we have a lid that is easy to open to put hay in! It works great - easy to open.
We hung the new feeder in the loafing shed on the middle post (nice 6" square post). Greg drilled the holes in the back side of the barrel and we used three 4" lag bolts to attach it to the post.
Drop in the hay and the horses were busy munching hay in a few minutes!
Damp and cold today - didn't really want to spend too much time outside, but I did get something done I've wanted to do for a while!
I've been looking at the Paddock Paradise slow feeders and saw one I thought would work well for us. We (Greg & I) took a 50 gal plastic barrel and cut off the bottom with a SawsAll (sp?). I used a 3/8" spade bit and drilled holes about 1 inch from the botttom. The holes were about 2 inches apart all the way around. Next, we took an old small mesh hay net and attached it to the open bottom of the barrel. We used some 1/4 inch rope and whip stitched the hay net to the bottom of the barrel.
Greg got the SawsAll out again and made a lid for the barrel by cutting about 3/4 of the top off. We reattached it using a couple of strap hinges and wah-lah, we have a lid that is easy to open to put hay in! It works great - easy to open.
We hung the new feeder in the loafing shed on the middle post (nice 6" square post). Greg drilled the holes in the back side of the barrel and we used three 4" lag bolts to attach it to the post.
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