Info on heating

• The heating's energy needs can't be covered by solar power. That's why, when the heating is on, you'll need to connect a 12V charger to the battery. Also, make sure the live charger cable is safely run from the power outlet to the Cobomat box, keeping it completely horse-proof! While retrofitting is possible, it's a bit of a hassle, quite a bit of work, and can get pricey.

• The water outlet heater and the feed bowl heater kick in once you flip the heating switch on the outside of the control box.

• The tank heater turns on when the tank's external temperature hits 7 °C and switches off again at 18 °C (and no, that's not the water temperature).

• When it's warm, the heater needs to be switched off.

• The feed bowl heater warms the feed to ca. 25 °C. Without it, the mash remains just above 0 °C in frosty conditions and can even freeze during feeding breaks.
  Retrofitting is possible at a later date, but incurs an additional cost of approx. 220 €, as it is mounted on a second feed bowl. If ordered at the same time, the surcharge is only 100 €.

In practice, all the heating components we use have been super reliable for years.

The control box is only set up to connect a solar module if you order the solar kit with it. Otherwise, your Cobomat II can only be powered by a 12V charger.

The 100-watt solar module is typically mounted directly onto the Cobomat box using the fixed aluminum bracket. This setup is usually for locations that get a decent amount of light and a few hours of sun on clear days, and the module also provides extra weather protection.

For really shady spots (like the north side or inside a stable), we suggest setting it up separately facing south using the 45° solar module stand – maybe on a roof, for instance.

Box Assembly Kit (without wood)
This assembly kit comes with about 160 carefully selected and adapted parts, which makes putting everything together a lot easier, but it's not absolutely essential.

You'll find all the screws, angles, pre-drilled corner profiles, and other small bits you need included. The aluminum corner profiles set the shape for the box and make assembly a breeze.

You put it together step by step by screwing the plates, with the help of our detailed box assembly instructions. It helps if you have some basic knowledge of how to use a cordless drill.

The plywood or wooden panels, etc., aren't included. When you place an order, we'll give you a supplier contact where you can get panels cut to the exact millimeter (they cost about 650 €).

setup and installation Detailed step-by-step instructions are included in the scope of delivery—with pictures, clear descriptions, and labeled cables. So far, all customers have been able to set up the system themselves without any problems.

It's still helpful to have some DIY skills, both for building the box and for installing the Cobomat. Unfortunately, we can't offer phone or online support.

If setting it up yourself isn't an option, you have the possibility,

• hire a local craftsman or
• we'll take care of building the stalls, and we can even partially pre-assemble the Cobomat for you, all for an extra charge.

• CTEK MXS 7.0 ( 7 amps)
• Victron Blue Smart ( 10 amps)

Chargers come with various settings. If these are set correctly, your AGM battery will usually charge without any problems. So, always make sure to check your charger's user manual.

Thankfully, we've never had a faulty battery in all these years. 😉

It's totally fine to have a 6 to 8-meter distance between the Cobomat II box and the solar module. The standard length is 1,5 meters.

Just so you know, the electrical resistance goes up the longer the cable is. This cuts down on the energy the solar module produces, and if your solar cables are too long, it might mean your battery won't get a full charge.

We've tested hay pellets, hay flakes, other pellet feed, muesli, and even oats. Everything gets transported into the feed bowl without any issues – and even a scoop or two of mash to get their appetite going.

Yes, the Cobomat hay pellet is also suitable for outdoor use if a weather protection plate or solar module is additionally attached to the Cobomat box.

A roof is better to prevent the food in the feeding bowl from being diluted by rain and snow.

Just so you know, we only run our Cobomats outside. We've never had any problems with them. To stop the feed from getting all wet from snow and rain, we just quickly put up a simple roof. And that's totally enough! 😉

Whether you're using hay pellets or hay flakes, both types of feed soak through really well with enough water and the right soaking time. We've tested both types, sack by sack, and honestly, we couldn't tell the difference in the finished mash.

Hay flakes soften up faster than hay pellets. This is super handy if you need to save time. If you're using a Cobomat II hay pellet feeder, you just adjust the soaking time.

Our two experiences with choke:

• Just like many times before, the young mare in question spent the whole night in summer with the rest of the herd in a pasture with tall, overgrown grass that got wet during the night. The next morning, she had a severe choke. The vet removed whole clumps of grass. She might have eaten too greedily and not chewed thoroughly enough.
• Our gelding was the one who got the second choke. He had only gotten hay from the hay net and then spent several hours out in the pasture. After coming back from the pasture, he started getting worse and worse, and we had to call the vet. Thankfully, it was just a mild choke. We can only guess that it was because of the really coarse, straw-like hay we had at the time. We also had colic issues with a mare from the same hay delivery.

Potential risks:

• The most dangerous are: dry-fed beet pulp, larger amounts of dry hay pellets, or carrot and apple slices.

• Medium risk: coarse hay, overgrown grass, straw, whole fruits (for greedy eaters).

• Safest of all: soaked feed like hay pellet mash.

Crucial factors aren't just the feed itself, but also eating speed, dental status, portion size, and salivation.

We really recommend using only clean drinking water if you can. This helps make sure no harmful stuff from potentially contaminated well water ends up in the feed mash.