Securing a haycube

[melbournesunrise]

I'll be moving yard in the next couple of months, where my boy will need to be stabled overnight for the winter months. This isn't a problem, I expect both of us will adjust to it after him living out 24/7 for many years.

However, I have a haycube in his stable that he eats out of whenever he is in there. Usually he is only in the stable for a couple of hours, so moving it around doesn't matter much. At the new yard, I've been told it can't be secured to the stable wall using the wall bracket. At the moment, that wouldn't be an issue because he wouldn't be in much, if at all... but in the winter, he'll eat from it and move it indiscriminately, and probably move it into his bed. I'd love to feed from the floor, but he's such a mess maker - for that same reason, I found haynets impractical (plus I like the more natural position that he eats from with the haycube).

How can I secure the haycube in one position so that it doesn't move about, without the wall bracket?

 

[Shay]

I don't think there is one - assuming you mean the hay cubes that are plastic? Are you able to fit a manger?

 

[milliepops]

depends what kind of wall you have and what freedom you have to modify it (presumably none if you aren't allowed a bracket).

I don't use a bracket with mine, never have - my fiddler pulled it out of the bracket on day one so I never bothered to put it into any other stables. I don't really mind if they move it about a bit tbh, generally mine don't bother. Where I am at the moment I could secure it with some string to the bars on the front of the stable, but horses being what they are I prefer not to have unnecessary stuff tied around their boxes in case someone decides to put a foot in it!

 

[TPO]

I use the brackets and they've only lifted out of them a handful of times over the years.

I did once make a baler twine loop to semi secure it when I forgot the drill but that stable had grilles. I dont know how you'd manage with a solid wall. You could try jamming it in the corner by packing bedding (shavings) right up to it and build the cube a "hole" to fit in?

 

[melbournesunrise]

depends what kind of wall you have and what freedom you have to modify it (presumably none if you aren't allowed a bracket).

I don't use a bracket with mine, never have - my fiddler pulled it out of the bracket on day one so I never bothered to put it into any other stables. I don't really mind if they move it about a bit tbh, generally mine don't bother. Where I am at the moment I could secure it with some string to the bars on the front of the stable, but horses being what they are I prefer not to have unnecessary stuff tied around their boxes in case someone decides to put a foot in it!

From what I've been told (and seen) the stable walls are made of bamboo - which apparently splits when drilled if not done correctly. I'm definitely not an expert driller, and I don't think the YO would want it tried just in case... plus I don't want to pay whatever hefty amount repair might cost!!!

There are bars that separate the horses in adjacent stables around the top of the walls that I could tie it too, I suppose. I really do want to make it difficult to move though - in all the time he's had it, he's never once gotten stuck or hurt from it, but I have walked into the stable multiple times to find it in the middle or at the back when I have left it at the front. He doesn't move it for fun, he moves it while he eats...

Do you think weighting it with something would be safer than tying it to the bars?

I don't think there is one - assuming you mean the hay cubes that are plastic? Are you able to fit a manger?

Don't think I would be for the same reasons as not having the bracket fitted - everyone else seems to use haynets, which I don't really like.

 

[Myloubylou]

I have a bracket which my mare unhooks cube from. I put a concrete block in bottom of mine which stops her moving it. Obviously defeats the purpose if using it for soaking

 

[Myloubylou]

Putting 10k weight in bottom might work?

 

[melbournesunrise]

I have a bracket which my mare unhooks cube from. I put a concrete block in bottom of mine which stops her moving it. Obviously defeats the purpose if using it for soaking

What sort of concrete block? Where did you get hold of it? I don't need to soak hay (touch wood!) so it wouldn't be a problem...

 

[LaurenBay]

I never attached mine to the wall. Cube didn't move much at all.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

What sort of concrete block? Where did you get hold of it? I don't need to soak hay (touch wood!) so it wouldn't be a problem...

you can buy them in B&Q.