Feeding your horses with forage is essential for their health. However, you must know the right way to feed your favorite animals. When it comes to slow feeding, a horse should eat in small portions for an extended period. The digestive system of equines is designed for constant uptake, and regardless of the kind of food you are giving your equines, it is vital to ensure they are taking it in the right way. Using slow feeders for horses is a perfect way to ensure the animals are feeding in the right way. Here are ways that a horse will benefit from using the feeders.
Equines are physiologically created to eat a lot of food. However, this feeding has been known to increase cortisol, a hormone related to stress. If the cortisol increases, the level of insulin rises, and this leads to more fat storage. This can lead to obesity in equines. Therefore, finding a slow program of feeding where they can continuously feed will help in maintaining and even losing weight.
Feeding slowly helps in the prevention of ulcers. This is because it activates the production of saliva. The saliva is an alkaline that buffers the gastric acids produced in the stomach. With the food present in the stomach, the acids cannot reach the walls, and this is the right way of preventing this condition.
For food to be adequately digested, enough time is required. Through this program, this factor is highly appreciated and put into consideration. With proper digestion, cases like constipation will not occur, and the general health of the horse will improve. Continuous feeding is a suitable way of making sure that there is a balance between the harmful and beneficial bacteria inside the stomach of the animal.
Food is the main focus in equines. If the equines feed for a long time, it alleviates boredom, and the equine is unlikely to develop vices. A horse can sleep for not more than twenty minutes at a time. This means that it is awake most of the time. Without food around, it is more likely to develop bad behavior like stall kicking or cribbing due to boredom. Hence, this explains the importance of having these feeders.
The wind can disrupt feeding if it blows away the hay all the time. Furthermore, hay left uncontained can be trampled on such that equines cannot eat it. This will cause a lot of wastage. Hence, having feeders helps in eliminating wastage. This is because the hay is contained all the time.
Equines are comfortable feeding in the open since they are naturally prey animals. They highly depend on sound and sight to detect their predators. If you lock them in their stall, they may feel insecure, and this will cause tension. The best way to help them feel safe is by using this program of feeding. You can put the nets in the compound so that they feed on a ground level.
This mode of feeding eradicates food aggression. If you put them in several locations, the herd can eat and live peacefully. Dominant equines can keep the less dominant ones away from eating if they are using a single source. However, with alternate sources, it encourages feeding and enables you to put wet hay for animals that need more calories.
Equines are physiologically created to eat a lot of food. However, this feeding has been known to increase cortisol, a hormone related to stress. If the cortisol increases, the level of insulin rises, and this leads to more fat storage. This can lead to obesity in equines. Therefore, finding a slow program of feeding where they can continuously feed will help in maintaining and even losing weight.
Feeding slowly helps in the prevention of ulcers. This is because it activates the production of saliva. The saliva is an alkaline that buffers the gastric acids produced in the stomach. With the food present in the stomach, the acids cannot reach the walls, and this is the right way of preventing this condition.
For food to be adequately digested, enough time is required. Through this program, this factor is highly appreciated and put into consideration. With proper digestion, cases like constipation will not occur, and the general health of the horse will improve. Continuous feeding is a suitable way of making sure that there is a balance between the harmful and beneficial bacteria inside the stomach of the animal.
Food is the main focus in equines. If the equines feed for a long time, it alleviates boredom, and the equine is unlikely to develop vices. A horse can sleep for not more than twenty minutes at a time. This means that it is awake most of the time. Without food around, it is more likely to develop bad behavior like stall kicking or cribbing due to boredom. Hence, this explains the importance of having these feeders.
The wind can disrupt feeding if it blows away the hay all the time. Furthermore, hay left uncontained can be trampled on such that equines cannot eat it. This will cause a lot of wastage. Hence, having feeders helps in eliminating wastage. This is because the hay is contained all the time.
Equines are comfortable feeding in the open since they are naturally prey animals. They highly depend on sound and sight to detect their predators. If you lock them in their stall, they may feel insecure, and this will cause tension. The best way to help them feel safe is by using this program of feeding. You can put the nets in the compound so that they feed on a ground level.
This mode of feeding eradicates food aggression. If you put them in several locations, the herd can eat and live peacefully. Dominant equines can keep the less dominant ones away from eating if they are using a single source. However, with alternate sources, it encourages feeding and enables you to put wet hay for animals that need more calories.
About the Author:
Slow feeders for horses can easily be found on the Web. Spend a minute or two reading the FAQs here at http://www.hayburnersequine.com/faq.
