How many of you use a haynet?

[AlexAndJess]

Just interested about how many of you use a haynet?
At my college they told us all hay is fed from the floor. Somebody asked why, and the answer was that 3 or 4 horses became tangled up in them and dislocated their jaws last year.
After hearing this, i now no longer use a haynet. What are your views and opinions?

 

[TGM]

I only use a haynet for travelling and then only one with a small mesh.

 

[Ginn]

In my stable I chuck it on the floor (she has a metal hay rack thing but she won't use it! and I prefer them to eat from the floor - much more natural and saves me covering my head in hay when I try to chuck it into the hayrack!

If at an event or feeding her hay while she's tied up (plaiting for example) then I'll pop it in a net.

Mickey always has hay in a small holed net though as being laminitic he doesn't get much so it lasts him a little longer.

 

[JAK]

Only use haynets when travelling / at shows! (Though even then, prefer to let them graze grass round the trailer, haynet is just an option for them if they want it!)

As for reasons - apart from the safety issue of horses getting tangled up in them etc., horses are designed to eat with their heads down, so it is much better for their digestion etc. to eat from the floor!
Also better for their necklines, breathing, mental health, everything really! LOL

 

[RachelB]

I was a numpty and didn't see the option for 'only when travelling'... so I clicked no. Since yesterday... I used to as it saves so much waste, but my horse has a weak blood vessel in her nose and to help rectify this she will now be eating from the mahoosive tubtrug I just bought from the local tack shop. I also used to feed from a wall-mounted manger but have just bought a kangaroo skip instead. I've been lucky and never had a haynet accident but I can imagine what it could do... not nice.

 

[RunToEarth]

I put Oshka's hay on the floor to drain his nose, and the rest just get hay bunged on the floor.
I never really thought about it until I bought Oshka, but my mother has always insisted that hay is fed from the floor, because naturally horses eat with their heads down.

 

[spaniel]

I have one horse who will only eat from a net unless he is starving but the other wont eat from a net and kicks the heck out of it so has his on the floor.

I dont like nets and have had to cut a pony out of one in the past which was not only nasty for the poor pony but a bit dicey for me and my scissors as well!

 

[helenandshadow]

When she's in in the day she has her hay in a haynet with small holes, only because she has a bar across her door and if she has it on the floor she gets it all out her door! For travelling and at shows she has a haynet. When she's in at night she has her hay on the floor, i prefer putting it on the floor because i think it's more natural and less dusty.

 

[PapaFrita]

I do when I dampen PF's alfalfa or when I want to feed her in her paddock and it's muddy. And I use small hole nets too.

 

[peterthepony]

Only use one for travelling or at stay over shows, normally just put it on the floor!

 

[Oaksflight]

Hal has a haynet and a rack. Never had any problems with him and haynet. If I had the money I'd buy a haybar, but can't just chuck it on the floor as 50% would end up wasted.

 

[CastleMouse]

I use a haynet in the stable and when travelling

 

[LauraBR]

Only for travelling.

I use a hayball in the stable.

 

[eohippus]

generally no, I feel it is more natural for the hay to be on the floor, also always dampen it, no matter how good. Only use a small holed haynet for one horse who is a very good doer and greedy. I then always tie it to a rope in the middle of the stable so that it swings and hang it low enough that it is below nose level but not too low as he can get caught in it.
and never heard of horses dislocating jaws with them though, and four all in one place, something seriously wrong with methods or supervision at that college then?.
Dawn

 

[Tia]

No I never use a haynet. A horse on my yard fractured his jaw (basically split it in two) and had to have half of the jaw and teeth removed. He caught his teeth in the nylon haynet and when he became stuck he pulled and pulled until he ripped his jaw in half.

I never use for travelling either - but we travel our horses loose so they can eat the hay on the ground if they so choose.

 

[_jetset_]

I have recently bought a haybar and can't recommend them enough... Because Han is in foal I had to get her used to not having a net, but if her hay is put on the floor it just ends up all over her bed

 

[lillie]

i would prefer him to not have nets all the time but as he was kept in a stable 24/7 for the first 6 1/2 years as a stally he gobbles through hay like its free & he already gets through about a bale a day & as he is prone to colic he cant go without food for long periods of time. i dont like hay racks & have nowhere to put a haybar unless i move his whole bed around!!

 

[Leg_end]

My lad wolves his food down at 100 mph so i have to feed him from a haynet. I have never done it before, much prefer to feed from the ground but needs must

 

[Peanot]

[ QUOTE ]
Only use haynets when travelling / at shows! (Though even then, prefer to let them graze grass round the trailer, haynet is just an option for them if they want it!)

As for reasons - apart from the safety issue of horses getting tangled up in them etc., horses are designed to eat with their heads down, so it is much better for their digestion etc. to eat from the floor!
Also better for their necklines, breathing, mental health, everything really! LOL

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto really and just to add that the chiro said that it doesn`t do them any good with having to wrench their necks trying to get the hay out, and they are doing this for a couple of hours a night while they are eating. My mare had a couple of issues in her neck and poll and we presume this may be the reason.

 

[Judie]

Only use a haynet for travelling, would never entertain the idea of using one any other time, not natural, not safe, end of..

 

[Christmas_Kate]

I've never had a problem with nets, heard of the dangers, but you never think it'll happen to you do you?
My little man sometimes has trouble with a net in that he gets his teeth caught. He only has hay when tied up. Another livery gave me her 'hay bag' she'd bought for one of hers but they got their leg caught in it.

. I'll try it, as like I said he only has hay when tied up and I don't think YO would be impressed if I chucked hay on the yard floor... The general thought was that Little man would get used to the net but I do worry about him.
I think if he was stabled I would use a hay bar though as I think they're fab and minimise waste.

 

[filly190]

I have never used haynets for stable use. Simply because it develops the wrong muscles in a horse and seondly because it is natural for them to feed from the floor.

The old school of thought and the use of haynets was so that hay could be easily soaked and the dust and nasty bits were disgarded. Nowadays good quality hay is readily available and the need to soak hay is purly dependent on the horse.

 

[mrdarcy]

I use nets because my boy refuses to eat haylage from the floor...

I've only ever had one bad incident with a net - small bad tempered pony got his foot caught up in one... he reared up as I tried to free him which funnily enough helped as he was only 11hh and it put him at the perfect height for me to free him.

My friends gelding got his net caught on his rug fastening last winter but he stood as good as gold, finished his net and waited for us to free him the next morning.

I always loop the string through the bottom of the net so they don't sag too low when empty.

I do agree it's better for horses to eat from the floor though, if at all possible. As well as all the other reasons stated in the thread it is also better for their teeth - less chance of hooks forming if horses chew their food with head down apparently.

 

[merlins-mum]

i use a haynet with microscopic holes, otherwise Mr Greedy just inhales his hay and ends up getting choke.

 

[MagicMelon]

I use a haynet travelling to and at events. But never at home in the field as I have also had a horse get his front hoof stuck in it! He had to be cut out of it. They can be dodgy. In the stable I put hay on the floor and in a normal hay rack.

 

[the watcher]

Never, never use one except when travelling, and then it is tied up so tight there is no chance of getting caught in it. I am quite paranoid about them

 

[PoppyPony]

haynets are dangerous and bad for horses' backs/teeth/necks.

 

[RobinHood]

I fill a tubtrug with hay and then fill it with water. 10 minutes later I tip the water out and stick the tubtrug in the stable. I only use haynets in the lorry.

 

[KJJ]

I have a haybar for my boy.

The only time I would use a haynet is when travelling... but I would use a small holed one such as a haylage net.