1. Increased Chewing Time
2. Head Down Feeding Position
3. Reduce Exposure to Parasites
4. Dominance
5. Boredom
1. Increased Chewing Time: "Increased chew time and greater salivation prepare each bite for more complete nutrient extraction down the line, increasing the nutritional benefits from each bite.
-- EQUUS Magazine December 2001
"The amount of bicarbonate in saliva increases as saliva production increases and so the longer the horse takes to eat a feed, the higher the buffering capacity of the saliva."
-- Prevention May Be The Key to Avoiding Ulcers By: Joe D. Pagan PhD
"The horse must be more meticulous in his chewing to hold onto the hay and grain he's processing. Compared to chest-high intake, each mouthful of floor-fed feed is smaller, more thoroughly chewed and better mixed with saliva, lowering the horse's choke and colic risks."
-- EQUUS Magazine December 2001
Hay placed in an OptiMizer can take your horses hours to eat. A horse must hold onto the hay to remove it from the feeder reducing the size of each mouthful. Your horse will be chewing for a longer period of time to consume the same amount of hay.
2. Head Down Feeding Position:
"Eating with a lowered head encourages airway drainage, the first line of defense against deep inhalation of feed-related particles and dust."
-- EQUUS Magazine December 2001
"The natural feeding stance of the horse is also important. Grazing (and drinking) from ground level allows for a natural head position and optimum jaw movement while feeding, and stretches the back. When a raised receptacle is used, the head is raised, taking away this natural position and freedom of movement."
-- Natural Horse Magazine Volume 1, Issue 1 1999 Premier Issue
"Floor-level feeding of both hay and feed mimics the natural heads-down grazing posture, which brings with it several health benefits."
-- EQUUS Magazine December 2001
The OptiMizer allows the horse to feed in a natural, head down, grazing position.
3. Reduce Exposure to Parasites:
"feeding on the ground increases the horse's exposure to parasites"
-- horse.com Ten Tips for Feeding Horses by: Bob Coleman, PhD
The OptiMizer reduces exposure to parasites and sand colic by keeping the hay off the ground and in the feeder.
4. Dominance: By preventing sorting the OptiMizer ensures that even the least dominant horses have access to the same quality hay as the most dominant. The last hay out of the feeder is as good as the first hay out.
5. Boredom: The OptiMizer reduces boredom by letting horses do what comes naturally, graze.