Small hole Shires hay nets... are they long lasting?

[Casey76]

As I'm having to import these from the UK, the postage is rather horrendous, and would prefer to buy something which is going to last a while if I'm paying almost as much postage as for the item.

At the moment I've giving my mare hay in a double net (with 2in holes), but she can quickly wiffle it around so the holes are lined up... clever beastie.

 

[Moomin1]

Do you mean the very large ones which are black/red or blue/black? If so, they are very hard wearing. My mare is a guzzler and tears at the haynets something chronic, and hers has lasted a couple of years now with no sign of giving up the ghost!

 

[Tiddlypom]

My horse, who is a fairly neat and polite eater, made several holes in my brand new Shires small holed net in one night. Not impressed.

 

[MissChaos]

Can't remember if I've had mine one year or two now but my gelding's managed to tear them both - far from beyond use, luckily, but there's at least one larger hole in each where there should be several normal ones. Don't think the holes enough to put me off using them again if I had to but beware the overall size of the net - mine are the blue/black and they are flipping huge!

 

[Moomin1]

Can't remember if I've had mine one year or two now but my gelding's managed to tear them both - far from beyond use, luckily, but there's at least one larger hole in each where there should be several normal ones. Don't think the holes enough to put me off using them again if I had to but beware the overall size of the net - mine are the blue/black and they are flipping huge!

My mare eats an entire net, plus another normal sized net, every evening!! :-O

 

[Casey76]

Thanks for the info.

The over all size doesn't bother me, as I'm weighing the hay, and I'll just double over/tie up any space which isn't used.

The small holed nets I bought yesterday at my local tack shop are huge - I'm sure you could get a normal small size bale in them! They are almost as long as I am tall.

 

[MissChaos]

Moomin1: get a too-good-doer native He would if I'd let him but with weighing it, no chance at the mo.

 

[Busybusybusy]

I have the black & red ones & blue and black ones, the red ones are huge and take about 18-20lbs hay - my boy has 2 of these a day!
I have had them for 18 months now and they are still going strong with daily use.

 

[Persephone]

I agree with the others the red/blue and black ones last for ages!

 

[Potato!]

I have a shires blue and black small hole haynet. It's rubbish my gelding had eaten through it (several large holes) within 3 days. I may as well chuck his hay on the floor.

 

[OldNag]

I have the blue and black ones and have found them excellent.

 

[Regandal]

I have a red/black one - massive! I call it the trawler net. Very robust, had it 2-3 years now, like new.

 

[Hurricanelady]

I've just started using the Shires greedy feeder nets which I think are quite new. They come in 2 sizes and seem to be working well to extend the eating time. No rips yet including one of mine who is currently on box rest so having a good go at it. They're more expensive than the black and blue ones but the holes are half the size at 1".

 

[princestar]

No! My horse has eaten through every single one of the 7+ nets! All now fashionably repaired with baling twine :/

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

I have one my friend gave me while Nugz was on box rest, and it must be about 3 years old and perfect condtion, bought a red/black the other week, and the 'smaller' blu/black one. However, the holes are small, but not sure how big the holes are - probably still 2 inches? Never really looked

Did look at their greedy nets, but couldn't justify the cost as knew it wouldn't slow him down eating, just frustrate him enough to go on hunger strike which is what he does now with double netting

 

[liz4949]

Not with my horse! He ate through the tying up rope the first night and just chewed holes in it every night so I just gave up. The only haynet he has ever wrecked but got fed up trying to mend the nose sized holes.

 

[RubysGold]

I have two of each colour. All of them have pretty huge holes in them :/ only used one winter