Product News

The round bale set up without tarp shows the easily made structure.

Slowfeeder Haynets now in round bale size

Since we had several requests for round bale nets, we decided to make some and have been trialling them for a few months now with good results. In fact I can see why some people prefer to use round bales as they are cheaper than the equivalent in small squares, and it means less hay handling on a daily basis. The down side to large rounds is the wastage as horses can really make a mess of a bale that is not contained. Even in a bale feeder they toss it out and trample some.

Happily sharing hay that stays dry under the tarp.

With the round bale Slowfeeder net there was minimal waste (I peeled off the wet mouldy section where it had been sitting on the ground = to 1 chaff bag full) and it lasted exactly seven days with four horses relying on it as their main food source (minimal pasture). The four horses would usually consume 14 small square bales (in slowfeeder nets) in a week which at $3.50 a bale cost price = $49.  The round bales cost me $40.
The only downside I can see is that if it rains, the bale needs to have a cover although some horses will eat wet hay so long as it doesn’t go mouldy. So I designed a dome cover that was easy to make from readily found materials (all were on hand at our place) easy to erect, light to move and so far it hasn’t blown away (a dome shape is the strongest against wind)!  Of course there’s also the usual manure removal but in a concentrated area – its faster to pick up.
The exact materials, lengths and how the shelter is built are given on the new Slowfeeder page here.
The Round Bale nets are now available for $99 + shipping by email order only as we will need measurements for your size round bales to get the best fit.  Click here to get a Slowfeeder Net from the Natural Horse World Store.

This video shows how the horses chomp their way through all that hay while sharing space happily and feeling safe in their own sections.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Natural Feeder

New Hayfeeder in the USA

The Natural Feeder®  (patent pending) is Slow Feeding at its Best! This new equine forgaging system allows 2 horses  to feed continuous, yet restricted amounts of hay for up to 24 hours! This is a great solution to hay wastage and being portable, can be moved to reduce wear spots on your pasture, or positioned on a gravel pad for the winter. Have a look at their website here.

Organic Herbal Support

During changes of season, or any major changes in their lives, a horse’s immune system is stressed and by providing herbal support a these times we can reduce or eliminate the development of serious health conditions. As they say ‘prevention is better than cure’ ! Here are a couple of good organic herbal products that I can recommend.

Roseneath Organics Equine Shield products include Olive Horse – specifically formulated to support both immune and digestive systems. It contains a synergistic blend of effective botanicals and natural extracts such as Olive Leaf, Cats Claw, Echinacea, Licorice, ginger and more. Traditionally, Olive leaf extracts have been used to assist digestion and non-specific immune function. It may also help reduce depression, anxiety and tension. Any time a horse’s immune or digestive system is under stress such as when competing, travelling,  changing feeds or places they live  and during recovery from illness, this product may be very beneficial.

The new range of Brookby Herbs Organic liquid products now in my online store, includes  Immune Booster Plus (recovery) - Useful in the treatment of respiratory problems such as viral coughs and colds. It is an excellent recovery tonic and has even helped with clearing up a bad case of greasy heel.

The LightRider English style in Beta Biothane

New Regular Beta Biothane LightRider Bitless Bridles

With a  change of manufacturer I have finally been able to produce a top quality yet affordable product that I’m very happy with.
The new Regular Beta Biothane is made in the USA – the same as the beta biothane used for the Deluxe bridles. The major difference is their place of manufacture – the Regular bridles are made in India by one of the best factories so labour is cheaper and therefore the price is reduced accordingly ($99 for the English and Stockhorse styles). All fittings are top quality brass or stainless steel on both Regular and Deluxe bridles.
I will continue to sell the Deluxe Beta Biothane bridles for those who would prefer an Australian made product – these are made in Tasmania by a professional saddler and have the antigall padding and additional stitching on the cheeks.  They retail for $165 in the English and Stockhorse style and $185 for the Western Style which has fancy buckles and a horsehair browband.

For those who have been waiting patiently I now have stocks of the English and Stockhorse bridles in black Regular Beta Biothane and in the near future they will also come in dark brown. Click here to go direct to the store for these.

Tan Brown Bitless Nosebands and Bridles back in stock

The leather bitless range now includes tan brown so we have cob, full and warmblood Bitless Nosebands with stainless or brass fittings, along with cob and full Stockhorse Bridles with brass fittings.

Full size Bitless Nosebands in black leather and Regular Beta  Biothane are on their way and should be back in stock  by the end of April.

Store Tip: To see what is available in stock, make your size, material and colour selection and then the number available will be shown. The drop down menus will only indicate which colours/materials each product comes in.

Go direct to the Online store here.