Haynets? Yes or No?

[Persephone]

Seeing as haynets came up in the hates post, do you use one or not?

Are there any circumstances under which a haynet can be safe?

Is there anything wrong with using a haynet tied level with the horse's nose and tied with a quick release knot to one strand of baler twine?

Will a haynet tied at nose level cause incorrect muscle buildup?

I am interested in all opinions, horror stories, does and don'ts, tips etc!

 

[Vicki_Krystal]

i use haynets if im around on the yard.
i use them to soak hay in or measure out the correct amount of hay.

Now my 2 older horses have haynets at night - tied to baler twine as they are both fatty pigs and have restricted hay so they have small holed haynets to slow them down!

Youngsters however have their hay tipped on the floor at night when im not around - i find them farr too inquisitive for their own good!

 

[Chico Mio]

For me, no. I prefer them to eat their hay off the floor, au natural. Besides I don't think either of them have ever seen a haynet and I can imagine FB getting extremely annoyed with one!

I don't know about UK binder twine but ours is pretty indestructible synthetic stuff (we tied the tarpaulin on the roof down with it during the hurricane and it stayed!) and I wouldn't be happy if I was relying on it to break in an emergency...

 

[BobbyMondeo]

I dont like haynets especially the ones with the large holes. They cause the horse to eat in an unatural postion and causes their teeth to wear down differently which can cause alot of problems and bills if you dont notice early enough.

Having said that one of my horses does have a haynet as otherwise the hay is all over the bed in the morning and wasted, he has the nets with small holes and always tied to thinned bailer twine as high as i can get it to minimise anything going wrong as much as i can. Though i do prefer to just feed off the floor its much quciker and easier and better for the horse as well

 

[Erehwemos]

I only ever use one in the trailer, and even then, I use it grudgingly. I knew a poor pony who died after being caught up in his haynet - his owner found him in the morning with two broken hindlegs and a twisted gut. Lethal bloody things in the stable

 

[MrsMozart]

I prefer no nets. But, I will use small holed ones, if I can get them tied high enough and the ned in question is reasonably sane. I use them in trailers and when we go to shows, but again, it's always the small holed ones.

Dizz has a Hay Bar, but I havent' put it up yet in this stable. For now they usually have hay on the floor. Yes, it gets in a mess, but hey (or indeed hay) ho.

 

[PnO]

I have heard a few horror stories on HHO but practically everyone I know involved with horses use's them and has never had a problem. Even my 76 year old YO has never had a problem with them or heard of any horror stories, and she's been around a while! I use a small holed haynet for my older horse and tie it at nose level, and for my younger horse I use a larger holed haynet and tie it a bit higher. If I give my horses hay on the floor they just trample it into there beds and waste it x

 

[UKa]

Have used haynets for a while but prefer to feed from floor or like mine now from a manger. Haynets just promote unhealthy body posture in my opinion - as soon as my girl was diagnosed with a bad back I got her a manger from which she can feed head down. Wish I had done it sooner although bad back had nothing to do with haynets but surely it is all the little things that help...

 

[Donkeymad]

The only time I will use a haynet is in the lorry when travelling if it is more than a half-hour journey. It is then tied with thinned down baler twine.

 

[cyearsley]

Only two weeks ago I arrived at the yard to find my horse with his small holed haynet caught over the heel of his hind shoe. It was the most terrifying ordeal and I will never forget what a state he was in, soaked through with sweat, shaking liek a leaf and unable to even place his hind leg on the floor until the vet had given him a huge dose of pain killers. This net was correctly tied, small holed so in theory he couldn't get his foot in it etc. Thank goodness he seems to be ok but it was a really scary time and the vet said they have actually put horses to sleep who've been trapped like this, I know have a haybar and will only use nets when I'm on the yard or travelling.

 

[Blue-bear]

No for me, my boy always seems to get his legs stuck no matter how high they are tied. Have also seen a number of different horses get attached by their rugs either the fronts straps or surcingles either way they have end up in a state of some description.
Hay on the floor everytime, mess or no mess

 

[4leggedfurries]

I use haynets on Harry and Dibble, but the very small holed ones. Never had a problem. Squeak on the other hand is so small that you almost have to put the haynet on the floor which results in him pawing at it, so he has his hay straight off the floor, out of his bed etc...!

 

[Enfys]

I don't actually possess haynets any longer, used them for years before though and never had any bad experiences with them.

Nowadays, all hay goes in feeders or loose out in the fields and on the floor in the stall. What they do with their food after that is up to them, if they chuck it about etc, that's fine, they'll eat it if they are hungry.

 

[glitterfuzz]

I use the floor - not because of accidents etc but because the floor is the correct eating position and anywhere else casues sharp teeth

 

[badgerdog]

I prefer to feed off the floor. I know of a horse who had to be put to sleep because it got caught in a haynet. I've also seen small ponies with wrongly developed neck muscles due to having to reach up for haynets and one pony I know actually got a bad back from having to stretch upwards.

