From feeding and watering to preparing forage, we're putting practical yard products to the test to see how they work in real life and whether they could make everyday horse care that little bit easier.
Tested at a real working yard by Horsemart
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WHY YARD ESSENTIALS?
Keeping horses watered, preparing forage and making sure they have enough to eat are jobs we do day in, day out.
For Yard Essentials, we've tested practical products designed to make some of those everyday routines easier, from automatic watering and hay steaming to slow feeding.
We've set them up and used them in a real working yard so you can see how they actually work before deciding whether they're right for you and your horse.
WATCH THE TEST
We installed the Paxton WT4 from scratch, put the Simply Steam through a full hay-steaming cycle and tested the Nibbleze Toby with a horse to see how each product works as part of a real yard routine.
From setup to the finished result, watch the full test below.
THE PRODUCTS
Three products, three everyday yard jobs. Here's the quick version of what we tested and why you might want one.
WATER
Best for
Spend less time filling stable water
£56.65 ex. VAT
A compact four-litre automatic drinking bowl that tops itself back up as your horse drinks.
FORAGE
Best for
Treat dusty hay without soaking it
£275
A high-temperature hay steamer designed to send hot steam throughout your horse's forage.
SLOW FEEDING
Best for
Help your horse's forage last longer
£43.99
A large knotless slow-feed haynet designed to encourage horses to take smaller amounts of forage at a time.
THE EVERYDAY ROUTINE
Each product tackles a different everyday job, but they can fit naturally into the same yard routine.
01WATER
Horse drinks → water level drops → bowl automatically replenishes.
02PREPARE FORAGE
Hay goes into the steamer → high-temperature steam works through the forage.
03FEED
The steamed hay goes straight into the slow-feed net → ready for the horse to eat.
Yard Essential #1 — Water
Filling and carrying water buckets is one of those yard jobs that never goes away. The Paxton WT4 offers a simple alternative. Once connected to the water supply, the bowl automatically tops itself back up as the horse drinks, helping provide consistent access to fresh water without repeatedly filling it by hand.
TESTED IN A WORKING YARD Product at a glance
£56.65 ex. VAT
How it works
Inside the WT4 is a simple float system. As the horse drinks and the water level falls, the float drops with it and allows more water into the bowl.
Once the correct level is reached again, the float rises and automatically stops the water.
The working parts sit behind a removable service cover so they can still be accessed if they need checking or servicing.
The water level in the bowl falls.
The system allows fresh water into the bowl.
The water automatically rises back to its set level.
The float rises and automatically shuts the flow off.
Why might you choose one?
The bowl automatically replenishes as the horse drinks.
Once installed, you don't need to repeatedly top the bowl up by hand.
The large drain lets you quickly empty the bowl when it needs cleaning.
Double-skin moulded construction adds strength for everyday stable use.
QUICK TO DRAIN & CLEAN Cleaning & maintenance
Drinking water still needs to be kept clean. Hay, bedding and dirt can all find their way into a stable drinker.
The large drain underneath the WT4 means the bowl can be emptied, wiped or rinsed and then allowed to refill with fresh water.
HORSEMART VERDICT
What stood out to us was how simple the system is. Once the WT4 was fitted and connected, the horse could drink normally and the bowl handled the topping-up itself.
We also liked how quickly it could be drained and cleaned, which makes an automatic system much more practical for everyday yard use.
Is it right for your yard?
Regularly fill and carry stable water buckets
Want water automatically replenished as your horse drinks
Want a compact automatic drinking bowl
Want something straightforward to drain and clean
Have an appropriate water supply available for installation
PAXTON WT4 DRINKING BOWL
Explore the full product details, specifications and ordering information directly from Paxton.
Yard Essential #2 — Forage
Hay can look perfectly fine but still contain dust, mould and bacteria that aren't always visible. When horses put their noses into forage to eat, some of those particles can become airborne and be breathed in. For owners looking to reduce the amount of dust coming from their horse's forage, steaming offers an alternative to traditional soaking.
TESTED IN A WORKING YARD Product at a glance
£275
Why steam instead of soak?
Soaking has traditionally been one way of dealing with dusty hay, but it isn't always particularly convenient.
Submerging hay in water can wash some nutrients out of the forage, and dealing with heavy, wet hay becomes even less appealing during cold winter weather.
High-temperature steaming treats the forage with steam instead. The Simply Steam Standard is designed to reach temperatures above 90°C and distribute that hot steam throughout the hay.
Traditional option
Forage submerged in water
Leaves you handling heavy, wet hay
Can be less convenient in freezing conditions
Simply Steam
Uses high-temperature steam
Produces warm, slightly damp hay
No need to submerge the forage
What does steaming help with?
High-temperature steaming can help reduce dust coming from the forage.
Steam reaching high temperatures helps treat microorganisms that can be present in hay.
Treat forage without having to submerge the hay in water.
The Standard holds two medium haynets or one large haynet.
How we used it
We filled the Nibbleze Toby with hay.
The filled net went straight into the Simply Steam.
We filled the generator and connected the steam hose.
The built-in gauge allowed us to keep an eye on the temperature.
