The Science Behind Slow Feeders: 7 Research-Backed Benefits for Your Horse's Health

Last Updated: February 9, 2026

Based on: 5 peer-reviewed studies and expert analysis from Kentucky Equine Research, University of Turin, Colorado State University, University of Bern, and UConn Extension

Target Keywords: benefits of slow feeders for horses, why use slow feeder for horses, are slow feeders good for horses, horse slow feeding research

2-Minute Version (Read This First)

1) What is the core issue?

Most horses are built to graze for many hours. Modern feeding often gives larger meals with long gaps.

2) Why is that important?

When forage gaps get too long, you see more digestive stress, behavior problems, and unstable weight control.

3) What should you do next?

• Use slow feeding to stretch forage time across the day.
• Prioritize setups your horse will actually use calmly.
• Treat this article as a decision tool: each research section ends with what to do in real life.

How to Use This Article (Fast Path)

If you only have a few minutes, start with the section that matches your immediate problem:

• Horse finishes hay too quickly -> go to Benefit #1
• Horse gets pushy or tense in group feeding -> go to Benefit #6
• Horse gains weight easily -> go to Benefit #7
• You are worried about safety/teeth/frustration -> go to “What About Potential Concerns?”

Think of this article as a practical decision map, not a textbook.

Introduction: Why Science Says Slow Feeding Matters

Horses are built for “little and often” eating. In plain terms, their gut works best when forage keeps coming in over many hours, not in a few big feeding bursts.

Modern routines often do the opposite: larger meals, long empty gaps, and less forage access. That mismatch is where many gut, weight, and behavior problems begin.

The practical takeaway: slow feeders can close that gap by extending eating time, lowering waste, and making day-to-day behavior steadier.

Below are 7 research-backed benefits, translated into what you can actually do in the barn.

Where This Advice Comes From (Plain English)

If you are short on time: this guide is based on a small set of high-value studies we can actually apply in day-to-day horse management:

Benefit #1: Extended Feeding Time (Up to 61% Longer)

The Science

One of the most well-documented benefits of slow feeders is their ability to significantly extend feeding time.

“One study showed that feeding time was extended by up to 61% compared to ground feeding by using a partially filled haynet.” — Catherine Whitehouse, M.S., Kentucky Equine Research

Research by Bordin et al. (2024) found that when comparing four feeding methods—ground feeding, fully filled haynets, partially filled haynets, and hay boxes—ponies fed from the ground had a significantly higher intake rate than those fed using slow feeders.

The partially filled haynet resulted in the lowest intake rate, effectively slowing consumption the most.

Why It Matters

Extended feeding time means:

• Horses spend more time engaged in natural foraging behavior
• Less time standing idle in stalls
• Better alignment with their evolved “trickle feeding” digestive system

Key Data Points

Benefit #2: Mimics Natural Foraging Behavior (50%+ Time Budget)

The Science

Wild and feral horses spend approximately 50-60% of their day foraging. Research shows that slow feeders can replicate this natural time budget even in domesticated settings.

A study by Seabra et al. (2023) at Colorado State University divided 15 polo horses into three groups:

1. Box feeder (automatic, 6 one-hour meals/day)
2. Traditional V feeder (unlimited access)
3. Slow feeder (haynet over square bale, unlimited access)

Key Finding:

“Horses in both the free-choice and slow-feeder treatment groups were able to spend more than 50% of their day foraging, generating a time distribution like feral horses in their natural environment.” — Seabra et al. (2023)

The PLoS One Study (2025)

The landmark cross-over study by Roig-Pons et al. (2025) with 18 mares confirmed these findings:

“Horses in the slow-feeding group exhibited activity time budgets resembling natural conditions, while traditional and portioned feeding resulted in time budgets similar to box-stall systems, despite the loose-housing environment.”