 

[f_s_]

I prefer to feed off the floor.

My mare was caught in a hay net, tied correctly, and nearly took her eye out!! Luckily she is a sensible mare, but god knows how long she stood there with one foot caught, before we got to her!!!

It has terrified me ever since. unfortunately, there are times when it is impossible not to use a hay net, and, in these instances I use a small holed hay net.

Still don't like them though, and prefer the horses to eat in the most natural position possible as I think that it put unnecessary strain on muscles and joints.

 

[Dubsie]

[ QUOTE ]
Have used haynets for a while but prefer to feed from floor or like mine now from a manger. Haynets just promote unhealthy body posture in my opinion - as soon as my girl was diagnosed with a bad back I got her a manger from which she can feed head down. Wish I had done it sooner although bad back had nothing to do with haynets but surely it is all the little things that help...

[/ QUOTE ]

Just curious really but why is it an unhealthy posture - litttle pony has been making a beeline for our cherry tree now it's out in leaf - we let her graze the lawn in the back garden as reward for travelling well in trailer when she comes back from shows (helps hubby with the strimming too). Surely horses will eat any foilage they can lay their teeth into (was going to say hands on but you know what I mean), and isn't that why they are tall and have long necks, and in the same way giraffes have even longer necks?

 

[only_me]

We feed all our horses in haynets because we cant afford to waste any haylege - there is a severe shortage here.

Never had a problem so far, and we use a mixture of small and large hole nets, and we tie them up so they are at head level for horse.

tbh, if you feed them at shows or when travelling then why not in a stable?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

We have never used haynets because our RI told us a horror story about watching a pony strangle itself to death and not being able to do anything as a child (this must have happened about 60 years ago) to rescue the pony.
I can't see that haynets are any safer tied at head height than anywhere else. The horse develops muscles under its neck rather than on top as it reaches up to eat,so that defeats everything else we try to do.
We have used mangers while at livery, put hay on the floor when we first moved to keeping the horses at home and now use haybars (for those who keep their hay where it's put

)
I would only ever use a haynet for travelling and then only under close supervision.

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

I tend to feed hay off the floor as its more natural, but i will sometimes use nets if i need to, like if she is tied and being groomed i can sometimes use a net

 

[jesterfaerie]

I really do not like them and only use them when travelling or tied up, although I had to use one this winter to try slow my pig of a horse down!!

 

[pottamus]

I have used haynets in the past and never been concerned about their safety. I do not use them anymore but that is because my lad has copd problems so I feed from the ground to help minimise the symptoms of this. I use a hay hutch and it is great!
I will still use a haynet to tie to his trailer to keep him quiet whilst tacking up etc though.

 

[Puppy]

[ QUOTE ]
I prefer no nets. But, I will use small holed ones, if I can get them tied high enough and the ned in question is reasonably sane. I use them in trailers and when we go to shows, but again, it's always the small holed ones.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto - mostly though I use them on the yard when they are tied up being groomed/waiting for the farrier. My main stable has a chest height solid wooden manger all the way across the back so I tend to feed hay in that for the odd times they are in. Or I use them to carry haylage up the field, as most of the time my horses are out and field fed.

 

[Fizzimyst]

[ QUOTE ]
I use a hayhutch and its great!

[/ QUOTE ]

What is this you speak of

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I use a hayhutch and its great!

[/ QUOTE ]

What is this you speak of

[/ QUOTE ]

They look like a fab idea - I am going to get them for my field for this winter. I think if you just type www.hayhutch.co.uk you should find them - definately got their own website.

 

[Puppy]

Ooh yes, I want a hayhutch!

 

[Fizzimyst]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I use a hayhutch and its great!

[/ QUOTE ]

What is this you speak of

[/ QUOTE ]

They look like a fab idea - I am going to get them for my field for this winter. I think if you just type www.hayhutch.co.uk you should find them - definately got their own website.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh I see

We have a big round metal thing in my winter field that the YO used to feed his cattle from so I wont need one of them.

I use haynets, and I looked at the haybars but if I put hay on the ground my guys just drag it all round, trample it in their beds and then sh*t on it wasting it all. I think they'd probably do the same with a haybar and I think it'd be quite an expensive experiment if they did

I wonder if I can build something similar to a haybar.....

Anyone done this? Have any ideas?

 

[UKa]

PRobably not a problem out in nature when they can roam around and have the choice but being stabled for a period of say 15 hrs a day with nothing but a haynet in my opinion is too long in a posture that is putting strain on their backs I should think. Plus if I can help my horse's back by making her stretch her back as much as possible then so I will

 

[CastleMouse]

I always use haynets in the stable and horsebox, and I've never had any accidents caused by them yet... *Touches wood*

 

[Lobelia_Overhill]

QR

Wouldn't use one ever again, my old pony nearly broke a leg twice on hers ...