Slow Feeder Horse Hay Nets TAS

Gutzbusta currently supply Slow Feeder Horse Hay Nets throughout Tasmania, Hobart, Launceston, Rural and Country TAS, Australia Wide and New Zealand. 

Otherwise known as Slow Feed Bags, Slow Feeders for Horses, Slow Feed Hay Nets, Hay Netting, Hay Feed Bags, Round Bale Nets or similar, they offer various benefits to both Horse and Owner. 

Gutzbusta is a proudly Australian owned and operated company. Based in Sydney, we supply Australia’s most popular horse slow feeding products including our range of Slow Feeding Hay Nets and Round Bale Nets. Gutzbusta is also a proud importer and distributor of the UK Manufactured Parallax Plastic Feeders and Enrichment products. With fast shipping Australia wide, premium customer service and a big range of horse slow feeding options to choose from, Gutzbusta is your one stop shop for all Horse Hay Net Slow Feeding needs. We believe our horse slow feeding products will help you save hay and also improve your horse's health. 

- Save on Hay Wastage: Minimise hay wastage by up to 50% 
- Reduce boredom by providing enrichment and stimulation for your horses 
- Provide many health benefits for conditions such as Colic, choke and stable vices 
- Ideal for Weight management and great for Laminitic horses 

Our slow feeder hay Nets and round bale nets are generous in size, are easy to fill and are available in Classic Knotted OR Deluxe Knotless varieties. 

We have a huge range of Hole Sizes across our Hay Net and Round Bale range. We stock 2cm, 3cm, 4cm and 6cm netting. 

  • If saving on wastage is your primary concern, then 4cm or 6cm is ideal. 
  • If you are wanting to regulate your animals consumption, reduce boredom and save on wastage then 4cm is the most popular and ideal option. 
  • If you are specifically wanting to slow your animal down, reduce boredom and they have some experience with slow feeders, then the 3cm or 2cm would be your best option. 

  

Our Hay Net range is commonly used by owners of animals “other than horses”. They are commonly used for: 

Cattle Hay nets 
Sheep Slow Feeders 
Alpaca’s Slow Feeding 
Goats Hay Net 

Please be mindful of horns (entanglement) and ear tags that can be rubbed out. 

The most common size for these animals is our 4cm net. This size provides some slow feeding whilst also minimising the hay wastage. Depending on what you’re trying to achieve (just like with horses), both the 3cm and 6cm varieties have also successfully in the past. 

  

Some of the many other benefits of slow feeding include: 

  • Reduces hay wastage from being blown away, trampling mud, etc therefore saving money. 
  • Simulates grazing for physical and mental health - horses are supposed to eat 18-20 hours a day. 
  • Reduces boredom by extending feeding time. 
  • Allows rate of hay consumption to slow down - closer replicating grazing. 
  • Reduces incidence of choke by stopping gorging, and only allowing a few strands of hay to be eaten at once. 
  • Recommended by vets to help with obesity, colic, insulin resistance, ulcers and stall vices. 
  • Happier, healthier horses that are less aggressive towards their mates as they always have something to eat, particularly if they are on a dirt lot, paddock paradise track, stabled or yarded. 
  • Great for laminitic, IR etc horses as there is no insulin spike if they have hay available all the time. Allows free choice/low carbohydrate hay access all the time. Pasture/Meadow hay is usually the best (but not ryegrass and/or clover hay as these are generally too high in sugar.) 
  • Net types of slow feeders are able to hang anywhere, safe, durable and easy to fill. 
  • As the net holes are smaller, the net can be secured low for natural grazing position. 

Don’t tie low for shod horses or horses with untrimmed/sharp edges on their hooves 

What is Slow Feeding? 

Slow feeding is to, by use of some mechanical device (usually a restricting feeder); make it impossible for the horse to fill his mouth with hay. By slowing down the eating pace the same amount of hay will last longer and therefore will keep the horse occupied and stimulated for a longer period of time. It basically replicates grazing but in a controlled manner. It also allows you to control the sugar levels in your horses' diet and the quantity fed by eliminating insulin spikes. 

A free roaming horse spends most of his waking hours searching for food. Since horses only sleep about 4 hours per day and seldom for longer periods than about 20 minutes, food is their main focus for about 18-20 hours a day. Many traditionally kept horses are still being fed 2-3 (or maybe 4) times per day and often more than they will eat in an hour or two each time. 

Slow feeding your horse allows them to eat for longer periods of time, without feeding them more. 

To really understand how horrific these traditional feeding methods are to the horse we need more knowledge about how a horse's digestive system works than most people have. 

The horse's receptors for feeling content and full is located in his chewing muscles and not his stomach. This makes it essential that he chews his food slowly and rigorously. If he eats too fast he will not feel content, therefore overeat if he has the chance, or else feel stressed over the fact that he never becomes content. He will think he is starving to death even though he is not, and that might very well make him nervous and edgy. By restricting his possibilities to rush through his daily ration, he will chew every single strand much more rigorously, therefore preparing the food much better for digestion and reaching the chewing level where he feels content and happy with the amount of food her receives. 

Parallax 

Gutzbusta is delighted to also be a stockist of Parallax Horse Slow Feeding products. Proudly manufactured in the UK, and developed by Anna Gardner. Anna has a lifelong love of horses, and also owns a polo stud farm (High Point Polo.)