Why It Matters

When horses can spend their time naturally—foraging for extended periods—they experience:

• Reduced boredom
• Lower risk of stereotypic behaviors (cribbing, weaving, wood chewing)
• Better mental welfare overall

Benefit #3: Reduced Hay Waste (From 57% Down to 6%)

The Science

Hay waste is a significant concern for horse owners. Research cited by Bordin et al. (2024) indicates that horses can waste up to 57% of loose hay when fed on the ground.

Slow feeders dramatically reduce this waste:

“Horses consumed and wasted more hay from the traditional free feeder than the automatic box feeder and the slow feeder.” — Seabra et al. (2023)

Economic Impact

According to Alabama Cooperative Extension System data referenced in the research, feeding costs represent one of the greatest expenses on horse farms. Reducing waste by even 30-40% can result in substantial annual savings.

Real-World Data

Benefit #4: Lower Risk of Gastric Ulcers

The Science

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is alarmingly prevalent, affecting an estimated 60-90% of performance horses. Multiple studies have identified prolonged fasting as a significant risk factor.

Critical Research Finding:

“Horses fed less than 3 meals per day were 6–7 times more likely to develop equine squamous gastric disease compared to horses fed 3 or more meals per day.” — Banse et al. (2018) & Luthersson et al. (2022), cited in Roig-Pons et al. (2025)

Why Slow Feeders Help

The horse’s stomach continuously secretes acid—regardless of whether food is present. When the stomach is empty, this acid attacks the unprotected squamous (upper) portion of the stomach lining.

Slow feeders address this by:

1. Extending feeding time → Stomach contains food for longer periods
2. Increasing chewing → More saliva production (saliva is alkaline and buffers stomach acid)
3. Reducing fasting intervals → Less time with an empty stomach

“Digestive disturbances such as gastric ulcers, particularly those affecting the squamous portion of the stomach, may be reduced by prolonging feeding times, as the stomach will not be empty for long periods.” — Kentucky Equine Research

Guidelines from Research

“According to the latest recommendations by Harris et al. (2017), horses should be allowed to forage a minimum of eight hours in 24 hours.” — Dr. Andrea Ellis, UNEQUI Ltd.

Benefit #5: Reduced Stereotypic Behaviors

The Science

Stereotypies—repetitive behaviors with no apparent purpose—are indicators of poor welfare. Common examples include:

• Cribbing (biting and sucking air)
• Weaving (swaying side to side)
• Wood chewing
• Stall walking
• Coprophagy (eating manure)

Research consistently links these behaviors to insufficient forage access:

“An epidemiological study also revealed that providing too few hay feeds per day was the primary factor in the development of abnormal repetitive behaviours.” — Lesimple et al. (2016), cited in Roig-Pons (2025)

Slow Feeders as a Solution

Studies show that slow feeders can significantly reduce these behaviors:

“By extending feeding time, slow feeding devices help mimic a horse’s natural foraging behavior, which improves stabled horse’s welfare. Further, the risk of development of stereotypic behaviors such as wood chewing, cribbing, and stall walking may be reduced.” — Catherine Whitehouse, M.S., Kentucky Equine Research

The Seabra et al. (2023) study found that horses fed with slow feeders showed significantly less coprophagy (manure eating) compared to those fed from box feeders with time-restricted access.

Behavior Comparison Across Feeding Methods

Benefit #6: Reduced Aggression in Group Housing

The Science

For horses kept in groups, limited hay availability can increase competition and aggression. This is a critical welfare and safety concern.

Cross-Over Study Findings (Roig-Pons et al., 2025):

The study with 18 mares comparing three feeding strategies found that slow feeding resulted in the lowest aggression levels among all tested methods.

“In our study, portioning into smaller, more frequent meals did not reduce the stress in horses. This highlights the need for further research on portioning strategies to find optimal feeding management. In addition, slow-feeding was a more suitable feeding strategy for horses than portioning.”

Surprising Discovery About Portioned Feeding:

Many horse owners assume that feeding smaller, more frequent meals (rather than two large meals) reduces stress. However, the research suggests otherwise:

“Surprisingly, our results suggest that portioned feeding may be more frustrating for the horses than traditional feeding. Indeed, there was no significant reduction of agonistic behaviours during feeding times in portioned versus traditional feeding.”

