Small hole hay nets - how small is too small?

I gave up. My horse got frustrated and gave up and wouldn't eat his hay. Was happy with the Shires slow feeder haynet but he put a hole through it quickly so defeated the point. I now just use the red and black giant ones as he (is supposed to) gets 12kg of hay due to the lack of grass this year.
 
Am I the only one using the 1 inch shires nets and finding the horses still manage to empty them with no issue? And quicker than I'd like. With my EMS mare I have been known to put a 1 inch greedy feeder inside a normal 2inch net for her overnight and every strand is gone by morning. I have a mixture of the soft nets and the harder fine ones, but all 1 inch holes.
 
Landcruiser said:
Am I the only one using the 1 inch shires nets and finding the horses still manage to empty them with no issue? And quicker than I'd like. With my EMS mare I have been known to put a 1 inch greedy feeder inside a normal 2inch net for her overnight and every strand is gone by morning. I have a mixture of the soft nets and the harder fine ones, but all 1 inch holes.
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You are nót the only one : )
 
Landcruiser said:
Am I the only one using the 1 inch shires nets and finding the horses still manage to empty them with no issue? And quicker than I'd like. With my EMS mare I have been known to put a 1 inch greedy feeder inside a normal 2inch net for her overnight and every strand is gone by morning. I have a mixture of the soft nets and the harder fine ones, but all 1 inch holes.
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Not at all, but when I look at how pony gets through a "normal" net when I have to use a spare I'm still glad I use the small holed ones most of the time 🙃 I think less ends up on the floor as well.
 
I can’t wait for my new net to arrive! I’ve put 8kg of haylage in my shires haylage net tonight for my Welsh D but I’d be amazed if there is anything left tomorrow morning! Its pre-cut into sections so it’s literally falling out of the haynet as the pieces are quite small 🤪

Other than having multiple small holed nets I’m not sure how I’ll be able to ensure she has hay all night!
 
Bobthecob15 said:
I can’t wait for my new net to arrive! I’ve put 8kg of haylage in my shires haylage net tonight for my Welsh D but I’d be amazed if there is anything left tomorrow morning! Its pre-cut into sections so it’s literally falling out of the haynet as the pieces are quite small 🤪

Other than having multiple small holed nets I’m not sure how I’ll be able to ensure she has hay all night!
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Is that about 17 - 18lbs? And this is the section D that’s on lush grass during the day?
That is a fair bit of haylage overnight; unless she’s really burning it off with work; can you dilute a bit with straw, or hay? I’m all for ad lib forage in stabled animals that are working, but have owned enough Welsh cobs for long enough to suggest dietary caution! Good luck.
 
Exasperated said:
Is that about 17 - 18lbs? And this is the section D that’s on lush grass during the day?
That is a fair bit of haylage overnight; unless she’s really burning it off with work; can you dilute a bit with straw, or hay? I’m all for ad lib forage in stabled animals that are working, but have owned enough Welsh cobs for long enough to suggest dietary caution! Good luck.
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Yes she is but she is in a lot of work, I went on the bodyweight % ratio to work out how much she needs but fair warning with the grass too.

The reason she’s on haylage is because I don’t have any storage for hay/straw at the yard I am at, so haylage is the only option really due to the logistics! There assuming I can even find any hay it’s very difficult locally 🙄 it’s a low sugar Timothy mixed haylage and quite dry so hopefully less risk…I took advice from the manufacturer.

I’m hoping with a smaller holed net I can reduce the haylage a bit but she’d have nothing most of the night if I gave less than 8kg as she eats it quickly. Fingers crossed for the smaller nets!
 
Bobthecob15 said:
Yes she is but she is in a lot of work, I went on the bodyweight % ratio to work out how much she needs but fair warning with the grass too.

The reason she’s on haylage is because I don’t have any storage for hay/straw at the yard I am at, so haylage is the only option really due to the logistics! There assuming I can even find any hay it’s very difficult locally 🙄 it’s a low sugar Timothy mixed haylage and quite dry so hopefully less risk…I took advice from the manufacturer.

I’m hoping with a smaller holed net I can reduce the haylage a bit but she’d have nothing most of the night if I gave less than 8kg as she eats it quickly. Fingers crossed for the smaller nets!
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If she’s doing plenty of genuine work, I think you’ll be ok. I don’t like horses standing bored in boxes with nothing to pick at, either. Once hunted a young W. mare twice a week all winter, which ate a full bale of beautiful hay per day (limited grass, but was also hacked every single day, or would otherwise have been unmanageable) - don’t know who was fitter by spring - her or me! She looked and felt fantastic on it, we then did a straight, 40 mile long distance ride without any prep at all. If sound, section Ds will pretty much take whatever you throw at them, and thrive, especially the mares - high-couraged.
 
I use the double layer haynets from here https://www.martsnets.co.uk/ourshop/cat_1823663-Double-Nets.html
Not convinced it slows my cob down by much, but he's an expert at getting food out of anything! He's barefoot so also have the ground feeding one which he plays with when it's empty 😊
I ask the dentist to check for wear associated with his muzzle and haynet (lucky boy has both!) and he's been fine so far - like others have said, it'll be different for different horses
 
Just an update, the Equlibrium nets arrived, gosh they are great! They are so soft, not hard like the Trickle nets! I’ve left pony with a net full and she looked less than impressed at me 😂 She soon worked it out though but doesn’t look convinced at the amounts she’s getting with each tug!

Fingers crossed she doesn’t get too annoyed with it but it feels very strong and durable x
 
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