Hay!

So, the hay saga continues.

Ashke has learned to pee outside in the big pile of sand and shavings, which keep the pee from splashing on his legs. But they still have to maintain the pile of sand and shavings. He has not reverted to just peeing outside. He is peeing in shavings which just happen to be outside.

As far as the barn hay goes, the BO talked to me about a slow feeder tub, so he wouldn't be able to yank big flakes of hay out of the tub and scatter them on the floor. It sounded like a great idea right up to the point where I realized those slow feeder tubs run 300 - 400 dollars each. Yeah, that's not happening. So I started researching DIY options.

I spied with my little eye . . . . .

Parachute cord.

(If you don't have this laying around your house, you should. Not too expensive and there is a ton of stuff you can do with it.)

PVC pipe on the patio.

(Tongue twisters for the bored.)

Wire in the basement from when we got the puppies and I made a cage until I could order one off the internet. (PSA. Cages made of this type of wire and open at the top do not really work as containment.) 

Arresto Momentum

I gathered my items, got a pair of sturdy wire cutters and set to work. There were two pieces of PVC already at a length I thought would work and I cut a piece of wire that width. Then I drilled a couple of holes at each end of the PVC, duct taped the wire to the PVC and started tying the wire to the PVC with the parachute cord. Once the cord was secure and tight, I wrapped each section with duct tape.

It turned out pretty awesome, in my opinion. However, since I was eyeballing the length and width off of a brief glimpse of the feed tub, it ended up being a tad long. I took it back home and shortened it by eight inches or so, then ran back out there tonight.

The feed bag was empty and there was some hay in the feed bin, some hay on the floor and a very happy horse when he realized it was me. I scooped up the hay that was in the feed bin and put my slow feeder grid on top.

It fit pretty good, but he refused to try and eat from it while I was there.

It has been the BO's opinion that he is throwing hay on the ground, not because he is expressing his opinion of the hay, but he is frantic to be close to the mare he is housed next to and is dropping his hay as he is chasing her from the stall to the run. I took the slow feeder bag and loaded it with four flakes. If he is getting enough forage from the barn, he should just pick at this hay. When I walked into his stall he attacked the slow bag in his eagerness. He was snatching bites from the bag as I walked down to the end of his run. He stood there and tried to eat while I was hanging the bag. While I was trying to get the carabiner set correctly so when the bag was empty he couldn't tangle his feet in it, my hand slipped and my arm flailed. He jerked away and threw his head into the air. (I didn't touch him, just swung my arm.) This might mean he is still nervous about the place or it might mean he's being hit. I really hope it's not the latter. 

Four or five flakes in the bag. Snow on the way.

Ashke stayed out to eat while I went back into the stall to mess with the grid. If it doesn't work, then I will order another bag off of amazon for the barn to use until I get him moved again. Despite what the barn owner thinks, Ashke stayed outside eating while both mares on either side of him stayed inside to eat. Then he came in to see what I was doing. I was on the outside of the stall and he lifted his nose to me, so I kissed it. He started twitching his upper lip, trying to pull my face and mouth closer to him. I let him rub his lip across my cheek while I gave him kisses. I think I must have frustrated him, because once I moved closer he began licking my chin.

I went home covered in slobber, hoping my invention keeps his hay in his belly.