feedbags

I'm looking at feedbags. I have seen two types, mesh and canvas. I like the mesh ones but not sure they will be durable enough for my needs. On the other hand, I've seen horses stop eating because they couldn't breathe well enough with canvas bags. I plan on feeding alfalfa pellets.

Just found a "cavalry feedbag". Never used one.

Anybody have a preference? Recommendations?

I just use the canvas bags. When ever I feed pellets or grain in the high country, the horses waste half of what I give them. I'm hoping they will cut down on the wasted feed.

My nice white bags were filthy after one or two trips, The horse press them right down into the dirt trying to get the last grain out of them.

I don't grain my horses at home. But on the trail they are working harder and not getting to stand around and eat all day, So I do grain them a little on over night trips. I've also found when I get the bags out and shake them, my loose horses come a running. So it's a great way to condition them to come when I call.

I'm a fan of canvas, but I like the light weight of mesh. So that makes me a big fan of the mesh bags with a canvas bottom. The weight of the mess but a solid bottom so when the are pushing down in the mud and manure for the last piece of grain it doesn't fill the bag full of all that unwanted stuff.

BTW the bags that I have, have the leather patch just above their nostrils that has lots of holes punched through it to let air in for the horses to breath as they eat.

I have a couple of nylon mesh feed bags. They are porous enough that they don't cause breathing problems. They keep the horses from wasting feed.

I did have a problem the first time I put a feed bag on one of my Arab mares. She apparently felt trapped. She tried to back away from the bag. It followed her. She panicked and started backing. She ran into the side of my car and dented it. Try explaining that to the husband.

The guy I worked for in high school made his own out of burlap sacks.

Cut the burlap bag down each side leaving the seams and the bottom which would be your "bucket", then tie the sides together at the top.
So when the horse/mule sticks his head in the bottom to adjust you twist the knot at the top and tuck under the crown piece of the halter to stay. It worked awesome if you cut the bags just right. For me it took some experimenting when I tried it years later.
Get the narrow, smaller sacks if you can find them, I tried the big tater sacks with little success(about a bushel).

I'm pretty sure the burlap bags wouldn't last for my trip, but good idea for a short trip on a budget.

@Celeste: That's why I was considering the mesh bags, but I'm skeptical that they would be very durable. How have yours lasted? Out on my trip I won't be able to just order a new one off the Internet.

Anybody tried the cavalry type? I understand they sort of meter the feed to the horse's mouth as they eat, by the way they hang. Looks like they could spill a lot of feed, though.

Mine have been around for years. They have been used, thrown around, stomped on, dragged around the yard by the dog, rescued, used some more. They are fine.
I haven't used them in a long time, but I used one for an old mare to feed her every day for quite a while. Months, years, who knows?

I just ordered one of each from Trailhead Supply. I'll just test them both out and see which I like best.

Let us all know what works out!