6 Best Slow Feed Wall Feeders For Easy Keepers to Reduce Hay Waste
Slow feed wall feeders help manage an easy keeper’s weight and reduce hay waste. Explore our top 6 picks for a healthier horse and a tidier stable.
You’ve seen it a hundred times: a perfect flake of hay, tossed into a stall, is immediately shaken, pawed through, and used as bedding. For the owner of an easy keeper, this is more than just wasted money; it’s a management nightmare. You’re trying to carefully manage calories, but your horse is either bolting their meal in ten minutes or soiling half of it.
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Why Slow Feeders Benefit Your Easy Keeper
An easy keeper is a horse that maintains or gains weight on a surprisingly small amount of feed. While it sounds like a good problem to have, it means you’re constantly walking a tightrope to prevent obesity and related health issues like laminitis or metabolic syndrome. Simply cutting back their hay ration isn’t a great solution, as it can lead to an empty stomach for long periods, increasing the risk of ulcers and colic.
This is where slow feeders change the game. By forcing your horse to work for each bite, they extend meal times significantly, mimicking the natural trickle-feeding behavior of grazing. This keeps their digestive system working consistently and reduces the boredom that can lead to stall vices like cribbing or weaving.
More than just a health tool, a good wall-mounted slow feeder is a massive hay saver. When hay is contained and can only be pulled out in small wisps, it doesn’t get dropped, trampled, and mixed into the bedding. For a hobby farmer, reducing hay waste directly impacts your bottom line, stretching your hay budget further through the season.
The HayChix Free Up Feeder: Simple and Safe
The HayChix feeder is one of the most straightforward and popular options on the market for a reason. It’s essentially a specialized, durable hay net mounted on a simple wall bracket. You unclip the net, fill it on the ground, and clip it back up—it’s a quick and easy process for daily chores.
Its biggest advantage is safety and simplicity. The netting is a knotless, high-density material that is less likely to fray or snag a tooth or halter clip. The design keeps the hay securely against the wall, preventing a horse from getting a leg tangled, which is a common concern with free-hanging nets.
This feeder is an excellent choice for the average horse in a standard stall. However, it may not be the best fit for a particularly destructive horse who views any net as a personal challenge. While durable, it’s still a net, and a determined chewer could eventually cause damage.
High Country Plastics Feeder: A Solid Corner Fit
If you have a horse that’s tough on equipment, the High Country Plastics Feeder is built like a tank. This is a heavy-duty, molded plastic feeder designed to mount securely in a corner. The hay is placed inside the bin, and a durable metal grate sits on top, requiring the horse to pull small bites through the openings.
The key benefit here is extreme durability and containment. There’s no net to chew and no way for the horse to fling hay out of the feeder. Everything stays inside the box, making it one of the best options for minimizing all forms of waste. It’s a "set it and forget it" solution that will last for years.
The main tradeoff is its permanence. Once you bolt this to your stall walls, it’s there to stay. It also has a larger footprint than a simple net system, which might be a consideration in a smaller stall. It’s an investment, but for the right horse—especially a messy or destructive one—it solves a lot of problems permanently.
Tough-1 Collapsible Hay Hoop: A Space Saver
The Tough-1 Hay Hoop offers a clever solution for tight spaces. It’s a wall-mounted metal ring that swings open to hold a standard hay net and then latches shut. When the net is empty, the hoop can be collapsed flat against the wall, keeping it out of the way.
This design is ideal for high-traffic areas, narrow barn aisles, or smaller stalls where every inch of space counts. It also makes filling nets much easier; you don’t have to wrestle with a drawstring while holding a heavy net. Just open the hoop, drop the filled net in, and close it.
The effectiveness of this system depends heavily on the hay net you pair it with. You can choose a net with tiny holes for a very fast eater or larger holes for a more patient horse. The moving parts of the hoop itself are generally sturdy, but it’s one more thing that could potentially wear out over time compared to a solid-state feeder.