Why Slow Feeders Work in Groups

Slow feeders with ad libitum (unlimited) access mean:

• Horses don’t feel the need to compete for a limited resource
• Each horse can eat at their own pace
• The “resource anxiety” that triggers aggression is eliminated

Survey Data on Safety (1,283 Responses)

The large-scale survey by Roig-Pons et al. (2025) found:

“Less than 10% of respondents reported health problems and accidents resulting from the use of slow-feeders.”

Detailed Survey Results:

Net Type vs. Problem Rate:

“Respondents using high vertical nets were significantly more likely to report at least one problem, compared to respondents using other types of nets.” — Roig-Pons et al. (2025)

Quick Takeaway: Expanded Survey Tables (1,283 Respondents)

Survey scope and respondent structure:

Problem report rate breakdown:

Net type signal vs. problem reporting:

Shod-horse safety statistics:

Benefit #7: Weight Management for Easy Keepers

The Science

Obesity is a significant problem in the domestic horse population:

“Around 70% of horses in France and Switzerland are used for leisure purposes only. Thus, these horses have low energy expenditure. Additionally, a large number of horses used for leisure purposes are from so-called ‘easy-keeping’ breeds, which tend to gain weight easily due to their metabolic predispositions.” — Roig-Pons et al. (2025), citing Johnson and Biddle (2021)

Obesity Prevalence:

• 45% of Scottish horses found to be obese (Wyse et al., 2008)
• 32% “overweight” and 19% “obese” in Virginia study (Thatcher et al., 2012)

The Problem with Free-Choice Hay

While ad libitum hay provides excellent welfare benefits, it can lead to overeating in easy keepers:

“Free-fed horses experienced a significantly greater change in weight over the study period compared to the box- and slow-feeder groups.” — Seabra et al. (2023)

How Slow Feeders Solve This

Slow feeders offer a “best of both worlds” solution:

1. Extend feeding time → Better welfare, reduced stereotypies
2. Reduce intake rate → Slower calorie consumption
3. No weight gain → Unlike free-choice feeding

Study Comparison:

“There was no difference in consumption or weight change between horses feeding from the box and slow feeder. However, the box feeder treatment had a negative influence on horse behavior.” — Seabra et al. (2023)

The Survey Confirms

The 1,283-respondent survey found that weight management was the #1 or #2 reason for using slow feeders across all surveyed countries:

“The main reasons for using slow-feeders were waste management, weight reduction, and increased feeding time for horses.”

What About Potential Concerns?

Frustration Behaviors

Yes, some horses do show frustration when using slow feeders—but research suggests this is manageable:

“Frustration behaviors have been observed when using slow feeding devices. Examples include biting and shaking haynets, head pushing, pawing, ears backward or pinned, and even flinging the haynet.” — Kentucky Equine Research

However, the 9-pony study by Bordin et al. (2024) found:

• None of the ponies showed head pushing, striking, or pawing
• These more extreme behaviors were observed in other studies with horses

Key Recommendation:

“Horse owners should be on the lookout for signs of frustration such as backward ear position, pawing or striking with forelimb, and head pushing to easily monitor their horses and modify their management practices.”

Dental Concerns

A common worry is that slow feeders might damage teeth. Research addresses this:

“Two recent studies suggest that hay-net type slow feeders do not negatively impact dental health.” — UConn Extension

Pull Force Research (Ellis et al.):

“The pull pressure on the teeth was equivalent to around 2 kg (4.41 lb) for hay, which was not worrying, but it could go up to 6 kg (13.23 lb) in very resistant forages like haylages.”

Safety with Shod Horses

The survey revealed important safety statistics:

Shod vs. Unshod Horses Using Slow Feeders:

Net Type Preference by Shoeing Status:

“Significantly fewer shod horses were fed with nets (87.5%), compared to unshod horses (97.0%). The type of net used also differed between shod and unshod horses.” — Roig-Pons et al. (2025)

This data confirms that horse owners recognize shod horses face higher entanglement risks with certain types of nets, particularly ground-placed nets.

