Trickle Nets........are amazing! Will save you so much hay + keep your horse amused!

wizbit said:
I can appreciate the costs involved in the manufacturing of the product, but I cannot appreciate the postage costs. Surely this can be done cheaper?
Click to expand...

Depending on the batch, each Trickle Net weighs in between 1 and 1.4 kg. The postage cost at that weight via Royal mail standard parcels is £4.41. Thats before we take anything for the heavy duty postal bags we use and the fuel and time involved in taking large batches of parcels to the poor lady at the post office! So currently we lose money on postage if we charge £4.50. £4.95 would be more realistic, but we appreciate that we need to keep that cost down so just swallow a bit of a loss.
I think sometimes people don't consider that if the holes are small enough, and the quaity is good (eg thick rope and netting) you are looking at a net with much more strength and mass than the nets you may be used to. Hence the postage charge. We don't make a penny on postage, we take a loss.
We have looked into courier services but the cheapest delivery rate we could offer our customers with courier delivery would be £5.95. Though that would be a 24 hour service. While that would be far more convenient and cost effective for us, i'm just not sure if customers would appreciate paying more for delivery. So for now, we will take a small loss and continue to keep our local post office lady run off her feet!
We would be happy to listen to any comments on how we could improve this situation :)
 
Would be handier if these came in smaller sizes.

My boy's probably cost me around £30 in small haynets over the past year (tried every single brand available to me), but his big shires one that I put in for stabling overnight has lasted for ages. So he really doesn't need another big night-time net.

Just a stronger small net for grooming and as a secondary net overnight.
 
NU ABO said:
Would be handier if these came in smaller sizes.

My boy's probably cost me around £30 in small haynets over the past year (tried every single brand available to me), but his big shires one that I put in for stabling overnight has lasted for ages. So he really doesn't need another big night-time net.

Just a stronger small net for grooming and as a secondary net overnight.
Click to expand...

It's something we want to do. But the netting we use is pricey, and there is still a good amount of stitching (by hand) involved in a net half the size. This means we couldn't offer a half size net at anything close to half the price. The smaller nets would in my opinion be less cost effective for customers than the regular nets.
Though it's likely we will make smaller ones in future, when we figure out how to get the cost down more without compromising on quality
 
Received mine, 2 days after ordered, quick turnaround!

If anyones interested I have a video of my cob using it for the first time?
 
My pony has pulled his neck muscles for the second time now using a trickle net. For his sake I have given up and taken to putting his hay on the floor. After year's of double, treble and quadruple netting I thought these nets would be the answer to my prayers but I can't risk my pony hurting himself on them all the time. Much better imo to just let him eat at his own speed - amazingly he isn't eating the hay any quicker and seems a lot happier, his stable was as clean as I've ever seen it this morning. I can't believe I've wasted so much time and money trying to slow him down.
 
dalidaydream said:
My pony has pulled his neck muscles for the second time now using a trickle net. For his sake I have given up and taken to putting his hay on the floor. After year's of double, treble and quadruple netting I thought these nets would be the answer to my prayers but I can't risk my pony hurting himself on them all the time. Much better imo to just let him eat at his own speed - amazingly he isn't eating the hay any quicker and seems a lot happier, his stable was as clean as I've ever seen it this morning. I can't believe I've wasted so much time and money trying to slow him down.
Click to expand...

trickle net on the floor or hung up?
 
galaxy said:
Have double netted in the past and the tricklenet is miles more effective! Even double netted my mare could get through a net within hours. She always has strands left in the bottom of her tricklenet. The standard haylage nest (shires) etc are also not as tough and when you have a greedy horse ripping away at it they just fall apart. I went through 4 in 6 months! Had my tricklenet over 3 months now and there is no sign of wear at all.
Click to expand...

^^^^^
THIS. I agree totally.
 
Well, tried the trickle nets over weekend and pony is a fan!

Gave her half in trickle net and half in shires net - have to split it as it is soaked and can't lift it otherwise!

The trickle net is emptied but the other net still has hay in it - for some reason she seems to prefer the trickle net and leaves the other net which is easier?! Proof if it were needed that my mare is "speshul" :D
 
dalidaydream said:
My pony has pulled his neck muscles for the second time now using a trickle net. For his sake I have given up and taken to putting his hay on the floor. After year's of double, treble and quadruple netting I thought these nets would be the answer to my prayers but I can't risk my pony hurting himself on them all the time. Much better imo to just let him eat at his own speed - amazingly he isn't eating the hay any quicker and seems a lot happier, his stable was as clean as I've ever seen it this morning. I can't believe I've wasted so much time and money trying to slow him down.
Click to expand...

Can I ask how do you know your pony has pulled his neck muscles? And how do you know it is from the net?

Although this is the reason I don't secure mine at the top and bottom, just at the top, as if they tug it quite hard it just moves about!
 
I thought mine was getting a sore neck too so I put two rings about four feet up and strung the net between them so put the string through ring one then through the second ring through a few loops of the net and tie so it is like a sort of fat sausage on the wall that solved the problem.
 
MillionDollar said:
Can I ask how do you know your pony has pulled his neck muscles? And how do you know it is from the net?

Although this is the reason I don't secure mine at the top and bottom, just at the top, as if they tug it quite hard it just moves about!
Click to expand...

Because he went completely lame but on examination by the vet and chiropractor his neck had completely locked up and was freed again by manipulation and he came sound. I gave the nets the benefit of the doubt the first time but secured it at the bottom to try to stop him lifting it so high but when it happened for the second time the only thing which could have caused it was the net. He is inclined to really grab at the net and throw it into the air. Obviously if it happens again with the hay on the floor I'll have to look for other causes but I'll be very surprised if it does.
 
