🐴 Blog 2: Therapeutic & Welfare Benefits of Slow Feeding

Supporting calm behaviour, gut health, and daily wellbeing

Modern horse management often unintentionally disrupts one of the most fundamental needs of the horse: time spent foraging. Horses are biologically designed to graze for the majority of the day, yet many are fed in short, concentrated meals that are consumed far more quickly than nature intended.

Slow feeding is not about restriction — it is about therapeutic regulation.

🌿 Why Forage Time Matters

When horses consume forage too quickly or experience prolonged periods without feed, a cascade of physiological and behavioural consequences can occur, including:

• Increased gastric acidity

• Heightened cortisol (stress hormone)

• Development or exacerbation of gastric ulcers

• Food-related anxiety and aggression

• Stereotypic behaviours such as cribbing, weaving, or fence walking

Peer-reviewed research consistently shows that extending forage consumption time improves both physical health and mental wellbeing in horses.

“Forage deprivation affects not only the gut, but the nervous system and behaviour of the horse.”

🔬 What the Research Shows

Studies investigating slow-feeding systems have demonstrated that:

• Slow feeders significantly increase eating duration, helping to mimic natural grazing patterns

• Extended chewing time increases saliva production, which buffers gastric acid

• Horses provided with prolonged forage access show reduced stress behaviours

• Enrichment strategies involving forage decrease frustration in stabled horses

Importantly, slow feeding allows horses to remain occupied and settled without increasing caloric intake.

🧠 Therapeutic Benefits Beyond Nutrition

✔ Reduced stress and anxiety

Horses with consistent forage access exhibit calmer demeanours and fewer stress-related behaviours.

✔ Improved gut comfort

Continuous fibre intake supports gastric buffering and hindgut fermentation, reducing discomfort associated with empty stomach periods.

✔ Safer enrichment for confined horses

For horses on box rest, limited turnout, or restricted movement, slow feeding provides mental stimulation without increasing injury risk.

✔ Improved social harmony

In paddock or group-feeding situations, longer feeding times reduce competition and aggressive interactions.

🌾 How The Ground Grazer Supports Therapeutic Feeding

The Ground Grazer has been designed to deliver the therapeutic benefits of slow feeding without the frustration or unnatural posture associated with small, suspended hay nets.

By combining:

• Ground-level feeding

• A controlled intake grid

• A clean, contained forage environment

The Ground Grazer allows horses to eat slowly, calmly, and naturally — supporting both mental and digestive health.

“A settled horse is a healthier horse — and feeding plays a bigger role than many realise.”

🐴 Practical Welfare Considerations

Slow feeding is particularly beneficial for:

• Horses prone to ulcers

• Horses on restricted diets

• Post-operative or box-rest horses

• Anxious or food-aggressive horses

• Performance horses under training stress

When paired with appropriate forage selection and good stable management, slow feeding becomes a powerful welfare tool.

Supporting Welfare Through Thoughtful Feeding

Feeding is one of the few management practices we repeat multiple times every day. Small changes can have profound effects on health and behaviour.

This content is intended for educational purposes and reflects current peer-reviewed research and clinical experience. It does not replace veterinary diagnosis or individualised treatment plans.

This article is informed by peer-reviewed veterinary and equine science research. Full references are available here: https://thegroundgrazer.com.au/blogs/news/the-science-behind-the-ground-grazer-evidence-references