Pony was caught up in a haynet.

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goldenchestnut

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Wondered why little pony was stood at an empty hay net and hadn't moved for 30 mins so went out to check. Was horrified to find he had his head caught through the draw string of the haynet and it was twisted tight round his neck. It was so tight that i had to cut it off to release him. Luckily he's a very calm little man so he wasn't paniced and was ok. Always careful to tie them up high enough but this happened because the drawstring had come untied and was hanging down.
 
Glad he is ok :)

Accidents happen and horses tend to be very prone to them :p my horse followed me into store where haynet was sitting on ground, i pushed him back so he wouldnt get caught up in it - instead somehow part of haynet got caught between his shoe and hoof :rolleyes3:
 
Presumably you had tied it to something solid :( You should have a weak link in there - strong enough to withstand normal use but weak enough to give if pony gets caught up.
 
Glad you found him in time, and he is ok!
At a bhs riding school one evening whilst son was having a lesson, we heard an almighty thrashing from a stable. I ran across, and saw a pony suspended by its shoe from its haynet. The net was tied properly, nice and high, to a piece of string. But the pony had rolled and caught the net between hoof and shoe. It's hind leg was at almost full stretch. It was newly shod, so there wasn't much gap, but had been shod a little long 'to support the heel'. The string didn't give way, the shoe wasn't coming off, so we had to calm him enough to squeeze between him and the wall and cut the net down. Not fun :(
One sweating, stiff pony, but otherwise, afaik, otherwise unharmed, though wouldn't be surprised if it needed a physio.

So I've never used traditional nets since, except in the trailer.
 
I don't use haynets in the stable as one morning I came in to find her looking very sorry for herself with the haynet tangled around three legs having snapped the baler twine. The string was so tightly twisted around one pastern that there was a welt there for several months. Now she is fed off the floor which is far quicker than filling haynets.
 
Another one here who has given up on Haynets. They have their uses of course they do, but unless you need to restrict intake it might be better to feed from the floor, in a bucket, or in a manger if you have one. Even with greedy horses... Once they get their fill they do slow down.

Saves the filling for a start! Lol!

I did an experiment and chucked a whole small bale in the manger. Takes exactly as much time for her to eat that as it does to eat the hay in nets. Three days. Self-regulation in action I presume...
 
My pont went out on trial, stupid woman tied the haynet straight onto metal bars and let it hang not even 18 inch from the floor. Pony got back leg caught in the haynet and nearly cheese wired it off! Hole the size of the palm of my hand and I could see the fetlock joint. Blood all up the walls of the stable where he had panicked. Awful to see, and would never use haynets again. Glad you pony is ok x
 
jemima*askin said:
Presumably you had tied it to something solid :( You should have a weak link in there - strong enough to withstand normal use but weak enough to give if pony gets caught up.
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Yes of course it had a weak link but it hadn't broken. I can only assume because he'd been calm and not pulled, it had not given way just wrapped round and round tighter into his neck. I hope it would have snapped sooner rather than later. They are all living out so feeding off the ground in present weather conditions is not possible and it would just get trashed normally. Lucky i was at home to spot him.
 
Glad to hear your pony is ok - it must have been quite a scare for both of you. I'm another that only uses hay nets for travelling. I've never even had a bad experience with them, but horses seem to find dangers in so many things that I'd rather not take the chance. When I use a net in the lorry, I always tie the drawstring in two separate places so there aren't any bits dangling, then turn the net. :)
 
Haven't used hay nets tied up since the pony got herself attached by the dog clips on the front of her rug and stood at the haynet all night. I do use them in the slow feeders but they are loose and the ponies dont wear shoes
 
Lucky you found him when you did and I'm glad he's okay :)

Had a very similar thing happen to my friends pony. I went down to see to 3 of them but only 2 came over, as little pony was stood by the virtually empty haynet. I didn't think much of it until I went round to collect up haynets to refill. I tried to move him but he wouldn't budge so I looked down to find he'd put his foot through the net and had twisted it around his paston. I ended up having to cut it off, as it had twisted so tight and had even left a mark. God knows how long he'd been there - anything up to 12 hours. In this instance, my friend had put the haynets way too low :/
 
