Do these bags slow horses down?Updated a year ago

There was a lot of research done to optimize hole size so that horses do not have to peck at the bag, as that can strain neck, poll, and back muscles. The thinking behind the solid bag is that most of the bag has *no* holes, whereas a 1-inch haynet has smaller openings but there are openings all over the place. This essentially means the hay surface area in a solid bag with 3-inch holes is actually much less than for a 1-inch net of the same dimensions. Less surface area means less opportunity to eat out of it since the hay moves around in the bag and does not stay just in front of the holes.

There are also ways to configure the bags so they are harder to eat from. In particular, the snack and half size bags spin around if hung away from the wall, making it even MORE difficult for the horse to get a bite. When these are ground-fed they roll, so the horse has to move it just to the right spot to get something out (like a puzzle). All of the bags are much harder to eat out of when they are less full than if the hay is packed in very tightly. That said, every horse is different, so some will certainly be able to eat through the bags faster than others. Offering a smaller hole is something we may consider in the future.