Dangers of haynets

I've used them for over 40 years for 100's of horses and never ever had one caught up. I certainly would nt hang from baling twine.

I would hazard a guess that the weight and friction of the drawstring chafed the piece of twine you've tied it to and broke it.

Small holes, short draw string, tied to the bottom of the haynet and loop repeatedly until none left to get caught in, then turn the net around so the string is at the back.
 
Never had a problem, but I use small, small holed Haynets tied to the ring so they don't get pulled to the floor.

I don't like haybars at all, just encourages them to breathe dust - not good for them.

Generally I like to feed from the floor in a stable but mine wastes it that way so Haynets it is.
 
Interesting thread. I do use haynets, but my horse is barefoot and I use the shires greedy feeder (tiny holes), tied up on a low bar but looped tightly so there is literally nowhere a hoof could get caught. I hate seeing haynets tied up high, but I understand why people do it. A friend almost lost a pony which had somehow got its neck caught through a high one and was garrotting itself, luckily found in time.
I've also used a small hole net on the floor very successfully, again with the string threaded and woven back in (but I wouldn't do that with a shod horse). I'd do this by preference, and last winter I fed all my hay in the field in tied up nets on the floor. My problem is, if I feed loose hay on the floor my horse is like a hamster - he gorges non stop until it's all gone, then has nothing, so I HAVE to slow him down drastically. The only reason I'm not doing nets on the floor where he is now is that he's on a free access corral/stable with post and rail type fencing, and if the net is loose on the floor he loses it under the bottom bar and the horse next door ends up with it.
 
Goldenstar said:
I have tried various things ,
The best so far is a hay hutch .
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Tell me more about these Hay Hutches? First I've heard of them. I have always used haynets, and normally I put my boys night time hay up, and take his empty one out. I always tie it so when its empty, it won't sit near to the floor. I went in the other day, and both nets were in his stable (I hadn't put his night hay up the previous evening) and where they were empty, they were both nearly on the floor!! Made me think about what if my boy lays down or rolls??

I can't put a hay rack up, as his stable walls are actually metal bars between stable, and the corner where there is a wall, its got windows there, so cannot attach a rack there either!!

These Hay Hutches look good!!
 
Landcruiser said:
Interesting thread. I do use haynets, but my horse is barefoot and I use the shires greedy feeder (tiny holes), tied up on a low bar but looped tightly so there is literally nowhere a hoof could get caught. I hate seeing haynets tied up high, but I understand why people do it. A friend almost lost a pony which had somehow got its neck caught through a high one and was garrotting itself, luckily found in time.
I've also used a small hole net on the floor very successfully, again with the string threaded and woven back in (but I wouldn't do that with a shod horse). I'd do this by preference, and last winter I fed all my hay in the field in tied up nets on the floor. My problem is, if I feed loose hay on the floor my horse is like a hamster - he gorges non stop until it's all gone, then has nothing, so I HAVE to slow him down drastically. The only reason I'm not doing nets on the floor where he is now is that he's on a free access corral/stable with post and rail type fencing, and if the net is loose on the floor he loses it under the bottom bar and the horse next door ends up with it.
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I do this also. I've never had a horse get caught in a haynet, but I have rescued many others from being caught because haynets were hung incorrectly. It worries me how few people know how to tie a haynet safely (string through as low as you can get it, pulled up as tight as you can go and then tied off and string looped through quick release knot style until it's tidy). Mine are tied to split baler twine which is attached to a low rail in the stable. My boy prefers to eat from the underside of his nets too so is almost eating at floor level. He's also unshod and unrugged which reduces the risk of him getting attached to the nets.

I did try feeding loose for him but he makes such a mess in his stable that the hay becomes inedible. He's also a good doer so doesn't have a huge amount and being able to slow down his consumption with small holed nets is a huge help. I have noticed though that he eats far less now than he did when I got him, initially he'd eat everything I gave him and as I feed adlib usually that's an awful lot! Now he has two nets, one a normal small holed haylage net with 3.5kg of hay in and the other is the same amount of hay in a normal net which is then doubled up with a Shires greedy feeder one, so harder to get at. He now rarely eats any of the double netted and usually leaves a fair bit of the other net too.