The only problem I've had with Haynets is that my boy got the front of his rug caught in one one night. God knows how long he was there for but he just stood stalk still , poor wee guy! It was a Slumberdown rug he had at the time so it had the surcingles type fastenings at the front too. I always worry with rugs that have got clips on the fronts, but make sure they face in the way for some kind of prevention.
 
holeymoley said:
The only problem I've had with Haynets is that my boy got the front of his rug caught in one one night. God knows how long he was there for but he just stood stalk still , poor wee guy! It was a Slumberdown rug he had at the time so it had the surcingles type fastenings at the front too. I always worry with rugs that have got clips on the fronts, but make sure they face in the way for some kind of prevention.
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Same thing happened to my horse wearing an amigo rug in the stable with the surcingle style fastening at the front. Luckily saw it happen so just unhooked him. I only use buckle fastening ones in the stable now.
 
Accidents happen, just learn from it. As someone said in another thread, you do everything right and one day they come out, trip over a dandelion, and break a leg. All we can do is the best we can.
 
I always make sure my haynets are tied way up high when I use them and always to bailing twine.Don't need them now unless travelling as we have metal feeders at new yard, very posh monarch stables :)
 
I've never used haynets, except when travelling, as my first RI wouldn't because when she was a child, so the best part of 80 yrs ago now, she had watched helplessly as a pony strangled itself with a haynet.
Horrible things and all the stories on this thread just go to prove that.
 
I do have to say that I am another that will never use a haynet in the stable. I shake the hay up on the ground. The thought of them getting tangled up possibly for hours overnight is a risk I would never take. The girls would probably be sensible enough not to do anything stupid but the gelding, Roberto, well he is an accident waiting to happen. He finds trouble and trouble finds him - padded cell comes to mind.
 
We are feeding off the floor from large, not huge, tractor tyres. They develop a bed of hay in the bottom so new stuff doesnt get filthy and stops hay getting blown by the wind. You can move them if you don't mind getting muddy, but we generally leave ours til spring when it's dry and toll them back to be stored. You also get a nice thick grass patch from all the hay seeds :D

Just if you want an alternative. :)

I now have a hay bar I the stable after years of feeding from the floor, keeps my bed hay free :)
 
Haven't used hay nets in stables for over 20 years - far too dangerous. Always fed from the floor which is much more natural and better for the horse. Now have a Hay Bar and think it's brilliant. Sorry that you had such a scare.
 
Carrots&Mints said:
I always make sure my haynets are tied way up high when I use them and always to bailing twine.Don't need them now unless travelling as we have metal feeders at new yard, very posh monarch stables :)
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The trouble with modern baling twine is it's nylon and very strong. A horse was tethered on our yard, to a bit of baling twine on a tethering ring. The twine was supposed to be a weak point. Horse slipped, panicked and thrashed about and pulled the entire metal ring out of the wall. The string was intact.
 
what a horrid scare, glad your pony is okay! I never use haynets now either unless in trailer. About ten years ago, went down to turn my friends mare out and she was hung upside down with three legs caught up in the haynet - it was quite scary as she had clearly struggled and the haynet had become very tight around her legs and it was very hard to cut lucky she was like your pony and stayed nice and calm.

I personally think twine has got thicker in the last few years :-)
 
Glad your pony is ok - as someone else has said we can all only do our best for them. I have 3 out and as my old mare has an old back injury hay nets aren't ideal (we we were advised that the pulling action isn't great and that feeding from the floor is as it stretches her back). I looked at lots of options to find a feeder that might work to save trashing and to be honest putting the v expensive ones to one side, I couldn't see anything safe (I had a mare that could injure herself in a padded room!) so am feeding off the floor. Yes they waste a bit but not anywhere near what I expected (especially now they get haylage - they seem to Hoover up every scrap) :)
 
Thanks for all the concern and tips. Really liked the idea of a tractor tyre. Never had a problem with nets before but your experiences really get you thinking. Accidents will happen and we just have to do our best and learn from them.
 
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