How to feed a horse for a month in two minutes

Demonstrating how we slow feed our two horses for two weeks (or one horse for a month). Each horse eats about 30 pounds or 14kg of hay a day. The hay bale weighs about 800 pounds (360kg) and is the maximum we can move by hand easily by flipping it. We flip it instead of roll it, so it doesn't get away from us down the hill (ask me how I know).

The giant hay net we place over the bale is made from durable polypropylene netting which has been UV stabilized, and is available from many retailers (some Canadian ones are NAG bags, Sherwood Equine Products, Purely Ponies, and Handy Hay Nets). I made the black ring that the hay net is attached to out of flexible water pipe, a grey pressure fit pipe connector, and hose clamps (first, I filled the pipe with sand, using a funnel, to weigh it down). I then used twine to attach it to the hay net. This method avoids having to put the net on and then flip the bale to cinch it up. I can now just place the hoop/net over the bale, put the metal hay feeder on, and be done! The metal hay feeder prevents the horses from pawing the net, although they sometimes put holes in it with their teeth, which I close up using zip ties (I used to sew them shut with twine, but zip ties are much faster). Sometimes when the bale is nearly gone, I have to remove the metal ring so they can get at the last of the hay.

I don't have footage of the horses eating out of the net, but they are very adept at pulling the hay through the holes. I love that they are able to eat as often as they like, and they consume about the same amount I would feed them if I were to throw them loose hay from square bales. Because they are not burying their heads in the round bale, they are not at risk for respiratory issues like traditional round bale feeding can cause.