Best option to stop hay wastage...

[You Wont Forget Me]

Hi all,

I currently have a 6 month old foal on box rest and am having a hell of a time with wasted haylege! He's dragging it through his bed and using it as a toilet, I need to find a safe way to stop him doing this, in an ideal situation i'd introduce a haynet but with him being so young and jumpy on his first ever box rest it's a recipe for disaster.

Anyone have any suggestions? I've 11 more weeks of this to get through and can't afford for him to be wasting so much haylege, help!!

 

[be positive]

Being on box rest is boring and he may be finding haylage is equally boring, when my horse was on long term box rest I gave him a choice of hay and haylage which he very obviously went from one to the other depending on how he felt, a soft meadow hay will be easier for a young foal to chew, may be more interesting and help reduce the waste, I agree a net is a risk and would not want to use one maybe put it in a trug although I think he will probably just pull it out and drag it around.

 

[Dry Rot]

Surely a small mesh hay net properly hung up is reasonably safe? We pull the cord all the way through the ring here until the net is tight up against it, then pull the cord through meshes about half way up the net and tighten again. The final knot is a simple over hand knot with the end pushed through the loop again and again until it's tight. What is there to tangle?

 

[You Wont Forget Me]

I do think a haynet will be the best option but just so paranoid incase anything does happen, have always used haynets in the past so know how to tie them properly but was just hoping there would be some other solution to try first��

 

[SO1]

You could try a hay bar?

 

[paddi22]

i was thinking of getting one of these for my baby
http://thehaypillow.com/10-slow-feeder-hay-bag-standard-hay-pillow.html

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I do think a haynet will be the best option but just so paranoid incase anything does happen, have always used haynets in the past so know how to tie them properly but was just hoping there would be some other solution to try first��

Please don't, it is not unknown for equines to strangle themselves in haynets and a panicking foal would soon make matters worse.

How many times a day can you top up his hay? The more times the better. Can you offer different types of forage for him to try? Perhaps trugs with different chaffs would help keep him interested and occupied.

 

[tashcat]

That hay pillow looks fab!!

I. Need. One. Right. Now.

 

[jessicara]

That hay pillow looks fab!!

I. Need. One. Right. Now.

These things look like a great idea! I don't own one myself but have friends who love them and they seem to be very well made/long lasting. Never heard of any incidents involving them either.

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

hay pillow looks good option..........ours have hay in big trugs but a norty foalie is probably just going to tip the entire thing over.

haynets are awful for necks and teeth as well as the danger of getting hooked up.

can you pick him some fresh grass and hide chopped fruit and veg round the stable to give him something to do? old towel and old football to play with? rubber skip with some old brushes in? Mine love taking brushes out buckets then putting them back in again lol!

 

[smellsofhorse]

What about something like this

http://www.eazigrazer.co.uk

Or this

http://www.haycube.co.uk