He hasn't been in overnight this winter as no need but if he does have to come in I'm going to try him with hay pillows.
 
I now would never use a hay net having found mine on the floor twice in a week or so just before Christmas. I now use a blue plastic 45 gallon drum with the top chopped off and put in the corner of the stable. Fill it to the brim with haylage and horse is happy. Yes, a little bit goes on the floor but not very much and I know this is far less likely to cause damage than a hay net with a leg stuck in it!!
 
I have a hay hutch too, I used it at my old yard out in the field (I have the medium sized one with 3 holes for them to eat from) but now use it in my stable at livery, its great, no wasted hay and horses eating from a natural position, expensive I admit but worth every single penny when I consider some of the other expensive horsey things I have bought in the past which have been rubbish lol !!!
 
Well we had our first night last night with hay just being put on the floor.

Hay was all gone (usually is when in nets anyway), but he wasn't munching on his bed, and wasn't desperate for his breakfast), so couldn't have been standing with nothing for long.

I think I'm just going to put hay on the floor from now on, it's definitely a more natural way of eating. I will look at investing in a hay bar or similar next winter.

Even if the bailing twine did fray and snap by itself, it's definitely been a wake up call. Not sure I would forgive myself if something did happen.
 
Sounds good.

I'm not a lover of hay nets but do use small holed ones mostly tied low (all barefoot) along with loose ground feeding and a couple of hay hutches as containers. I never use large holed nets but always end up going back to using small holed ones to slow down intake.
 
CobsGalore said:
I'm always extremely careful to hang haynets from bailing twine, and high enough so they can't get a foot through.

However, arrived to the yard this morning to find my lads haynet on the floor and the bailing twine broken.

It must have taken quite a force to break that, and I dread to think what happened or if he panicked in any way. His bed seemed more churned up than usual too. Checked him over, and luckily he seems fine, not hurt at all - a miracle if you ask me.

Well I'm not using haynets anymore, not worth the risk.

Anyone else not use them? What do you use instead? Hay bar, bucket, floor?
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I use a large hay net that I have tied myself and will not let anyone else tie one for my horse other than my friend. I always tie it really high and on twine. The hay that is put in the stable during the day is in soft plastic tubs that don't shatter if stood on.

Unfortunately not all the staff tie the nets high enough for my liking and when I used to leave the nets to be put in for me invariably I or someone else would find my horses foot in them. Its just not worth the risk. The number of people I know that just tie the string round the nets onto the stable door or bars directly. Its insane!
 
I think if you are going to use large holed nets you have to take account of where the net will hang when empty and the size of the horse, it's amazing how high a front foot can reach. I think it's a good idea to feed some hay on the ground/low (safely) as well so the horse isn't always eating high.
 
Louisech said:
I have a homemade hay bar for my two. Two pieces of timber screwed vertical on the wall (across the corner obviously) to hold in a large piece of ply board. You can slide the ply out to sweep it out properly too unlike the expensive shop brought ones! Works well for both of mine, I don't end up with it mixed into bed and they manage to clear it all out!
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OH made one's like that for ours before we went on holiday. However, although the hay is lovely, one of the horses developed a nasty cough for the first time ever and the other one just pulled the hay out all over the stable.
Now gone back to small holed nets and the cough has gone and the bedding isn't trashed with hay.
 
I know they can cause horrible accidents but I have to feed my mare from a net to slow her down. The last time she was fed a few sections of hay on the ground she got colic.
 
CobsGalore said:
I'm always extremely careful to hang haynets from bailing twine, and high enough so they can't get a foot through.

However, arrived to the yard this morning to find my lads haynet on the floor and the bailing twine broken.

It must have taken quite a force to break that, and I dread to think what happened or if he panicked in any way. His bed seemed more churned up than usual too. Checked him over, and luckily he seems fine, not hurt at all - a miracle if you ask me.

Well I'm not using haynets anymore, not worth the risk.

Anyone else not use them? What do you use instead? Hay bar, bucket, floor?
Click to expand...

I found mine before on the floor, not only the string broke but also he undid it. Still use them in conjunction to hay rack.
 
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