Further to posts on trickle nets

[dalidaydream]

I've tried both the trickle net and elim-a-net for my greedy pony. The elim-a-nets are useless, they didn't slow him down at all and as has been said many times fall apart very quickly. The trickle net, although expensive, you probably are getting good value for money - it is very robust but they are also very heavy before you even start to fill them.

I'm not sure whether it was caused by the trickle net or not but within a few days of using one I had to have my pony's neck treated as it was extremely sore and locked up. He does tend to get hold of the net and shake it if the hay doesn't come out easily and with the weight of it I think he could easily have done himself damage. I've stopped using it and he is now much better so draw your own conclusions.

I'm open to any ideas to slow down his eating as he is an extremely good doer and will bolt his ration given half a chance. At the moment I've gone back to quadruple haylage nets but would really love to feed him in a more natural way. I've considered a haybar but would have to secure the hay in a net somehow - what I could really do with is a haybar with some kind of mesh that worked its way down as the hay was eaten. That would be my ideal but I don't think it exists - has anyone managed to make there own or have any other ideas please?

 

[Tr0uble]

Oh dear! That is unfortunTe if the net has caused it. I've watched my boy with his and he actually throws his around less than a normal net because he's figured out that it's far more effective to nibble delicately and use his lips.

How about buying a massive trug, amd securing that to the wall by screwing a low tie ring through that, into the wall, then tying the trickle net to that low ring, inside the trug (does that make sense?)

Then you'd have the low down eating benefits, but also the trickle net benefits.

 

[dalidaydream]

That might work - my only worry would be that he'd be able to get his feet caught in the net, it would have to be a massive trug wouldn't it?

I may have solved the problem of him throwing the net up in the air by putting a second tie up ring lower down so that I can secure the bottom to it. Here's hoping.

Of course that doesn't solve the problem of feeding in a more natural manner so any more suggestions welcome.

 

[beeswax]

would a solid haybar not the slated one attached to the wall but put lower on the ground and a haynet opened up and put over the top and tied in place but not so tight giving a bit of slack so that when he pushed his nose against it to get the hay it would give a bit for when the hay got to its end, might work, practice makes perfect.

 

[**Vanner**]

Troble - could you show us a pic?

 

[Ali2]

We've got haybars. The boys get their double netted hay tied to a ring on the back wall of the haybar corner. They get the benefits of the haybar but are slowed down by the double nets

 

[Tr0uble]

Lol...sorry no I don't do it, i was just being inventive!

 

[dalidaydream]

We've got haybars. The boys get their double netted hay tied to a ring on the back wall of the haybar corner. They get the benefits of the haybar but are slowed down by the double nets

Do you have the ring at the top or the bottom of the haybar? Sorry I'm being a bit thick but if it's at the top don't they just pull the haynet out, I know my boy would and then I'd be worried about him getting his feet caught in it.

 

[dalidaydream]

would a solid haybar not the slated one attached to the wall but put lower on the ground and a haynet opened up and put over the top and tied in place but not so tight giving a bit of slack so that when he pushed his nose against it to get the hay it would give a bit for when the hay got to its end, might work, practice makes perfect.

Again, if this was loose enough to go down to the bottom of the haybar wouldn't it be possible to pull it out? Or am I looking for problems that don't exist?

 

[Ali2]

Do you have the ring at the top or the bottom of the haybar? Sorry I'm being a bit thick but if it's at the top don't they just pull the haynet out, I know my boy would and then I'd be worried about him getting his feet caught in it.

About a foot from the bottom - put ring in wall then fit haybar!

 

[dalidaydream]

About a foot from the bottom - put ring in wall then fit haybar!

OK, thank you - I'm seriously considering trying this

 

[Ali2]

I've just added two of these in addition to the haybar for my big lad who was recently diagnosed with ulcers. He's finished his GastroGard and is loads better. Vet suggested having hay in several places in the stable because there's some evidence that movement helps. Anyway, I initially had hanging nets but I don't really like him eating from a hung net so I've installed these. I've screwed a clip on a plate to the wall, made a hole in the wall of a huge tub trug, his hay is double netted and placed in the trug with some of the net being fed out of the hole and secured to the wall via the clip. So far so good I think this is the biggest trug you can get and its hlding 5 kg of soaked hay

 

[dalidaydream]

That looks great but (and I do have a habit of looking for problems ) I would fully expect to find that turned upside down by my pony. I'll be interested to hear if yours manages to dismantle it in any way.

 

[Ali2]

Nope. All still upright this morning

With the amount of net that's fed through and the short clip length there's not enough play to turn it over. There was slightly less mess than with hung nets too.

My lad is quite tenacious and will stand and work at a problem so he's not likley to get frustrated and paw at it and even if he did he's barefoot so wouldn't be able to get a shoe tangled in it. I'd be a bit dubious about doing this with a shod pony.

 

[teasle]

Google slow horse feeder paddock paradise . I stopped using small hay nets after seeing how my horse had to tug to get the long stalked compressed haylage out. I just put it in a largr muck bucket type trug. I have put iyin a corner and banked it in place with the shavings bed.When its gone its gone- I cant make his life perfect.

 

[dalidaydream]

Nope. All still upright this morning

With the amount of net that's fed through and the short clip length there's not enough play to turn it over. There was slightly less mess than with hung nets too.

My lad is quite tenacious and will stand and work at a problem so he's not likley to get frustrated and paw at it and even if he did he's barefoot so wouldn't be able to get a shoe tangled in it. I'd be a bit dubious about doing this with a shod pony.

Hmmm - that's what worries me with my pony, if there's a way to get caught up he'll probably find it Good for you though for giving your boy something to think about.

 

[dalidaydream]

Google slow horse feeder paddock paradise . I stopped using small hay nets after seeing how my horse had to tug to get the long stalked compressed haylage out. I just put it in a largr muck bucket type trug. I have put iyin a corner and banked it in place with the shavings bed.When its gone its gone- I cant make his life perfect.

Thanks for that - very interesting, a couple of those are exactly what I had in mind. Think I might have to get busy myself though looking at the prices. Or, like you, I could give in trying to make his life perfect and just accept he likes to wolf down his hay

 

[cc14]

Have you tried a haybag?

 

[cc14]

Oops meant to say the ones where the gap is netted

 

[dalidaydream]

Have you tried a haybag?

I haven't no, are they any good? I have looked at them and wondered if they'd be any good.

 

[cc14]

I was umming and aahing over one in the tackshop for my greedy pig, I went against it in the end purely because of price but another customer in the tackshop highly recommended it. I suppose if there is only one small gap to get the hay out of and they have to be more careful it must slow them down a bit and prevents the violent grab and shake tactic!

 

[dalidaydream]

Thanks for that, I haven't actually seen one in the flesh. My pony seems quite happy at the moment with the trickle net secured at the bottom so he can't throw it up in the air - so far so good anyway. If I have any more problems though I will search out a hay bag and try it out.

 

[Ali2]

Just an update on my 'system'. After a couple of days the clip thing wasn't really working - net pulled out of trug and hay all over floor. It was taking an age to muck out with hay all stamped in to the bed too

So, I altered to what Tr0uble suggested and secured two trugs to the wall with tie rings. Hay nets are now tied, tight, to the tie rings and we have very little hay wastage, nets that stay in the trugs and a normal muck out