Check out Paddock paradise. They have many pictures of commercial and self designed hayfeeders. I am currently testdriving a hockey net with my Arab. Since the weather turned cold, he suddenly realized he needs umpteen pounds of hay per day (was on free choice up to this point). He forgot to grow a really long winter coat, so he thinks he'll make up for it by adding layers of fat instead, lol. I am giving him some loose and the rest in the net, so he doesn't starve to death, but gets some trickle feeding too.

I would be interested in what other people have found works for piggy horses.

Horses being horses and having all day to mess with these things will foil even the best of plans. What I like about paddock paradise is they show pics and usually a follow up as to how that particular feeder worked and problems. The most common problem is shod horses need a little different set up, not just a net on the ground for example (which works fine for my guy). The other problem is at first the set up may be working at an acceptable rate for that horse, then they figure out how to do it more effeciently, so too large holes are a problem for a pig like my horse.

One model I haven't seen on the website I rigged from a wire mesh large dog kennel, the type with two doors, which I've had kicking around here for years. I set it up on end, a whole bale fits in it, and it feeds down through gravity. Being a solid wire type you have to have it really solidly attached to something or the horse may get rough with it, but it's pretty strong so he hasn't manage to tear it away yet. Horses are very practical, at some point they discover that patiently picking the hay out gets them somewhere in the long run and butting up on it doesn't help, so they stop it (or not). I would say whatever set up you try, provide some feed by the old method at first to reduce frustration, and keep a close eye on how the system is working to head off problems. Suddenly causing a drastic reduction in their feed isn't good for their tummy. Also my guy is in very scoocum condition, but he is outside in the elements, so i don't want to  suddenly change too much and mess up his digestion. Slow feeders do help to keep them entertained as well as supply steady forage, more like their natural feeding pattern. If I don't slow this guy down somehow, he would be a blimp by February and I won't be able to put him on pasture at all in spring.

A little update on my slow feeder experiments: The dog crate is nice and sturdy, but even with a smooth lining added (a large cardboard box), gravity isn't bringin the hay down, probably because it's packed a little too tight?

My other favorite design is a large army issue duffle bag ($30 at surplus army store), hung inverted with grate over the opening.What I really like about it is I could hang it on the fence since it keeps the hay dry and wouldn't have to hang in his shelter, so more movement around his paddock. It is apparently Sharif's favorite too, the grate was too wide and he managed to eat about 3/4s of a bale in 12 hours! Someone forgot to tell him horses are trickle feeders. I asked him what gives, and he said he was extra hungry that night from all these slow feeders, and we had freezing rain so he just stayed in his shelter and ate. I hope he burned up some of those calories in the rain.

From what I can gather on websites it takes a few weeks for the gobble mentality to switch to regular snacking, once they realize the hay is always going to be there and no one is going to starve. I think his history has something to do with it too. When I got him he was underweight because the mares he was with wisely kept him away from the hay. When I found he could only be on my pasture part time because he was a mowing machine, he learned to eat even faster to make up for the relatively short feast period. I do think the slow feeder is our only option in the long run. ( and yes I have wormed him ). This is a horse who I'm pretty sure would kill himself in the long run on free choice hay or god forbid, pasture.

-- Edited by Marlene on Sunday 18th of December 2011 11:34:49 AM

I tried the small mesh hay nets when the horses want to stay in the barn in bug season. Each holds two good sized flakes and each bag lasts the two horses all afternoon. er.....that's one bag each. They were cheap and I've done a few small repairs to one but the other has held up well - no complaints. I tie them high by feeding the tie cord down through the bottom and back up. This way when the net is empty it remains about a foot off the floor. One horse didn't like it and started batting it around with his nose until it came back with some force and whapped him on the jaw. He decided it wasn't so bad after all.