Feed buckets?

J

jazzy's girl

Member
Apr 24, 2008
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I currently feed Star out of one of the round feed buckets made out of old tyres, with the two handles. I am sure that you all know the ones I mean. The problem is that recently, she has started putting her foot in the bucket and tipping her feed everywhere!!. She then doesn't eat it off the floor.
I have had to resort to holding the bucket for her whilst she is feeding. This prevents me from doing other jobs for a good 10 minutes - not long I know, but every minute counts when you work full time:)

My question is... does anyone use the buckets designed to hang over the stable door and are they any good?
They appear to be made of a hard plastic and I have seen a couple of old ones hanging around which have obviously cracked and are too dabgerous to use because of the sharp edges.
Has anyone tried one of these but their horse has refused to eat out of it?
Any other recommendations for safe, clean feeding of a pony.

By the way, she only gets a cupful of pony nuts, so it doesn't have to hold large volums of feed.
Thanks
 
I ended up makeing a neat pile of hay and tipping Libby's feed onto it :p.

I don't like the idea of feeding them high up but maybe that's old fashioned? I only feed from the ground.
 
I also don't think feeding from high is natural, but that is actually what I am doing when I hold the bucket for her and she seems to prefer it.
A neat pile of hay with food on top of it wouldn't last very long I am afraid. She has always had a habit of pawing the ground when eating so hay/ feed would soon end up in her bed!!!
 
if mine tips her's on the ground, then she still eats it. I always make sure that the area is clean though. xx
not tried the hanging ones, but you could try a deeper bucket maybe? then if she tips it over, it wont go everywhere. x
 
As others have said put the bucket in a tyre or get the special bucket designed to fit in a tyre!

Many years ago we used the ones that hang over doors but once empty if we were not quick enough the old boy would remove bucket himself and throw it about - they don't last very long then! Otherwise they were quite good.

What about a fixed manger one? They are simple and easy to remove to clean but not easy for pony to remove!They even do colours now not just white ones!!
 
I don't like those over-the-door buckets - way too high, horses are designed to eat with their heads down! The best way to feed is on the floor. I personally don't even like to use buckets - I prefer to tip the feed on the floor or on top of their hay.
You said she doesn't eat off the ground once she's spilt it? I think she's just being fussy... I'm sure if you just left her, and she was hungry enough, she would eat it eventually! Some horses are just fussy because they know their owners go soft on them ;)
 
A few of you have mentioned putting the bucket in a tyre, which would be a perfect solution. However her current stable is small!!! So I wouldn't want to stick a tyre in there permanantely and take up even more room. The good news is - we are on the move on Saturday and her new stable is much bigger. I will try putting a tyre in the stable - she will probably freak out at first though until she gets used to it. She had a hissy fit when I replaced her broken black bucket for a blue one - obviously a case of the dragons hiding in it again!!

The decision to move was made after I bought one of the over door feeders tho':mad:.... yet another item for Ebay!
 
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