Clean Hay Burners

I put stall mats in the front of our horses’ lean-to last winter. The idea was to provide a clean surface and thus keep the horses from consuming so much dirt along with their hay .
We’ve tried using large buckets, but they just throw the hay out onto the ground so they can get to the alfalfa leaf more easily. They always want to eat the good stuff first. (Humans aren’t at all like that, right?)
We thought of building a trough, but I figured they’d throw the hay out of that, too.
Anyway, feeding on the stall mats worked very well. I even used old kitchen carpet around the mats to keep stray dirt from getting kicked onto the feeding area. The carpet lost its stiffness after awhile, though, and kept getting turned over. So this year, I’ve added another set of mats, using just a few carpet pieces in places the mats don’t cover. Right now we still have plenty of grass in the pasture, but when it’s time to feed in the barn, we’re all set.
The horses will be eating in style this year. Mischief, want to give me a thank-you kiss?