Solving Slow Feeding problems.

Horses that are too harsh on the net.

Every horse that breaks a SMHN is a tragedy. Not because of the broken net but because that horse is most likely suffering a severe medical condition caused by starvation due to earlier unnatural feeding routines. A perfectly sound well-kept horse does not break anything but a horse suffering for example stomach ulcers might break anything that he thinks is in his way of soothing the burning sensation from his wounded stomach and intestines.

A SMHN made of HD-polyester is probably the most durable SMHNs on the market. They are MUCH more durable than nylon nets for example. We ship approximately 1500 SMHNs per month and have very few complaints. No SMHNs are of course indestructible and when they do brake that is usually because the horses are frustrated or suffer from an eating related stress.

A number of recent studies show that the number of horses suffering stomach ulcers is far exceeding expectations. Some studies show even higher numbers but many studies show that 25-60% of all domestic horses suffer stomach ulcers. The believed reason for this is too long periods of starvation. For a horse starvation is a precursor to death and it starts approximately 3 hours after he has run out of food. If there is no food mixed with the liquid acid in the horses stomach to calm the splashes the waves will burn the upper unprotected walls of the stomach when he moves or lays down. If the horse is without food long enough for the small intestine to become empty the lactic acid and gall will burn the inside of the intestine and create stomach ulcers. Food passes through the small intestine in as little as 2 hours.

A horse suffering stomach ulcers will feel irritated, frustrated and stressed and feel an urgent need to fill his stomach to calm the burning sensation. The horse will quickly learn that if he doesn’t eat continuously he will suffer.

-          A horse feels full and content when he has chewed enough. It has nothing to do with how much food he has eaten or if his stomach is full.
My experience is that a horse needs to chew enough during a time period of approximately 3 hours. No one knows have many time he needs to chew (it is probably individual) but it is impossible for a horse to chew enough to feel content in 1 hour and if he chews that needed number of times but in 5 hours instead of 3 it will not make him content either. 

If a horse never becomes satisfied when it comes to eating he will always believe he needs to eat more and to be sure no one else comes and takes his food he will eat as fast as ever possible. If something stops this stressed horse from eating as fast as he think he needs to eat he will break it.

When schooling a horse in Slow Feeding it is very important to let him chew enough to feel content before the net restricts him too much. This means that with some horses you will need to feed enough loose hay to make him content before he “is forced to eat from the SMHN”. Yes, this means over feeding him but it is worth it. I promise. If a horse eats too much you just have to exercise him more. Galloping 30 minutes burns more calories than standing still for 24 hours so it is not that hard. This schooling period usually lasts between “no-time” and 1 month depending on individual and accumulated eating stress. Most horses learn to handle a SMHN very quickly and only a small number of horses need an extended schooling period.

If a horse breaks a SMHN it is very important to mend it directly. Just tie the hole together. It is important that horse do not learn that breaking the SMHN is the best way to get rid of the eating stress.

Continuous Slow Feeding is fantastic when it works so don’t give up. It will be worth any sacrifices.

If one horse is the only one out of thousand horses that breaks the SMHN then that horse suffering an eating related stress even if the owner does not know about it. If that happens to be your horse don’t disappear. He desperately needs your help to get rid of this medical issue burning his inside making him frustrated an uneasy. Don’t give up on him. He needs your help and you are the one that can help him. Use your imagination, start experimenting and changing you feeding routine.

-          Give him a SMHN in the paddock too.

-          Change how the SMHN is hanging (a swinging SMHN is harder to break and harder to gobble from).

-          Stop giving him any kind of sweet feed or supplement for a couple of weeks (sweet feed might stress him).

-          Mix the hay with oat straw of good hygienic quality and let him eat more.

-          Give him trees with nontoxic bark to eat.

-          Leave him outside during the night too (if possible).

If you give up on him and return to feeding him a small number of portions per day his medical issue will only get worse.

Who said have a horse was easy?