horse had leg stuck in haynet... alternative?

[princestar]

My horse had his leg stuck in his hay net this morning when I got to the yard. Luckily he didn't panic and he waited for me.

When I got there he had his leg caught so I had to cut him down because the string on the ring didn't break.

Net was tied with string which didn't break and net was tied high, he kicks quite high with his legs.

So, best alternative to hay nets, he kicks with his front legs so I have to find something else.

If I leave it on the floor it ends up all over his bed and he poos in it too.

What else can I use? Haybar - what do people think? Hay rack? Other alternative?

I like to feed lots of hay so ideally something large enough

Thanks

 

[ozpoz]

I feed from the floor. I don't ever want to worry about legs getting stuck, and I believe it is better for the horse to feed in the position nature intended. I have deep straw beds and it works well.

 

[asmp]

I personally use a haybar (well a cheap version). Did wonder if my horse would pull the hay out and still leave it strewn around the stable but he doesn't. If you still prefer to use a haynet , wouldn't a small hole one do? Have always felt the big ones are an accident waiting to happen as the net drops down when empty.

 

[neddy man]

ring wants to be as high as you can reach ,make sure string goes to bottom of net and is then pulled tight so even when nearly empty it wont drop low , an easy solution is use 2 small nets either tied together or on 2 separate rings

 

[princestar]

The nets I use are small hole, so gosh knows how he managed to get a leg through both sides, he kicks it around when its on the floor, I have a shavings bed, and I cant waste hay, it will get kicked everywhere and he poos over it so I have to chuck more than he eats a day.... I will not be using any nets for hay now but I didn't know if anyone has a home made hay rack or hay bar my dad can build... no string, it didn't break even though it was only one strand! So too worried about using them now... just need an alternative that he won't hurt himself on without wasting excessive amounts -- thank you all

 

[nikicb]

Why use something that a horse can get caught in when it's far easier to just feed them from the floor? And yes sometimes mine drag their hay/haylage into their bed, but I'd far rather that than them getting caught up. Glad your boy was ok this time. x

 

[Tiddlypom]

How about a Stubbs heavy duty hay rack?

Like this:

http://www.battles.co.uk/products/0...uipment/7894/traditional-corner-hay-rack-s11/

I have them in each stable. I prefer to feed hay on the floor, but if I have a messy, wasteful horse this is the answer. Anyhow, they make good places to hang rugs on even if I do put the hay on the floor!

A horse could only get caught up in the rack, if it reared right up and struck out at it. Possible but very unlikely, and surely much safer than a haynet.

 

[MileAMinute]

Is there no room at the front of your stable to put a hay bar in? If at the front it minimises hay in bed, although I suppose it depends on how far forward your shavings are.

 

[dollyanna]

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?41687-hay-bar-type-thingy
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?432008-Homemade-hay-bar

A few ideas and photos in these threads

 

[Fuzzypuff]

I feed from the floor, it is better for their back, teeth and breathing. He does drag some in his bed but I just live with it. I've seen a horse have to be cut down from a haybar so I definitely wouldn't use one for a horse that had already managed to stick a leg in a high up haynet.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Im just wondering how high people tie their haynets to allow the horses to get their hooves stuck in them??

Ive came into my horse with his foot through a haynet once, because the string had snapped and the haynet was on the floor, never had a horse dangling from one

 

[Queenbee]

I have a hay hutch, it can be used in the field too it's sturdy, robust, keeps it all in one place.

 

[Cragrat]

Im just wondering how high people tie their haynets to allow the horses to get their hooves stuck in them??

Ive came into my horse with his foot through a haynet once, because the string had snapped and the haynet was on the floor, never had a horse dangling from one

As I said on a previous thread, I once had to rescue a pony who had rolled and got his hoof stuck in the net, which tied nice and high. His hind leg was almost at full stretch- he was practically hanging by it. There was a baler twine loop, but it didn't break

 

[Old lady]

A homemade haybar with a tie ring near the bottom for the haynet works well for us. Haynet is out of reach of feet, horse is eating with head down, all seeds and loose hay are in the bottom of the haybar so nothing will fall in ears or eyes.

 

[Cortez]

I have only ever once had a horse get a leg stuck in a haynet, luckily he didn't struggle or hurt himself just stood patiently and waited (all night) to be helped out. He also learnt from it and never did it again. I still feed from haynets, but make sure they are tied up properly and have small holes.

 

[4x4]

Could you not take the bed back by a couple of feet and feed the hay on the floor in the front, or make a square area without bedding at the front of the stable and put the hay there?

 

[paddy555]

. I will not be using any nets for hay now but I didn't know if anyone has a home made hay rack or hay bar my dad can build...

your dad sounds a good idea. We built our own and have had no accidents and they were cheap. Think of 45 gallon oil drum (or slightly smaller) with the top cut off in plastic fastened back in a corner on the stable wall.

We got our drums (we have about 10 hay bins like this) free from around farms etc. Then we cut the tops off so they were as high/deep as we wanted. Some have then approx half the height of a 45 gallon drum and any that waste hay have a deeper one. We get very little wastage, if they put a front foot in they could easily get it out and if they got really legged up in it they would just pull the whole thing off the wall.

They are easy to remove and hose out and we also use them to put hard feed in as well when they are empty, just put the bucket in and they don't tip it all over the bed.

They have the advantage that the horse is eating with his head downwards and gradually getting lower as he eats the hay. Haynets frustrate some horses. This method doesn't, they hay is easily and freely available and doesn't encourage behaviours like pawing, kicking etc

 

[Old lady]

The homemade haybar I use is wooden, across a corner at the front of the stable. I used part of an old stable door so the wood is about 5" wide not just single plank. You can make it as high or low as you like.
You could leave a gap under for sweeping out, but I don't bother, I just lift out seeds etc with a hand shovel. I can't post attachments, but PM me if you want to see photos.

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

Try cutting the top off an old 45 gallon drum plastic blue barrel and feeding hay in that. I've just started to have to do this having found my hay net on the floor twice in the last week. I have no idea how horse has managed to do this because the baler twine on the tie up ring hasn't snapped nor has any string on the hay net. Anyway better be safe than sorry so a blue barrel it is!!

 

[applecart14]

My horse used to get caught in haynets as do a lot of horses. They were alwasy hung too low (not by me I might add). So now I use tubs for his hay which I just run quickly under a tap and turnover and place outside his stable and a net that I use just once a day - I fill it and wet it and hang it very high. This is the only time the net is hung unless it is my friend that hangs it and when she hangs it I have made her think of the lyrics of the Abba song "high, high like a bird in the sky". lol.

I have seen too many accidents with haynets tied onto doors and slung over, hanging six inches from the ground. The top of my haynet is higher than my head when it is hung!

If you don't want to leave on the ground then a hay rack would be the next best thing to use I would have thought.

 

[coffeeandabagel]

One horse has a haybox, you can soak hay in it and drain it afterwards quite easily. The other has a big purpose built wooden box made by a friend. Both types let them eat from the ground and keep it out of the way. I also find they are less stressy with a box - no pulling or tugging the haynet. They just stand and munch more contentedly. They dont seem to drop much - or if they do it falls back in the box! One of my horses got a tooth stuck in a net I used last month, while I was grooming him. Scary thought what could have happened

 

[jam14]

I too feed from the floor or a haybar.