Optimal Slow Feeder Positioning: What Research Says

Height Matters

Research by Ellis et al. found that haynet height significantly affects horse posture and pull force:

“Key findings of this study were that horses pulled harder on low-hung haynets compared to high-hung haynets. Low-hung haynets created a lot greater posture changes as horses lifted the haynet upwards and had to pull upwards to extract the hay.”

Best Practice:

“Hanging the haynet so its bottom reaches no lower than the shoulder of the horse. We used hangers 30 cm above withers so horses can pull downwards, which allows gravity to help them.” — Dr. Andrea Ellis

Ground-Level Feeders

For the most natural posture, ground-level slow feeders like hay boxes are recommended:

“A ground slow feeder such as the hay box can be a good compromise when looking for a restrictive feeding method and at the same time allowing a natural feeding posture.” — Clara Bordin, MSc, University of Turin

Key Takeaways: The Evidence Summary

Recommendations from the Research

For Individual Horse Owners

1. Start with a correctly positioned slow feeder—bottom no lower than shoulder height
2. Observe your horse for frustration signs during the first 1-2 weeks
3. Choose the right hole size—smaller holes slow intake more but may increase frustration
4. For shod horses, consider container-style feeders over nets on the ground

For Boarding Facilities

Based on survey data, operators using covering nets (nets laid over hay bales) were:

“2.9 times more likely to report a gain of time, compared to operators not using them.”

For Group Housing

“Slow-feeding was a more suitable feeding strategy for horses than portioning. Providing more foraging opportunities can increase the frequency of positive social interactions between horses kept in groups, decrease aggression, promote expression of natural behavior, and decrease the chances of horses developing abnormal behaviors.” — Seabra et al. (2023)

Conclusion: The Science Is Clear

The research is unequivocal: slow feeders deliver measurable benefits for horse health and welfare when implemented correctly.

By extending feeding time, mimicking natural foraging behavior, reducing hay waste, and lowering the risk of ulcers and stereotypic behaviors, slow feeders address many of the welfare challenges inherent in modern horse management.

Whether you choose a simple hay net, a hay box, or a premium engineered feeder, the key is to:

1. Match the device to your horse’s needs
2. Position it correctly
3. Monitor for frustration
4. Allow adequate adaptation time

As Dr. Andrea Ellis advises:

“Haynets hung correctly or doubled up will increase intake time by around 30%, and slow feeders on the ground can also achieve this.”

The science is in. Slow feeding isn’t just a trend—it’s a research-backed approach to better equine care.

References

1. Bordin, C., Greppi, M., Raspa, F., Maccone, E., Harris, P., Ellis, A.D., Bergero, D., & Valle, E. (2024). Feeding behaviour related to different feeding devices. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, 13977.

2. Roig-Pons, M., Bachmann, I., & Briefer Freymond, S. (2025). Impact of feeding strategies on the welfare and behaviour of horses in groups: An experimental study. PLoS One.

3. Roig-Pons, M., Bachmann, I., & Briefer Freymond, S. (2025). Slow-feeding dispensers for horses: Who, how and why? Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 79, 7-18.

4. Seabra, J.C., Hess, T., do Vale, M.M., Spercoski, K.M., Brooks, R., & Dittrich, J.R. (2023). Effects of different hay feeders, availability of roughage on abnormal behaviors and cortisol circadian rhythm in horses kept in dry lots. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 130.

5. Ellis, A.D., Hodgson, R., Jackson, A., et al. (2015). Studies on hay net design and their implications. Various publications.

6. Kentucky Equine Research. (2024). Slow-Feeding Devices: Stresses in Horses Studied. equinews.

7. UConn Extension. (2024). Weight Management in Horses – Slow Feeders.

8. Banse, H., et al. (2018). & Luthersson, N., et al. (2022). Gastric ulcer studies cited in Roig-Pons (2025).

9. Lesimple, C., et al. (2016). Stereotypic behaviors study cited in Roig-Pons (2025).

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