Haybars, are they any good?

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rubyrumba

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To those of you that have them, are they worth the money? I am a little worried my horse would just pull all the hay out onto the floor!
Thanks
 
I love mine, definately easier. Although it's a cheaper, but equally good version :) There is a mare on the yard who box walks like mad and pulls it all out though. She is scatty though and is the only one of 10 who does x
 
I love my haybar! I hate haynets and filling them so got the haybar.

My horse eats with his head in there and thankfully doesn't pull all the hay out!

Just make sure you leave enough room underneath to get a brush under to clean. :)
 
i have an eezhay, basically the same as Haybar but in different colours, and I LOVE it. Just dump my hay in each day and no mess, no waste.
 
I had one at a previous yard and my boy used to stick his head right to the bottom and eat that way but always ended up pulling the stuff out and using it as a pillow when he went to sleep. At my new yard one of the liveries has one and there horse makes a mess with it so they have to put a filled haynet inside the haybar to keep him tidy. Some are tidy and some aren't.
 
I have a feeling my boy will pull it all out as if I give him a huge bucket he just pulls it all out and then mixes it in with his shavings!
 
I'm very interested in this as I'd like an alternative to nets for my VERY messy mare but it sounds like she'd probably drag it all out of a hay bar.
 
NAS just his as an extra scratching post.
My main reason for not having one now tho is because he's on limited haylage. And he Eats it too quickly in the hay bar.
 
We have a similar idea on our yard in the shape of metal hayracks at chest height! They have the tiny holes in them so no chance of catching hoofs in them.
 
I have one for Dizzy. She does pull some out, but as she has perfect aim when she ewes - no matter where I put the hay, she wees on it - it saves on wastage.

I don't use a hay net with her in the stable as if she has a rug on she always manages to get the front buckle attached to the haynet :rolleyes::eek:

Was interested in the low down hay rack type thing for Dizzy.

I prefer my lot to eat off floor level, which luckily the others do without wrecking it! :D

Just don't put a pony in a stable that has a horse height Hay Bar in it! Little Lad was in Dizzy's stable. He ate his way down what he could reach, then pulled the Hay Bar off the wall to get to the bottom bits! :eek:
 
sorry to be annoying.. but thinking of investing in one.. everyone raves about them.. but apart from easiness.. are there any reasons why they are so great? .. i have heard they are good for top line etc??
 
Love mine! My horse has a giant stable (more abarn really) and is a total monster for dragging his hay round and stomping it in to his bed. Bought a hay bar in the autumn ready for this winter, and I used 1.5 less round bales this winter than the one before (feeding ad lib both times, rugging the same, and it was colder for longer this year). A bit may be attributed to difference in bale size/weight I suppose, but an awful lot is down to savings made by the Haybar! Also made mucking out a lot easier!
 
OH made me one out of an old blue barrel attached to the wall with hosepipe on the top and bottom edges. It was brilliant.

We have moved house now so he's going to have to build a new one for me!!

Horse was v.messy before but I hate haynets and the thought that an accident could happen.

He ate hay very sensibly and happily out of it.

Would def. recommend them.
 
Hi I have one. My mare does pull some hay out, but then hoovers it up once she's eaten the contents (she's only on 2 slices overnight) so she has a small amount in a net from that tied by her door, just to give her some variety (yes, I am a soft so in so) the majority in her bar.

Another benefit is her teeth are better. Even my vet (who does her teeth) has noticed a marked improvement in her since she's been fed hay mainly in the bar and not exclusively from a net. As someone else said, just make sure it's attached off the floor so you can sweep out the bits from underneath.

I wouldn't be without it now.
 
woodlandswow said:
but apart from easiness.. are there any reasons why they are so great? .. i have heard they are good for top line etc??
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Physio always used to comment that my horse was tense through his poll and neck, now with the haybar all those issues have disappeared. I think it was the effort it took to pull down on the hay to get it out of the net. The haybar encourages a more natural position like eating off the floor but without the mess.

My horse goes through phases - some days he likes to pull 1/2 out and eat it off the floor then eat the rest out the haybar, other days he's happy to stand and eat it all out of the haybar. :rolleyes: Horses!
 
Only negative I've heard is that obviously they reduce horse's awareness of what is happening around them while they are eating so they have been known to kick out when surprised.

For that reason I'd make sure you fix anything like a haybar towards the front of your stable for safety.
 
i got one for my lad as i stood watching him pulling hay out of a haynet one day and thought what an unnatural eating position it was.
With his haybar (eezhay) he eats in a more relaxed 'grazing' position.

Plus mine is purple so looks great, lol :D:D:rolleyes::p:D:D
 
I brought hay bars for my 2 as thought they were a brilliant idea.... But there is one thing I am unconvinced about.... I have old brick built stables and have noticed that where they stand and eat and breathe over the winter the wall there went black with mould..... :( haylage is slightly damp, their breathe is damp so guess it might not be a good combination.... My comp horse that is rather delicate got a lung infection that lasts 6-8 weeks, never used it again for her after that..... Like them for many reasons, just not sure about the mould aspect......
 
Topaz Tiger said:
I brought hay bars for my 2 as thought they were a brilliant idea.... But there is one thing I am unconvinced about.... I have old brick built stables and have noticed that where they stand and eat and breathe over the winter the wall there went black with mould..... :( haylage is slightly damp, their breathe is damp so guess it might not be a good combination.... My comp horse that is rather delicate got a lung infection that lasts 6-8 weeks, never used it again for her after that..... Like them for many reasons, just not sure about the mould aspect......
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That is a very good point, wonder if it happens in other stables too or just because yours are old brick ones?
 
I'm thinking about getting them for my two girls. However they are both good doers so I can't give them ad lib and worry that if I put their 2-3 slices ( usually soaked in Oct and then March) in a hay bar rather than small holed bet then it will be eaten too quickly. Would it be possible to use a net inside and also make a hole so that water from soaked hay drains through?
 
Ali27 said:
I'm thinking about getting them for my two girls. However they are both good doers so I can't give them ad lib and worry that if I put their 2-3 slices ( usually soaked in Oct and then March) in a hay bar rather than small holed bet then it will be eaten too quickly. Would it be possible to use a net inside and also make a hole so that water from soaked hay drains through?
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Don't know about the haynet bit but as far as the drainage hole goes, the bottom section doesn't go all the way up to the wall. The back 1/2 of it is left open to make it easy to clean (you fix it approx 1" off the ground and scoop out any seeds/leftovers with a fork/brush).
 
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