Have
you ever tried to
feed horses in a
herd and became annoyed
because some horses
are left out and
some horses take
over? Does your horse
sling his grain all
over the ground when
he is eating? Do
you ever get frustrated
feeding your horse
while traveling?
If you answered yes
to any of the above
questions, a morral
(mor-RAL), more commonly
known as a feedbag
or nosebag, could
be the solution to
your problem. A morral
is an often overlooked
tool for health and
safety. With morrals,
each horse in a herd
consumes exactly
what he needs - no
less and less assertive
horses can move away
from the herd and
still eat. While
many horses spill
grain while eating
out of a trough or
bucket, a morral
offers an easy solution
to keep the grain
off of the ground
and going into the
horse's mouth. Morrals
also make traveling
a snap keeping your
horse from tipping
over the feed bucket
and eating off of
unfamiliar ground.
Based
on the traditional
and practical necessity,
the cavalry and ranch
cowboys both have
used morrals for
years. These individualized
nose bags are the
original style they
used and are still
handmade. Whether
you are feeding a
large group of horses
or one on the road,
these are the most
convenient way to
get the job done
dependably, and assure
that each horse gets
their allotted ration.
The key points about
these nose bags are
that they have air
holes part way up
for the horse to
breathe, an adjustable strap
to go over the head
and a structured
leather piece on
the bottom for support.
All of these components
allow the horse to
wear the morral safely
and properly.
How
do you use a morral?
Follow these few
steps and it is easy.
1.
No horse should
be left alone while
using a morral.
2. The proper fit
is crucial. Measured
from top to bottom,
a properly sized
morral is long
enough to contain
the amount of grain
you normally feed
plus 10 to 12 inches
above it (proper
adjustment will
allow the horse
to breathe if water
gets into the morral).
3. If your horse
has never worn
a morral, take
it slow and put
your horse in a
safe, confined
environment like
a round pen or
stall.
4. Remove your
horse’s halter,
unbuckle the strap
(hanger) on the
morral and present
him with a taste
of grain from the
bag.
5. Let your horse
nibble on the grain
while you carefully
slide the hanger
over his head.
6. If your horse
has trouble wearing
the bag, feed him
out of it a couple
of times and eventually
he will be begging
you to put it on
him.
