Pros and Cons of using a haynet

[KimLovesStorm]

Hi
What are the pros and cons of using a haynet? I am getting my first horse next week but I'm not sure if I should use a haynet or not.

Thanks in advance
xxx

 

[joulsey]

Pro's- can weigh/monitor how much horse eats. Limits wastage and how much gets dragged into bed. Makes horse eat slower

Cons-haynets coming down/horse & legs getting stuck. And I am sure other can elaborate more on horses natural grazing position with head/neck down. And how annoying they are to fill, its the worst chore for me!

 

[equestriansports]

Pros:
Not a huge mess everywhere in the morning when you come to muck out - especially if you have one that likes to drag hay into their bed so they can lay down and eat.
Easier to move from bale to stable
Less wasted
They come in pretty colours! haha

Cons:
Potential to get a leg stuck in
Could be pulled off of the wall, then leg stuck in
Floor level is the natural grazing position so better for them
Yanking about a haynet if hungry - not good for neck/back?

 

[Shantara]

Pros - Slows down eating, I much prefer hanging a net to putting armfuls of hay in, makes less mess, doesn't get dragged into the bed/wee'd on!!
Cons - I have found a horse upside down with it's hind legs trapped (horse was fine, it was a rare accident because the net wasn't tied well) not as natural.

 

[KimLovesStorm]

Oh can you feed haylage through a haynet

 

[EmmaC78]

I never use one as I find them a pain to fill and would worry the horse would get caught up so there are only cons for me.

 

[springtime1331]

I find my mares eat more out a haynet than on the floor, which for me is a good thing.

 

[oldie48]

I can tie a haynet in a place so horse doesn't poo on his bed so much, it makes mucking out so much easier whereas if i put haylage on the floor opposite the bed, most of the poo goes straight on the bed.

 

[tashcat]

Can you give us some info about the horse? Is s/he a horse or pony? Do they need lots of hay? Do they eat quickly? Do they get bored?

Without knowing anything about the horse, definitely recommend a hay net in my opinion.

It keeps them munching for longer, slowing down how much they eat. That keeps my boy going a lot longer and his haylage (I feed haylage) will last all night.

It also makes it easier for mess, and I like the idea of a routine for him - his haylage net is always in the same place and always full when he comes in!

Potential cons could include horse getting caught in it as other have mentioned - I've found tying it up properly and finding a net with smaller holes (haylage nets for example) make me less worried about that possibility. Also tying the net at the back of the stable over the bed means legs could get trapped because they lie down there: I always tie my hay net up at the front by the door so when he lies down he's nowhere near the net.

Good luck with the new horse!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Congratulations on getting your new horse.

I will tell you what I was told at RS many, many years ago. The RI refused to have haynets on her yard, as she had watched a pony strangle itself in a haynet and been unable to do anything to help it, when she was a child.
The other major con for me is that pulling at a net develops the wrong neck/back muscles for a riding horse.
If you wish to weigh the hay, you can do so without a haynet. We use haybars and carry the hay from a big bale to the stable in plastic bedding bags, which are easily weighted, others use big builders bags.
I can't think of any pros tbh.

 

[FlyingCircus]

There's of course pros and cons to each, but I have found feeding mainly loose and then with an additional slice or two in a haynet means my boy isn't left with nothing to eat if he wolfs down the loose hay.

 

[Redders]

I feed mine with a haynet as it saves waste and while it's far enough off the ground to not get caught, it's a big net which hangs nicely so not really high. The dentist told me that you need to keep regular check ups (as you always shoul) for their teeth esp when feeding from nets as their chewing mechanism is altered by not eating off the floor, so can cause edges to develop on molars faster than on floor fed horses.

 

[flirtygerty]

If you use nets, hang them at the right height, not so high that seeds etc can get in eyes, nor too low that they can put a foot through it, my idiot did this and luckily didn't panic, he stood quietly till we cut the net away, thank god it was through the day when I was off, as the net was tight around his fetlock, I now only use haynets if travelling

 

[CompletelyCrazy]

My 5 year old has a net. I use shires haylage nets rather than haynets as these have smaller holes than haynets also the rope to tie them up seems to be good quality and quite strong. I tie them lowish so he's not stretching up to eat . I can't give it him loose he drags it into his bed and them poohs and wees all over it . I simply can't afford to use haylage as bedding.

 

[Suechoccy]

Haynets for travelling. Loose hay in stables and field so they can eat from floor and no chance of getting wrapped-up in one.

 

[mega spoilt ponies]

I used a large haylage net for my horse, tied at the correct height in a large stable. He recently got cast against it, despite tiny holes he got his hoof stuck and ripped the tie ring off the wall and was found in the morning with it following him around the stable. Haybar only now!