When times are tough, horse welfare is of particular concern. In a difficult economy, well-designed feeders are critical. Domesticated horses might have maintained that instinct-but many of them, similar to humans, just really like their food.įeeders designed to help horses slow down their eating help reduce risk of developing choke while also helping prevent waste. Horses tend to eat fast and look up frequently due to their watchful prey-animal mentality. Speedy eating, however, is a product of evolution, Friend says. Untreated, choke can lead to life-threatening conditions such as severe pneumonia or ruptures, tears, or holes in the esophagus. Partially chewed food can get lodged in the horse’s esophagus, causing excessive salivation, retching, gagging, coughing, and spilling of food out of the nostrils. When horses eat fast-as many are prone to do-they are at risk of developing choke (which, unlike choking in humans, describes an esophageal obstruction), says Friend. Feeders can help slow horses’ food consumption. The goal of using hay feeders is to keep as much of the food off the ground and in the horse’s stomach as possible. In a recent study, Martinson found that for horses housed in dirt paddocks, consuming hay from round bales without a feeder did not fully meet their digestible energy (DE) requirements.Įven so, feeders don’t eliminate these risks entirely, Friend adds-especially sand colic and parasites, as horses also tend to pick up leftovers off the ground. Malnutrition is also a risk of ground feeding, says Krishona Martinson, PhD, equine extension specialist in the department of animal science at the University of Minnesota, in Saint Paul.
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