Goldenstar said:
I thought mine was getting a sore neck too so I put two rings about four feet up and strung the net between them so put the string through ring one then through the second ring through a few loops of the net and tie so it is like a sort of fat sausage on the wall that solved the problem.
Click to expand...

I thought I'd solved the problem too by securing it at the bottom but my pony is so keen to get at the hay he was still grabbing at it and pulling as hard as he could. Strangely he seems to be eating the hay slower from the floor because he isn't grabbing big chunks (yes he managed this even with the trickle net :rolleyes:) and is just eating quietly and normally.
 
dalidaydream said:
My pony has pulled his neck muscles for the second time now using a trickle net. For his sake I have given up and taken to putting his hay on the floor. After year's of double, treble and quadruple netting I thought these nets would be the answer to my prayers but I can't risk my pony hurting himself on them all the time. Much better imo to just let him eat at his own speed - amazingly he isn't eating the hay any quicker and seems a lot happier, his stable was as clean as I've ever seen it this morning. I can't believe I've wasted so much time and money trying to slow him down.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that. Sounds like your pony couldn't get the method established to use the Trickle net effectivley. Horses generally learn that tugging too hard only blocks the holes and makes it harder to get at the hay. They all have a good tug and beat the net up before they work out that being gentle is far more effective. The horses who can empty the net fastest are the ones who are really nimble with thier lips and just twiddle away teasing out hay gently. Sounds like your boy didn't quite get it :(
 
Equimo said:
Sorry to hear that. Sounds like your pony couldn't get the method established to use the Trickle net effectivley. Horses generally learn that tugging too hard only blocks the holes and makes it harder to get at the hay. They all have a good tug and beat the net up before they work out that being gentle is far more effective. The horses who can empty the net fastest are the ones who are really nimble with thier lips and just twiddle away teasing out hay gently. Sounds like your boy didn't quite get it :(
Click to expand...

Oh I can assure you he had no trouble getting the hay out of the net - I'd like to see any horse empty one quicker than him. There are plenty of people who say there is still hay left in the morning - mine would never have any left at all (I'd say he could empty it completely in a couple of hours).
 
dalidaydream said:
Oh I can assure you he had no trouble getting the hay out of the net - I'd like to see any horse empty one quicker than him. There are plenty of people who say there is still hay left in the morning - mine would never have any left at all (I'd say he could empty it completely in a couple of hours).
Click to expand...

i have just bought one and within 2 days my mare could eat 3kgs of haylege in less than 1 1/2 hours. I am so very disappointed.
 
ihatework said:
Interesting thread.

My horse is just about to move livery yards and where he is going the YM seems to prefer to use haynets. Normally this isn't my preferred way of feeding, but for current horse who is a bit of a fatty, it probably wouldn't be a bad thing for him to have a small holed net such is this.

My main concern though is that I don't want him inverting his neck/back to forage as he is a dressage horse and I feel very detrimental to correct muscle development.

Therefore interested to see feedback from people feeding from a haynet tied low down. Can I ask how low you are tying it? To the point it touches the floor (so with the ring 3ft ish high?).

I appreciate the actual net holes too small for real safety concerns but what about the fact that you still have the rope fastening - likelyhood of getting a leg through it?
Click to expand...
Not the best photo but that is about 3 foot from the floor. I've tied it to a piece of baling twine from the rafter so if he does get caught the twine should snap. I've found he tugs the haylage downwards so using the top of his neck.

ETA: adding the photo does help :rolleyes:
IMAG0301.jpg
 
Last edited:
loucob said:
i have just bought one and within 2 days my mare could eat 3kgs of haylege in less than 1 1/2 hours. I am so very disappointed.
Click to expand...

:D Sorry but it sounds like your mare is as clever as my pony. To be honest I think if they're as greedy as my pony they will find a way. I've actually timed my pony eating out of a trickle net, an ordinary net and off the floor and as unbelievable as it sounds, he eats it slowest off the floor. I guess he's just happier and so that's how he gets his hay now (also we haven't had any muscle problems in his neck since I've stopped using the trickle net).
 
dalidaydream said:
:D Sorry but it sounds like your mare is as clever as my pony. To be honest I think if they're as greedy as my pony they will find a way.
Click to expand...

Think you have hit the nail on the head :-)
My friend has suggested i put the trickle net inside 2 haylege nets, but that seems to me to be bordering on the ridiculous. Got to do something tho she is sooooo fat.
 
loucob said:
Think you have hit the nail on the head :-)
My friend has suggested i put the trickle net inside 2 haylege nets, but that seems to me to be bordering on the ridiculous. Got to do something tho she is sooooo fat.
Click to expand...

I know they're a nightmare arn't they? Maybe you could try hanging the net from a rafter in the middle of the stable so she can't pin it against the wall or using 2 nets at opposite sides of stable to make her move about a bit.
 
Hmmm Im tempted but at thirty quid I dont think I could have it not work!!!

I have a haylege net inside a haybag at the minute and that is topping tubby pony from scoffing too quickly when she is in :)
 
If you're able hang your horse's net from the roof of your stable so it's away from the wall. Lasts so much longer and doesn't cost you £30! ;)
 
i bought 1 for my pony. mainly as leave 1 slice of hay for morning & person that feeds puts it over the door. but he tramples it all in his bed & wastes most of it. theory was to put full net up & would last him till turned out next morning. so hangs it up & he sniffed at it & snorted, & ran to back of stable. thought he will give in & eat when left. next morning very sad pony & full tricklenet. next 2 days gave less in regular haynet & small amount in tricklenet. pulled it apart so just wispy bits & some sticking out of holes but hasnt touched it. dont want to give in but he will obviously not be that hungry if got other hay to eat but seems cruel to leave him all night with just tricklenet if he wont even try to eat from it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top