Elevated Feeding Vs. Ground Feeding

What is every one's view on elevated feeding and ground feeding?

My horses are fed on the ground when I feed grain it goes in rubber feed pans on the ground. Hay goes on the ground also. I don't think feeding them in a elevated feeders is natural for them. Better for them to eat with their head down.

I've not voted because its not always that simple
Horses are mainly ground eaters - they will pick off trees but not their general way so eating off the ground is whats natural for them and reduces the risk of choke
However I have had - and currently have one mare who thinks that a feed in a tub on the ground is for putting her feet in a scattering everywhere
I have asked her why but it made no sense so she gets her feed in a manger

My mare does that too, she's being upgraded to a corner feeder.

Hmmm...well, I voted elevated, but it's really more complicated than just one or the other.

Right now Fayde is on stall board only, with a couple hours of turnout in a dry paddock or worked in round pen or arena each day. Since she is in a confined space where she has to poo and pee in close proximity to where she eats, I use hay nets and buckets or corner feeders for grain. This minimizes the spreading around of hay looking for the "good" bits, and keeps her nose over the feeder to keep from spilling grain everywhere. As a result she doesn't have her nose and mouth down in the dirty bedding nearly as much. And yes, I pick her stall morning and night, but you know how it is...they make another pile as soon as you are out of sight!!

However, if she were in an outdoor 24/7 arrangement, I'm all for setting up many small ground level feeders to keep them moving around and feeding in a more natural manner.

I feed mine at ground level.......but only in stalls where there is no dirt! Mine have access 24/7 to their stalls via a large gravel paddock in the winter.....May to Sept they are out on pasture.

Super Nova

Grain in a bucket bolted to the wall since my guy's first action upon being presented food is to grab the container an try to throw it across the stall, and that's a waste of feed. Hay on the ground. I'd feed it all on the ground if he would leave the darn pan alone or at least eat the feed out of it before throwing it all about.

But, no vote since that wasn't an option.

I think "both" needs to be an option here.

Zoot is fed his feed in a rubber pan on the ground. His hay hangs from hay bags about head high around his pasture. Only reason for this is we haven't gotten to slow feed containers yet and I don't want him eating any more sand than he already does!