Initial Impact of Different Feeding Methods on Feed Intake Time in Stabled Icelandic Horses.
Authors: Ragnarsson Sveinn, Víkingsdóttir Sigríður Vaka, Stefánsdóttir Guðrún Jóhanna
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Horses naturally spend considerable time foraging, yet stabled animals typically consume their daily rations far more rapidly than would occur at pasture, raising welfare concerns about behavioural restriction and potential metabolic consequences. Ragnarsson and colleagues conducted a Latin square crossover trial with four Icelandic horses to compare feed intake times across four delivery methods: haynets, hayballs, metal corner mangers, and box floor feeding, using 7 kg of high-energy haylage split into two meals per day. Feeding from haynets or hayballs significantly extended intake time to approximately 94–96 minutes per kilogramme of dry matter, compared with just 81–85 minutes from mangers or the floor—a meaningful 13% increase in daily feeding duration that more closely approximates natural foraging behaviour. These findings suggest that practitioners seeking to improve the welfare of stabled horses need not implement expensive management changes; simply switching from conventional feeders to hayballs or haynets represents a practical, cost-effective intervention that extends eating time substantially. For farriers, veterinarians, and nutritionists advising on stabling systems, this work reinforces the importance of feeding method as a legitimate welfare and possibly digestive-health consideration, particularly for horses spending extended periods confined to boxes.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Switch from floor or manger feeding to haynets or hayball feeders to extend daily eating time by approximately 12 minutes per kg of dry matter, helping stabled horses approach natural foraging duration
- •This simple management modification requires no special equipment beyond common haynet or hayball options, making it an easily implementable welfare improvement
- •Extended feed intake time supports natural equine behavior and may improve digestive and behavioral health in stabled horses
Key Findings
- •Feed intake time per kg DM was significantly shorter from manger or box floor (81-85 min) compared to haynet or hayball (94-96 min; p < 0.05)
- •Feeding haylage in hayball or haynet increased feed intake time by 13% per day (12 min/kg DM/day) compared to traditional feeding methods
- •Latin square experimental design across 4 days with 4 Icelandic horses fed 7 kg high-energy haylage in two meals demonstrated measurable behavioral differences