The hay steamed for around an hour while we continued with other jobs nearby and kept an eye on it.
The finished forage came out warm and slightly damp rather than completely soaked.
THE STEAM REVEAL HORSEMART VERDICT
What surprised us most was how little hands-on time the process actually needed. Once we'd loaded the hay and connected the generator, we could continue with other yard jobs nearby while it worked. The difference was clearest when we opened the lid: the hay came out warm and slightly damp rather than heavy and soaked through.
Good to know
Allow roughly an hour for each steaming cycle.
Keep an eye on the steamer while it operates.
Simply Steam recommends using steamed hay within 24 hours.
The generator needs regular descaling, particularly in hard-water areas.
Hot steam can cause scalding, so always follow the operating instructions.
Is it right for your yard?
Regularly deal with dusty hay
Currently soak hay and want an alternative
Want to treat one large or two medium haynets at a time
Want relatively little hands-on time once the steaming cycle is running
Are happy to allow around an hour for each steaming cycle
SIMPLY STEAM STANDARD HAY STEAMER
Explore the Simply Steam Standard, including full product details and ordering information, directly from Simply Steam.
Yard Essential #3 — Slow Feeding
If you've got a horse that can make a haynet disappear in no time at all, a slow feeder is designed to make each mouthful take a little more work. Horses are naturally trickle feeders, so extending eating time can be particularly useful when you're feeding larger quantities of hay. That isn't only a winter consideration. After a dry summer with limited grass growth, owners can suddenly find themselves feeding much more hay in the field too.
TESTED WITH A HORSE Product at a glance
£43.99
How does slow feeding work?
The Toby is designed to slow down how quickly the horse can take forage from the net. Rather than pulling out large mouthfuls through bigger openings, the horse has to work smaller amounts of hay through the net.
The aim isn't to make eating difficult. It's to extend eating time while still allowing the horse to access its forage comfortably.
SLOW FEEDING IN ACTION What makes the Toby different?
Encourages smaller amounts of forage to be taken at a time.
A softer construction around the horse's mouth than a traditional knotted net.
Holds up to 7.3kg of hay.
May reduce the amount of forage scattered or trampled around the feeding area.
The Toby can go straight into a hay steamer, exactly as we used it during the campaign.
Can it be used in the field?
For suitable barefoot horses, the Toby can also be used on the ground rather than always being hung.
This gives the horse the opportunity to eat with its head down in a more natural feeding position.
Because the net isn't fixed to one place, some horses may also move around it while eating.
Always follow Nibbleze's instructions and only use the net on the ground with a suitable barefoot horse.
FIELD USE FOR SUITABLE BAREFOOT HORSES HORSEMART VERDICT
The Toby makes most sense once you actually watch a horse use it. Rather than pulling a large section of hay out at once, the horse has to work smaller amounts through the net. We also liked the knotless construction, large capacity and the fact that the same net could go straight into the Simply Steam before being fed. The aim with any slow feeder should be to slow the horse down rather than make forage difficult to access.
Is it right for your horse?
Your horse gets through hay very quickly
You'd like to extend forage eating time
You want a large-capacity slow-feed net
You want a net that can go into a hay steamer
You want another field-feeding option for a suitable barefoot horse
Want a stronger slow-feeding option?
Nibbleze also offers the Doubleze for owners looking for an additional level of slow feeding. Unlike the single-layer Toby we've tested, the Doubleze uses two layers that move independently, making it more challenging for the horse to line the openings up and tease the forage through. We're featuring the Doubleze as another option rather than presenting it as part of our main Toby test.
NIBBLEZE TOBY LARGE KNOTLESS NET
Explore the full Toby product details, sizes and ordering information directly from Nibbleze.
Quick comparison
Each product tackles a different everyday yard job. Here's the quick version.
Best for
Water management
The problem
I'm tired of repeatedly filling stable water.
Key benefit
Automatically replenishes the bowl as the horse drinks.
£56.65 ex. VAT
Shop PaxtonBest for
Preparing forage
The problem
I want an alternative to soaking dusty hay.
Key benefit
Treats forage using high-temperature steam.
£275
Shop Simply SteamBest for
Slow feeding
The problem
My horse gets through hay too quickly.
Key benefit
Helps extend the time it takes to eat forage.
£43.99
Shop NibblezeWhy trust this guide?
We didn't just read the specifications. We installed the Paxton WT4, put the Simply Steam through a full steaming cycle and tested the Nibbleze Toby with a horse in a real working yard.
We show what's involved before each product is ready to use.
You can see the products doing the jobs they're designed for.
We've included useful details such as setup, price, capacity and maintenance.
Sponsored content
The products featured in Yard Essentials are from participating Horsemart campaign partners. Horsemart has worked with the brands to test and demonstrate their products in a real working yard.
Shop Yard Essentials
Choose the everyday job you'd like to make easier and explore the Yard Essential we've tested.
Water Spend less time repeatedly filling water.
£56.65 ex. VAT
Shop the Paxton WT4
Preparing hay 
Slow feeding Help your horse's forage last longer.
£43.99
Shop the Nibbleze Toby
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