"I wanted to share how happy I am with the Hay Pillow. I purchased the Hay Pillow four months ago for a horse that was confined to a stall for a couple of months after an eye infection and surgery. His stall had no manger so this seemed a good way to feed his hay, especially considering he's a bit metabolic and slow feeding is helpful. I found your product after a conversation with my horse's eye surgeon, Dr. Megan Gallagher, University of Missouri. We were discussing safely confining my horse (with lavage system and protective visor), keeping him sane, and the plethora of products marketed to owners when she mentioned that the Hay Pillow looked interesting although she had not tried it.
Here is what happened:
- He enjoyed/enjoys pulling his hay out of the pillow. At first I thought it was the novelty, but it has never worn off!
- The slow feeding kept him happily engaged through the long confinement in his stall. He ignored toys.
- He prefers pulling his hay from the Hay Pillow to eating loose hay. Same hay. This is consistent behavior, indoors or out.
- Slow feeding is good for his gut and metabolism, but using the Hay Pillow doesn't frustrate him (my concern).
- The Hay Pillow has proven to be durable. No issues. The pull tab on the zipper is just right.
- It's easier to fill than I imagined. Thanks for the video instruction.
- It keeps the stall cleaner.
- Because he doesn't have his head down in a manger, he's not breathing as much dust from his hay.
- It's moveable. He likes to arrange the Hay Pillow near the window so he can eat and see what's going on outside.
- After his confinement ended, I found the Hay Pillow great for carrying a few beats of hay out to the pasture. Tidy and easy to handle.
But wait, there's more!
There is a second horse who is pretty much an opposite of the first. This one is a finicky, slow eater who wastes a lot of hay and likes to chew wood as a hobby. I decided to test the Hay Pillow with him, too. Here is what happened:
- He also enjoys the engagement of pulling hay out of the pillow. I've let him use it for a week and the novelty hasn't worn off.
- He actually eats a little more hay. Maybe because it's more interesting or the activity more closely resembles grazing or hay stays cleaner? Don't know, but it's a good thing for this guy.
- He doesn't waste hay by scattering it through the bedding until it's unusable.
- I haven't detected any new wood chewing this week even while though he was confined during some rainy weather this week. A miracle?
The Hay Pillow has performed far beyond my original expectation when I purchased it for a confined horse with no manger! Thanks for a great product for both horse and owner." - Lisette