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Wentworth Hunter Pace - June 6, 2021

After Margaret and I had such a fun time at the fall hunter pace, we opted to go again this spring! This time, while I rode Rejoice again, Margaret rode her horse Jester and had a friend ride Ladyhawke. All Kennebec Morgans!! Jester and Rejoice have the same dam and Jester and Lady share the same sire. Unfortunately instead of a lovely late spring day, we had one of the first intensely hot and humid days of the year. It was definitely a bummer, but the ride was mostly in the shade of the woods and we had a great time!  most of the fences were 3' coops but we found a small log and this hay to jump haha Until we didn't. 😑 We brought along a third friend who rode Margaret's older mare, Ladyhawke. She's a good rider but hasn't known Ladyhawke for very long and didn't realize how much of a cranky boss mare she could be at times. She kicked Jester right in the front leg just about halfway through the ride, and while the cut itself ended up not being a big deal in the

Product Review: Savvy Feeder

Thanks to Jen at Cob Jockey for writing a review on the Savvy Feeder, I was inspired to buy one for Dreamy to use in her paddock.  While Dreamy eats every single spear of hay in her stall overnight, she wastes hay like crazy when turned out.  At 27 years old, she needs to eat all her hay and at $5.50 a bale for gorgeous second crop, I don't want to see it wasted.  I don't have a spot in her paddock to hang a hay net like the one I use for Ellie, plus the slow feeder nets make her eat less hay (she doesn't like to work any harder than she has to) and the regular sized holes make a lot of hay fall out, so it kinda defeats the purpose of not wasting hay.

Right before my son was born about three years ago, I purchased a DIY kit from Slow Grazer, which included the wire grate and written instructions for a hay feeder.  We never got around to building the hay feeder that summer (because LIFE), and then when I decided it was time to build it about a year later, I could not find the darn paper instructions.  My several attempts to contact the company about getting new instructions (even offering to PAY for a new set) were ignored, so I pretty much gave up.  Plus, I started to think that maybe the wire grate wasn't a great (haha) idea and could cause damage to her teeth. Anyone want a stupid wire grate thing???  Uggg.

So, this winter as I watched her waste hay outside and cringed, it just so happened that Jen wrote her review.  It got me thinking, since here was a pretty much indestructible box that was already built and did NOT have a wire grate.  I never want to pay full price for anything, so I was able to secure one of the "factory seconds" with the company, and I waited a week until they had a sale.

This thing is really cool.  Even though it was sold as a factory second, there is not a blemish on the thing.  This one is the large grate, which seems to work fine for Dreamy.  The first day I put it out in the paddock, I pulled a bunch of hay out of the top so she understood the idea.  She definitely looked at it a little at first, not in a spooked way but more of her classic WTF have you done now, human? exasperated way.  Because the idea was not to slow her down but to simply waste less hay, I didn't need a smaller grate.


I swear it doesn't look this beat up in person, but now that I look at the pic I can see Dreamy has scuffed it haha.  It is also a bit dirty because I flip it over onto its top of fill it, but whatever. 
It fills easily and when I do refill it, all of the "extra" little bit on the bottom rises to the top since you tip it over and fill it from the bottom.  I generally have put three to four good sized flakes in the box, but I could probably fit more.  Dreamy hasn't moved it at all, but she is also not a destructive horse, so I am not worried that she will destroy it.  There is usually a small bit of hay on the ground around the box at the end of the day, but it is such a small amount that it is not a huge deal.  Plus, I pick her paddock daily, so I just rake the hay up too.

If you are looking for an excellent alternative to using a hay net, this is a super product.  While I have used it outside, I know others use it in a stall with success as well.  Their customer service is excellent, so I know if the grate eventually needs to be replaced (or anything else), I can imagine it will be easy to buy a replacement part.  The only thing I can complain about is one day I was rushing while filling the box and caught my finger on the spring latch.  This is not the company's fault, of course, but my own stupidity, and while it smarted for a few minutes, it didn't leave a mark haha.


Dirty horse enjoys her breakfast this morning.  You can see the amount of "wasted" hay I didn't rake up last night (too busy!).  Any leftovers also fall out slightly when I flip it over to be filled.

Comments

  1. Jen ought to be getting kickbacks from the company, you're the second person I know to get one after her review 😂 they look super cool, I'm glad it's working so well for Dreamy! (And your wallet, since she's wasting less $$ hay!)

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    1. Right!?! She definitely should get something haha. I initially choked at spending the amount I did, even with the discounts, but I know I am saving money in the long run!!

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    2. Haha, I'm firmly on the amateur train and don't want kickbacks, just glad I was able to help someone, and I'm glad you're happy with it! You're so lucky she doesn't move it around, the only thing I don't like about Connor with it is that he moves it all the way around his stall at night, destroying his otherwise easy-to-clean stall. But overall I still like it.

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    3. Hahaha from one AA to another, I hear you! :-)

      Yeah, I can see that him moving it would be a pain. Now that I brag about her not destroying it, she will probably bust it in half today LOL!

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  2. $5.50 for gorgeous hay? I'm envious!! I pay $7-8 for small square bales of fescue or bermuda.

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    1. Yeah, we definitely luck out on hay prices, as our hay guy is our neighbor and literally kicks the bales into the hay wagon and drives it up to our barn so we can unload it! :-)

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    2. Also jealous. My orchard bales are $10 - $12 and located three hours away.

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