Boredom and stereotypies
Many nervous tics and behavioural problems grow out of boredom in the stall — and rarely reverse once established. Quaryka keeps the animal busy with an activity that is natural to him.
Efficacy evaluated in a peer-reviewed study — 2016
Give the horse back
its time to eat.
Quaryka is a stainless steel feed dispenser the horse operates himself, with his lips. The ration stays exactly the same. The meal, on the other hand, lasts far longer.
2/3
of a free-ranging horse's time is spent foraging and grazing.
20–24 h
a day spent inside the stall for many stabled horses.
1–3
meals a day in the barn, often swallowed in minutes.
~10 min
on average for a horse to work out the Quaryka on his own.
How it works
Horses are built to eat slowly, all day long.
In the wild, a horse spends two thirds of his time foraging and grazing. In the barn, he gets one to three meals a day, swallowed in a few minutes. The rest of the time he waits — in an enclosed space, with nothing to do.
Keep the same routine
Same quantities, same hours, same feed. The only difference: the ration goes into the Quaryka instead of the bucket.
The horse turns the wheel
With his lips, moving it upwards or downwards. He has to “work” for his food — stimulating work, which most horses figure out in about ten minutes.
He eats in small doses
The feed drops into the trough at the bottom of the unit. The meal stretches out; chewing and salivation increase. And even once it is empty, the horse comes back to it as he pleases.
What changes
Four needs, one daily gesture.
Stretching out the act of eating is not a comfort detail. It is the lever that reaches behaviour, digestion and breathing all at once.
Digestion and the stomach
Feed swallowed too quickly reduces saliva production. Saliva protects the stomach lining against acid — an empty stomach is an acid stomach. Eating more slowly means salivating more.
Breathing
For horses that cannot tolerate dry hay, good-quality hay pellets go straight into the dispenser. Less dust, less soaked hay — and none of the pleasure of eating is lost.
Calm in the stall
The horse no longer sees his whole ration at once, and finds more of it each time he returns. Owners report animals that are calmer at feeding time, and more settled between meals.
The research
An independent, peer-reviewed published study.
In 2016, researchers from the University of Milan and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Université de Montréal evaluated Quaryka's effect on cribbing — an oral stereotypy associated with stress and reduced welfare.
Ten horses with a mean age of 14, split into two balanced groups of five — cribbing and control — were video-recorded continuously for 15 consecutive days, from one hour before to two hours after feeding.
- The meal takes longer. Quaryka increased the time needed to finish the ration in both groups of horses (P < 0.05).
- Cribbing decreases. With Quaryka, cribbers showed a significant reduction in time spent cribbing (P < 0.05).
- Removing it brings cribbing back. After the feed dispenser was removed, cribbing behaviour increased considerably.
- No sign of frustration. The study also set out to check whether the device induced frustration; the authors conclude it may be particularly beneficial for horses fed high-energy diets and ingesting food too quickly.
Mazzola S, Palestrini C, Cannas S, Fè E, Bagnato GL, Vigo D, Frank D, Minero M. “Efficacy of a Feed Dispenser for Horses in Decreasing Cribbing Behaviour.” Veterinary Medicine International, 2016; 2016: 4698602. doi:10.1155/2016/4698602 — PMID 27818832.
In the barn
What the people using it say.
It has been a long time since a new product of this quality, destined for horses, has appeared on the market. This tool answers several fundamental needs for horses linked to their physical, mental and emotional health.
The Quaryka has truly worked wonders with my mare. She used to be stressed at feeding time and pawed constantly while eating. With the tool, she eats quietly, without pawing.
We mainly installed it for horses with breathing problems, because they cannot eat dry hay. We were very impressed by how quickly they understood it.
The device
Stainless steel, sterilisable, no electricity.
The Quaryka mounts on the stall wall at the height of the horse's withers. A cardboard template is supplied to mark the exact height and the position of the screws.
Installation
Four screws, a template and a tape measure. As easy to remove as it is to fit.
Maintenance
Cleaned with the products already approved in veterinary clinics. The unit can be sterilised.
Parts
A metal rod is included to unscrew the wheel. Replacement wheels are available.
- ModelBetty
- Height27 ⅛ in — 68.9 cm
- Width15 ⅛ in — 38.4 cm
- Depth10 ⅛ in — 25.7 cm
- Weight41.1 lb — 18.7 kg
- Material304 stainless steel, sandblasted
- WheelØ 7 ½ in, six lobes
- PowerNone — fully mechanical
Frequently asked
Answers to the questions we get most.
How do you get a horse used to the Quaryka?
It happens naturally. Each animal works it out in his own way. If needed, you can place a little feed on the wheel the first time.
How long before he understands it?
About ten minutes on average. Understanding is sometimes immediate, and rarely takes more than twenty minutes. The one exception we observed was a horse that took an hour — with filming lights, a crew and a great deal of noise around him.
Should the whole ration go through the Quaryka?
That is what most users do, and what we recommend: it creates consistency and a sense of security. Keep exactly the same number of meals and the same quantities as before.
Can mealtime be stretched out even further?
Yes — by adding a portion of hay pellets to the daily feed ration. This is particularly useful for horses that stay inside for long periods or that have breathing problems.
Are there prerequisites? Is it only for problem horses?
No prerequisites. Quaryka is for every horse, with or without stereotypies. Its first role is prevention: the natural need to graze is met before problems appear.
What happens when the dispenser is empty?
The horse keeps turning the wheel if he feels like it — it relieves boredom. We have not observed negative behaviour linked to the absence of feed: the animal moves away, then comes back to check now and then.
Is fitting and removing it complicated?
No. The dispenser is fixed with four screws, at the height of the horse's withers. A cardboard template shows the exact placement. Removing it is just as simple.
Contact
Let's talk about your barn.
Whether you have one horse or thirty, write to us. We answer technical questions, pricing enquiries and barn-wide installation projects.
- Email info@quaryka.com
- Designer Céline Senez, President
- Origin Quebec, Canada