LeMieux Hay Ball Review: Tried & Tested by Woody

For horses and ponies who need their forage carefully managed, finding ways to make hay last longer without leaving them bored can be a real challenge.

Ally tested the LeMieux Hay Ball with Woody, her 25-year-old pony, to see whether it could offer a practical alternative to feeding hay from the floor or using a traditional haynet. With restricted grazing, expensive hay and an older pony to keep occupied, she wanted something that would slow Woody's eating, reduce waste and give him a little extra enrichment.

After a slightly suspicious start from Woody, the Hay Ball quickly became a firm favourite.

Meet the tester

Tester: Ally
Horse: Woody, 25-year-old pony
Product: LeMieux Hay Ball
Price at time of trial: £59.95

What were you hoping to use the LeMieux Hay Ball for?

I got the Hay Ball for Woody, who is an elderly pony that my son rides. Because of his age, we have to be quite careful with his diet.

The grass hasn't been great and he's also on restricted grazing, so I wanted something that meant he wasn't simply standing in one place eating his hay.

Hay is so expensive now too, and I really don't want to see half of it wasted because it's been put on the floor and then walked through. I'm not particularly keen on haynets either, so I was hoping this might give us another option.

What were your initial thoughts?

I was a little sceptical at first!

Woody wasn't very keen on feeding from it initially. I think he genuinely thought that if he refused to eat from it for long enough, I'd eventually give in and bring him some hay another way.

I pulled a little bit of hay through the openings so he could work out what he was supposed to do, stuck to my guns and he soon figured it out.

Before long, I could hear the Hay Ball being happily booted around both the stable and the field.

One thing I particularly liked was that it isn't completely solid. If Woody paws or kicks at it, I'm much less worried about him catching himself or losing his footing than I would be with some harder feeders.

What did you like about the LeMieux Hay Ball?

Once Woody had worked it out, it did exactly what I'd hoped it would do.

He throws it around using the handle, kicks it when he wants to find another tuft of hay and generally interacts with it rather than simply standing eating from one spot. It's become a form of enrichment as well as a feeder.

Because it's soft, it's also really easy to fill.

The handle has been surprisingly useful too. I soak Woody's hay, so I can hold the ball by the handle while soaking it and then hang it up afterwards to let the excess water drain away.

Most importantly, it has definitely slowed him down. Even a relatively small amount of hay lasts far longer than it would if I simply put it on the floor, and considerably less ends up being wasted.

Country & Stable note

For horses and ponies on managed forage intake, slowing down access to hay can help extend feeding time and provide additional occupation. Feeders like the LeMieux Hay Ball can also encourage movement as the horse nudges and moves the feeder around to reach different sections of forage.

As with any slow feeder, horses should be introduced gradually and monitored initially to make sure they are comfortable using it.

Were there any downsides?

For Woody, the size works really well, but I think it could be a little limited if you were relying on it to hold a substantial amount of hay for a larger horse.

He's also become rather clever with it... He has discovered that it won't fit underneath the fence, so he can push it up against the fence and eat from it without having to chase it around quite as much. That means he can sometimes get through the hay a bit faster than I'd ideally like!

It doesn't roll around like a football either, but I actually think the shape works quite well. It moves enough to make Woody work for his forage without becoming so difficult that he gets frustrated and gives up.

What size did you choose?

There is just one size available. For Woody, who is a pony, I've found the capacity works well. If I were using it for a much larger horse, I'd consider how much forage I needed it to hold and whether it was going to be the horse's main forage source or simply an additional slow feeder.

What are the standout features?

For me, it's the little practical details.

It's easy to stuff with hay and, because it isn't hard plastic, it doesn't make an enormous banging noise every time Woody sends it flying into the stable wall.

The handle is probably more useful than I expected. Woody uses it to pick the ball up and play with it, while I use it when soaking and draining his hay.

The openings are also a handy size. As well as hay, I've discovered that the little cross-shaped holes are just right for occasionally tucking a carrot into as a treat.

Does the Hay Ball actually slow down feeding?

It definitely has for Woody. He can't simply stand and eat continuously in the same way he would if his hay was loose on the floor. He has to move the ball, find another opening and pull the next bit of hay through.

For a pony like Woody, where I'm trying to make a carefully controlled amount of forage last longer, that's exactly what I wanted.

Is it good for enrichment?

Yes, and this has probably been one of the nicest surprises.

Woody doesn't just eat from it; he plays with it. He picks it up by the handle, pushes it around and kicks it to get to different sections of hay.

Particularly when grazing is restricted, I like that it gives him something else to investigate and interact with rather than simply standing waiting for his next meal.

Would you recommend the LeMieux Hay Ball?

Yes, I love it. I'd particularly recommend it for a horse or pony on restricted grazing or where you're trying to carefully manage how much forage they're receiving.

It's brilliant for making a relatively small amount of hay last much longer while still allowing them to eat at ground level, and I've found we're wasting far less hay too.

It's also a great enrichment toy for the field or stable.

Obviously every horse is different, and Woody needed a little encouragement before he understood it, but once he'd worked it out there was no stopping him.

Will you continue using it?

Absolutely. There's no going back for me now!

Is the LeMieux Hay Ball worth the price?

When you first see the price, you do think, wow, that's quite a lot for a hay feeder. But having actually used it, I think the price is fair.

It's strong and durable, Woody gets genuine enrichment from it and, importantly for me, we're wasting less hay. When you start taking the reduction in wasted forage into account, the price makes much more sense.

Ally's verdict

The LeMieux Hay Ball has ended up being exactly the solution I was looking for.

It keeps Woody occupied, slows his eating down, encourages him to move around and makes a relatively small amount of hay last significantly longer. I also love that I don't end up watching expensive hay getting trampled into the floor.

It might not hold enough forage to be the only solution for every larger horse, and particularly clever horses may find ways of making life easier for themselves, as Woody has discovered with the fence!

But for ponies, restricted grazing, forage management or simply adding enrichment in the stable or field, I've been really impressed.

Would I recommend it? Definitely.

LeMieux Hay Ball FAQs

Is the LeMieux Hay Ball suitable for ponies?

Ally found the size particularly useful for Woody, her 25-year-old pony. The amount it holds may also make it useful when you want to manage smaller quantities of forage carefully.

Does the LeMieux Hay Ball slow horses down?

It did for the tester. Instead of being able to eat continuously from a pile of hay, he has to pull hay through the openings and reposition the ball to find more.

Individual horses will use slow feeders differently, so it's worth supervising them when they first try one.

Can the LeMieux Hay Ball help reduce hay waste?

In this horse owner's experience, yes. Because the hay stays inside the feeder rather than being scattered across the stable or field, Woody tramples significantly less of it into the ground.

Can you use soaked hay in the Hay Ball?

Our tester used soaked hay and reported no issues. She particularly likes the handle because she can use it while soaking the filled Hay Ball and then hang it securely to allow excess water to drain before feeding.

Is it useful for horses on restricted grazing?

This was the main reason for testing it. She found that the Hay Ball stretched out Woody's eating time while also providing additional movement and enrichment when his grazing was restricted.