Bucket Head Successes!

Meet Spidey–Our First Pony Bucket Head Tester!

Spidey is a 29yr old Shetland Pony who was rescued in the fall of 2016 by the Camenzind Family at Elm Grove Farm in Hooper, NE.  When Spidey came to live with them he was underweight and in need of a specialized diet to increase his weight.  He lived in a lot with goats and his owners struggled during feeding times because the goats would steal his food.  They tried raising up his feed bucket on the wall where they fed him but, being a small pony, they could only raise it so high before even he couldn’t reach.  Plus, it wasn’t a very natural way for Spidey to eat his feed–stretching high up and over into a bucket.  Once they introduced him to a Bucket Head their problem was solved.  Spidey could have his own feed, move around while eating if he needed to get some space from the goats and now Spidey gets his full rations.  He’s been gaining weight and doing well.

Success for the Sloppy Eater

Jeni Lambert, barn manager in Garland Texas, tested out Bucket Head feeders at her barn, here’s what she has to say,

“I have used them and they work great!  My guys could have cared less that I was strapping them on their heads.  It definitely helped with my messy guy because he couldn’t flip the feed out or take a bite and walk over to the door to chew/spill it.”

Bullet Proof Testing

Meet Bullet, a 4yr old Pinto palomino– 2015 Color Breed Congress Champion!  Bullet was one of my first Bucket Head testers and I knew he would give me a run for my money since his owner, Lisa, of Plattsmouth, NE, struggled during meal times because of Bullet’s vigorous eating style.  When I first asked Lisa if she would want to test one out she told me, “Bullet spills his grain all the time but he shakes his head with a feed bag.”  Bullet’s head shaking was no exaggeration, he shook his head so much that his Bucket Head flew off in less than a minute.  Once we added the throat latch, he couldn’t shake it off.  Now, the ONLY way Lisa will feed Bullet is with a Bucket Head and over time he has become a much calmer eater.  Lisa feels it’s because of using Bucket Head–it taught him that he couldn’t make a game out of meal times!  Watch his video here!

Decreased Grain Waste

Vicki Andres, of Omaha, NE, runs and manages a local horse boarding business.  When she heard about Bucket Heads she volunteered to be a prototype tester, with her 25 year old Appaloosa in mind who’s always dropping grain as he eats.  Vicki has tested Bucket Heads out daily for over 6 months now on 3 different horses.  Here’s what she has to say about Bucket Heads:

“I absolutely love these Bucket Heads!  My horses have done very well with them.  I have decreased grain waste which is great.  After a few days my horses weren’t even looking on the ground for loose grain because they knew it wouldn’t be there.  They are easy to put on by slipping them over their head and just as easy to get off.  I haven’t had any issues with them spooking.  I use the Basic Strap and haven’t had them fall off at all for me.  Since my Appaloosa is old, he makes quite a sloppy mess of his feed so, when he’s done I just rinse it out and hang it on my hitching post to dry.  I will most definitely buy these when they hit the market, there is nothing like them.”

4 Horses with 4 Different Needs

Owners of 4 horses, Sarah Cleveland and her fiance Josh Benton of Beaver Crossing, Nebraska were needing a way to easily feed their small herd their separate feeds.  Here’s how their herd did:

This is 4yr old Grace who did great with her Bucket Head on the first round.  Being young they were a little cautious of how she would take to it but she had no problems at all.

Next is Ace, a registered AQHA Reining horse.  Ace loves food, so he of course loved his Bucket Head.

Sierra is an older Paint mare who’s bombproof.  Again, no problems eating from her Bucket Head.

Last is Hope, who’s a 12yr old off-the-track Thoroughbred who has anxiety due to some past traumatic experiences.  She specifically has anxiety with her ears being touched so she was a bit more apprehensive with her Bucket Head.  Her first round with her bucket went well but second round she spooked when they ‘clicked’ the buckle strap.  Next session, they slowed down the pace–letting her just eat from it for a few sessions without it going over her head, then slowly working her to wearing it over her head–and not clicking the buckle.  She’s a great example of how we suggest moving at your horse’s pace and comfort level.  Each horse is different!  Watch this video for some examples of how one user introduced Bucket Head to her very nervous horse.

Senior Thoroughbred with Changing Needs

This is Red, he’s a retired senior off-the-tack Thoroughbred who’s dietary needs are always changing.  His weight fluctuates easily, the seasonal changes really take a toll on him and as he gets older he’s needing even a more specialized diet to meet his needs.   He also receives a daily supplement to help calm and sooth him as he suffers from some anxiety as well.  Using Bucket Head with Red has been beyond beneficial.  Before using Bucket Head, he had to be taken out of his pasture for his separate feed.  This caused him a lot of anxiety and he ended up neighing to his buddies more than eating.  He also has poor teeth so he would drop over half his feed as he ate and was too anxious to get back to his buddies to worry about eating it off the stall floor–which was then mixed in with sawdust.  Now, using a Bucket Head he’s able to eat with his buddies, I don’t have to take extra time to stall him separately (or clean up the stall!) and I’m assured he gets all his grain when eating.  I’m able to continually increase or decrease his rations and give whatever supplements he needs without any hassle on my end.