Benefits of slow feeding

Natural behavour

Stabled routine

The way we approach feeding horses today is very different from their natural behaviour, where they would spend: 

60% grazing

40% exhibiting other natural herd behaviours

Many horse owners feed high-energy concentrate meals 2 to 3 times a day with little hay available, leaving the average stabled horse spending: 

10% feeding 

90% exhibiting other behaviours

Limited access to hay can multiply heart rates by up to 4 at the time of feeding¹, and can lead to laminitis, gastric ulcers, colic, obesity and stable vices².Horses are trickle-feeders and the health of their gastrointestinal tract and overall well-being is dependent on the consumption of small, regular meals throughout the day and night. Slow-feeding allows to increase the intake by 2-3 times, which helps reduce digestive, metabolism and stable vice issues¹.

Feeding hay at a natural pace: that's pure horse sense

The scientifically-designed Haygain Forager, developed in cooperation with Nottingham Trent University and the Royal Agricultural University, bridges the gap between natural behaviour and stable routine by regulating your horse’s eating pace. 


It comes with two different hay regulators (patent pending), which have apertures of different shapes and sizes. These help your horse to naturally forage around by pulling the hay through the various holes a bit at a time, without causing stress - just like grazing in nature!

Benefits of slow feeding with the Forager


✓ Regulates the pace at which your horse eats 

✓ Encourages a natural feeding position 

✓ Saves you time and money: Keeping hay and bedding separate, improving stable hygiene, limiting wastage, allowing quick and easy filling and cleaning

1. Hallam, S., Campbell, E.P., Qazamel, M., Owen, H. and Ellis, A.D., (2012). Effects of traditional versus novel feeding management on 24 hour time budget of stabled horses. In Forages and grazing inhorse nutrition. EAAP Publication No.128. Wageningen Academic Publishers.2. Cooper J., Albentosa M., (2005). Behavioural adaptation in the domestic horse: potential role of apparently abnormal responses including stereotypic behaviour. Livestock Production Science 92 (2005) 177 – 182. Animal Behaviour, Cognition and Welfare Group, Department of Biology, Lincolnshire School of Agriculture, University of Lincoln, Riseholme Park, Riseholme, Lincolnshire LN2 2LG, UK.