OMG..I LOVE my Trickle Net!!!

sidesaddlegirl

sidesaddlegirl

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www.sidesaddlegirl.co.uk
Well, my Trickle Net came the other day and I wish I had bought one long ago.

The first night I only put hay in it (3 slices) but it as empty the next morning but I noticed that she didn't gobble down her breakfast as quick and her poos were mostly in one part of the stable on the rubber mat directly at the back where she stands to eat her hay.

With the change in temperature for the past three days, I've started mixing straw in with Hattie's hay to give her extra fibre to burn off to keep warm without extra calories (she is the weight I want her to stay) along with her slices and there has been probably about half a slice of straw and the same amount of hay left in the morning when I get there so it's been lasting all night. Before, when I double netted that amount of hay and straw, it would be all gone by the morning, now she is still nibbling it when I get there.

A surprise benefit of trickle Net, is that it's also saving me in shavings. Hattie usually poos all over the stable and tramples it in so I have to shake out the whole bed but now, because she is occupied with eating all night, she has been pooing in the same spot on the rubber mat behind her while eating from the net (I only have shavings at the back of the stables for her to lie down on and wee on). all I do now, is scoop up her poos off of the mat and scoop out where she wees so a saving with shavings!!
 
Sorry I'm being thick - what are trickle nets? Where can I get one from as my pony seems to finish his double netted hay in about 3 hrs (and he's too fat already!)
 
I always triple net, but took the plunge and bought one to try....

I will be purchasing another next payday! Tis wonderful!
 
They are definitely worth the money:) Our two greedy mares have had them two weeks now! It took them a few days to get the hang of it. I have noticed that their beds are so much cleaner now and I take out less than a barrow of muck between them each day! I am only putting a bale of shavings into one bed and half a bale into the other bed. Last winter I was putting in double. I did a spot check one night, when I dropped yard owner's daughter off and they still had plenty of haylage left:) I tried the elimanet and that stretched but the trickle net seems to be much tougher!
 
galaxymisletoe said:
My girl seems good at moving her double nets to eat from the top hole.... How do you find the trickle net for that?
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I was worried about that as the rope for the trickle net is quite thick and I couldn't get it tight enough closed. What i do now, is when I've threaded the rope through the bailing twine to tie it to the net, I tie it at the top of the net and it seems to stay shut now.
 
EllenJay said:
£30!!! would rather triple net!
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pmsl! I liked the idea until I saw the price, too. My first words started with F and ended with Off, lol! I suppose it depends on how much hay you can get in, though, since it might pay for itself in less than a season if you find yourself putting more hay/straw in to make it last longer (guilty!).
 
I gave in and ordered one this morning. I usually double net and this morning I noticed several strands about to break. :( She'll have gone through 4 haynets in 6 months!!

So hopefully will be strong as they promise as well as slow her down.

Was unimpressed with paying £4.50 postage though!!!! Surely can't weigh that much, so I've basically bought a £35 haynet :(
 
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Haynet

Instructions above how to make your own (standard) haynet.

My version simply involves getting everyone to cut the string on small hay/straw bales at the knot, until you have enough (10+). Knot them all together, create a spacer with a stick to be the length that you want your holes to be. (the one on wikihow says 5inches, I'd try 2 for a small holed haynet) and knot pairs. Plait 3 strands together for the top closure, and thread through the top holes. Et voila, one home made small holed haynet. ;)
 
How about getting some 25mm net (heavy duty golf range net) and making your own

http://allplas.co.uk/acatalog/Cargo_Netting.html?gclid=COvCi_iw9awCFdQPfAodWiLXTw

If you scroll down they do all sorts

I got some 45mm net to line our field manger to slow the fatties down, its very stong (prob the same stuff they make hay nets out of). 25mm is £3.60 per linear meter inc vat and they do shrimp netting too. Might give it a go during the xmas hols.
 
OP- glad to hear you are happy with it. I was thinking of one for Fany my draft mare but she has a large mouth, 7inch bit and is not particularly dexterous with her mouth. Do you think, looking at yours, the holes are big enough?
Thanks
FDC
 
Magicmillbrook said:
How about getting some 25mm net (heavy duty golf range net) and making your own

http://allplas.co.uk/acatalog/Cargo_Netting.html?gclid=COvCi_iw9awCFdQPfAodWiLXTw

If you scroll down they do all sorts

I got some 45mm net to line our field manger to slow the fatties down, its very stong (prob the same stuff they make hay nets out of). 25mm is £3.60 per linear meter inc vat and they do shrimp netting too. Might give it a go during the xmas hols.
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wow thanks for that link.
Think i will be making my own - how hard can it be :)
 
RedNosedFany said:
OP- glad to hear you are happy with it. I was thinking of one for Fany my draft mare but she has a large mouth, 7inch bit and is not particularly dexterous with her mouth. Do you think, looking at yours, the holes are big enough?
Thanks
FDC
Click to expand...

Not sure but I think they have tested it on drafts. Probably best to email them and ask to be sure. :) The holes are little though but big enough to let ends of hay and straw through.
 
I like this idea........ but they are very expensive :( - yes appreciate they're brilliant but IMO very highly priced.

If you've got two horses, like I have, then it makes the cost of buying just one trickle net for each horse totally prohibitive & unrealistic!

Have a good mind to try the golf netting idea tho'. Presumably one could always do one out of that, then enclose it with a haylage net (which would make it not only effective but cheaper too?).

Yup, brill idea: but to catch on they'll need to reduce their price for this item a bit.
 
I'm between a rock and a hard place, I think if Phil was overweight and it was summer I'd buy one, but in winter he's hungry and I don't think it's fair to make him really fight for his food, especially since I don't want him losing any weight.

He has a small holed hay net and it takes him double the time to eat than if it's just off of the ground.
 
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