Hay Rack: Offer Forage to Your Horse Clean and Protected

Hay Rack: Keeping the Hay Clean

A hay rack keeps forage off the ground, where it would otherwise end up in bedding, droppings and mud. This keeps the hay cleaner and your horse eats less sand with it. Depending on the design, the rack also slows down eating speed, for example with a slow feed grid or narrow feeding openings. There are suitable racks for the stable wall, the corner, the paddock and the field.

Finding the right design

In the stable and on the paddock fence, a wall hay rack saves space, while a corner hay rack makes use of the angle between two walls. Large-capacity racks hold plenty of hay and suit open barns where you do not want to refill constantly. Square bale feeders with feeding barriers stand freely in the paddock and feed several horses at once. Round bale feeders are designed for whole bales, some with a roof so the hay stays dry even in the rain.

Setting up safely and securely

A firm, level base is important. For the Ulina, Pidero and Lento large-capacity hay racks there is a matching base on which the rack stands raised and stable. There should be enough space around the rack for lower-ranking horses to move out of the way. Feeding barriers with safety openings reduce the risk of a horse getting its head stuck. Check screws, edges and bars regularly for damage.

Frequently asked questions

Should the hay in the rack be at head height or lower?
Horses naturally eat with their heads lowered, which is why low racks or racks on a base are popular. Racks hung too high let dust and stalks fall into eyes and nose. The closer the eating height is to the natural posture, the more relaxed your horse eats.

How many horses can share one hay rack?
That depends on the size and the number of feeding places. As a rule of thumb, there should be at least as many feeding places as horses, preferably a few more, so lower-ranking horses can eat in peace too. For larger groups, several racks in different places make sense.

How often do I need to clean a hay rack?
Old, damp hay leftovers at the bottom of the rack are best removed before you refill with fresh hay. Otherwise mould and dust soon build up there. Once a year, a thorough clean including a check of the bars and fixings is worthwhile.