The majority of horses will learn to self-regulate their intake when they learn that hay is always available. Horses that are used to being meal-fed their hay may tend to overeat for a few days or weeks because they are accustomed to going a long time with an uncomfortable empty stomach. If the hay is really palatable and digestible, they may overeat because it tastes so good. We have a smaller net (1.25”) which helps to further slow down eating rates in this
situation.

Equine nutritionists recommend that horses should consume between 1.5-2.5% of their body weight daily in forage. 2% is a good starting point. Estimate your horses’ weight, multiply that by 0.02, and then weigh out that amount of hay. For example, for a 1,000 pound horse, that is 20 pounds of hay needed every 24 hours.

So, if you have three 1,000-pound horses living outside all the time and feeding from one OptiMizer, you should put in about 60-70 pounds of hay. We recommend that you refresh hay every 24-48 hours and that you put any remaining hay on the top of the fresh hay. That way, the feeder stays clean and nothing goes to waste inside.

Horses living outside in cold weather need to eat more hay to generate body heat to keep themselves warm. In our experience, our horses have consumed greater than 3% of their body weight in hay in 24 hours of weather in the deep cold (-40 degrees celsius). Please see the article Guide to Forage Intake During the Winter for more detailed information.

The standard net measures 1.6” on the square and is working well with over 90% of our feeders. The large net (2.5”) is a good option for larger or older horses and/or horses with mouth or dental issues. The small net (1.25”) is a good option for small horses/ponies or horses, really easy keepers, or if your hay is very palatable or high in digestible energy (DE).

We engineered the OptiNet to be soft but durable in the equine environment. The OptiNet has been used in all of our feeders produced since 2022 and only a few nets have been replaced due to wear and tear. We anticipate these nets will last 3-4 years on average. If the feeder is consistently empty and horses are hungry, they will grind the net into the bottom of the feeder, which can create holes. We recommend that horses should always have some hay available for their gastric health and for the longevity of the net.

Replacement net kits are available for sale in all 3 sizes (standard, small, and large holes).

The OptiMizer and net can be periodically washed out with soapy water and rinsed with clear water. We’re in the habit of quickly gathering up yesterday’s hay and putting it on top of today’s hay when we refresh the feeder. This prevents hay from getting old and going off in the corners of the feeder, and overall it keeps it quite clean.

The OptiMizers work well in most weather conditions. If the feeders are left out with no horses eating during a snowstorm, you can turn them upside down to prevent snow buildup. Or if there is snow in them, you can turn them on their side to empty out the snow.

Extreme freezing rain can cause the net and its assembly to freeze. If the slide arm is frozen shut, try pouring some warm water near the handle to melt the ice. The net itself may also be frozen and difficult to move. You may need to feed some hay on top of the net to get the horses eating and softening the net with their mouths and breath.

In advance of extreme weather, we sometimes will clip the net open and allow the horses to eat hay freely for a day or so out of the manger. This will make it easier for us to operate the feeder the next day and we know the horses likely needed the extra forage to keep themselves warm.

The OptiMizer has drainage holes, so most rain will drain out. If a bale is tightly packed in the OptiMizer, most of the inside remains quite dry. To prevent hay spoilage in warm, wet weather, we recommend that you feed enough hay for 24 hours and add fresh hay daily. When doing this, quickly gather up yesterday’s hay and put it on top of the fresh hay. That way, nothing gets wasted.

We can do almost any colour. So far, we have done beige, grey, blue, green, and pink feeders.

The manger is rotomoulded from linear low density polyethylene. This is the same polymer that is commonly used to make playground equipment and is proven to be tough and very durable. The hay net assembly and all the fasteners are stainless steel. Compared to other options like powder coating, galvanizing steel and plating, stainless is extremely durable and will not rust.

Our factory and main warehouse are in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. We have a second warehouse in Tonawanda, New York, US.

OptiMizers are available at dozens of dealers across North America, and can be picked up at those locations. In addition, arrangements can be made to pick up OptiMizers at our warehouses in Canada and the US.