Porta-Grazer Wall Feeder: Mimics Natural Grazing
The Porta-Grazer is unique because it’s designed to encourage a natural, head-down grazing position. The wall-mounted model is essentially a tall barrel with a pan-like grate that sits on top of the hay. As the horse eats, the grate lowers, allowing them to "graze" all the way to the bottom.
This head-down posture is better for a horse’s respiratory system, as it allows dust and debris to drain from the nasal passages naturally. It also promotes proper jaw alignment and more even tooth wear. The solid-sided design means zero hay gets pulled out and wasted on the floor.
The Porta-Grazer is a premium option with a price tag to match. Its bulky, cylindrical shape also takes up a fair amount of stall space. But for owners prioritizing the most natural eating posture and maximum waste reduction, it’s one of the most effective designs available.
Freedom Feeder Corner Net for All-Day Foraging
For those who want to provide forage around the clock, the Freedom Feeder corner net is a fantastic large-capacity option. These nets are designed to hold multiple flakes or even a small portion of a bale, providing a continuous supply of hay for your horse to nibble on throughout the day and night.
The primary benefit is promoting constant gut motility and reducing mental stress. A horse with access to forage 24/7 is less likely to develop ulcers or anxiety-related behaviors. The corner installation keeps it safely tucked out of the way, and the large size means you might only have to fill it once a day or even every other day, depending on your horse’s needs.
Filling a large net can be a bit more cumbersome than a small one, but it’s a trade-off for less frequent work. This system is perfect for a dry lot or a stall situation where you want to simulate constant grazing access while still controlling intake and preventing waste.
Savvy Feeder Teffy T-11 for Finer Grass Hays
Not all hay is created equal, and not all slow feeders can handle every type. If you feed fine-stemmed grasses like Teff or some coastal varieties, you know the frustration of watching it fall right through standard net openings. The Savvy Feeder Teffy T-11 is purpose-built to solve this exact problem.
This feeder is a solid box with a specially designed grate. The grate openings are long and narrow, making it easy for a horse to grab the fine hay without letting it all slip through. This drastically reduces the pile of "hay dust" and wasted leaves that can accumulate under other feeders.
While it excels with fine hays, it might be less ideal for very coarse, stemmy hay, as it could be harder for the horse to pull through the narrow slots. This feeder is a specialist’s tool. If you’re feeding Teff to manage your easy keeper’s sugar intake, this feeder ensures your investment in that specific hay doesn’t end up as expensive bedding.
Matching Feeder to Your Horse and Hay Type
There is no single "best" slow feeder; the right choice depends entirely on your specific situation. Don’t just buy the most popular model. Instead, think through these key factors to find the perfect match for your farm.
First, consider your horse’s personality. Is he a gentle, patient eater or a destructive force of nature who sees every object as a chew toy? A simple net system like the HayChix might be perfect for the former, while the High Country Plastics feeder is a much safer bet for the latter.
Next, look at your hay and your stall.
- Hay Type: Fine Teff hay requires a specialized grate like the Savvy Feeder, while coarse alfalfa works well in most net or grate systems.
- Stall Space: A small stall benefits from a space-saver like the Tough-1 Hay Hoop, whereas a large corner is perfect for a permanent fixture.
- Health Goals: If promoting a natural head-down posture is your top priority, the Porta-Grazer is the clear winner. If you want to provide 24/7 forage, a large-capacity Freedom Feeder is the way to go.
Finally, be honest about your own routine. Do you prefer a quick, twice-a-day fill or a larger, once-a-day chore? Your answer will guide you toward the right capacity. By matching the feeder to your horse, your hay, and your management style, you can find a solution that works for everyone.
Choosing the right wall feeder is more than just a convenience—it’s a powerful management tool. It allows you to support your easy keeper’s health, reduce frustrating hay waste, and ultimately save time and money. By investing in the right equipment, you’re making a smart choice for the long-term well-being of your horse and the efficiency of your farm.
