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Benefits Of Using Slow Feeders For Horses

By Walter Murphy


When it comes to feeding your horses with food, you are required to know the right supplies to give them. Their consumption should be small amounts of fodder over a long time. This is because these animals have complex digestive systems that require them to feed continually. No matter the type of feed you give your equines, you need to do it appropriately. An excellent option to take is utilizing the use of slow feeders for horses to enjoy the advantages highlighted in this article.

Since equines are created to eat regularly, they may experience different levels of stress associated with feeding. This stress leads to an increase in a hormone called cortisol. If cortisol increases, it leads to the rise in insulin, which causes storage of fat in the body. The stored fat results in obesity in equines. The best way to alleviate the possibility of being obese is by using this feeding program.

Another advantage of this feeding program is that it plays a significant role in preventing ulcers. This is due to the slow feeding habit that makes the production of saliva increase. Saliva is alkaline, and this nature makes it neutralize the gastric acids in the stomach. This prevents the acid from damaging the walls, thus preventing ulcers.

For food to be adequately digested, enough time is required. Through this program, this factor is highly appreciated and put into consideration. With proper digestion, cases like constipation will not occur, and the general health of the horse will improve. Continuous feeding is a suitable way of making sure that there is a balance between the harmful and beneficial bacteria inside the stomach of the animal.

With equines, food is always their primary focus. This means that, if they do not have enough food throughout, they can get involved in unpleasant behavior like cribbing or stall kicking. A horse sleeps not longer than fifteen to twenty minutes and can only sleep for up to four hours in a day. Therefore, the best trick of keeping them occupied and eliminate boredom is by developing a slow system of feeding them.

The feeders prevent trampling of hay by equines or blowing by the wind. If hay is spread all over the field, the animals may trample on it and might not eat afterward. In other cases, the hay forage gets blown away by the wind. In such a situation, the program is ideal since the food is contained. This helps in low or no wastage.

Since these creatures are animals of prey, they highly depend on their seeing and sound senses to detect their predators. Locking them up for long may, in turn, make them feel unsafe, causing a negative effect on their feeding behavior. Since the feeder is usually placed in open places, these animals feel safe while they are eating. It will also ensure your animals are feeding appropriately, improving their health.

These animals are aggressive when eating. Thus, the dominating equines may prevent others from eating if you put their food in one place. Feeders allow you to set the hay in several locations so that all the equines can eat peacefully. If you have an equine that needs additional calories, you can give them a feeder with wet hay and allow it to join the rest later.




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