Tyres in the field

[cauda equina]

I've seen the horrifying pictures of horses getting trapped in tractor tyres, but can I safely leave normal tyres in the field?
My fatties have their hay in nets on the ground; I want to tie the nets to something so they don't end up out of reach
I think tyres would do the job but don't know if I'm missing a potential hazard

Thanks

 

[Abacus]

They can always find something to hurt themselves on. We have a slightly wobbly tyre jump in the xc field and when they are turned out there they generally kick it over and make a mess of it. Haven't hurt themselves yet but there is always a first time.If you are tying up nets though, I guess they might tangle themselves in the string. Can't you tie them to the fence or a fence post?

Or just put hay in the tyres, not in nets.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Depends on your horse - would it cause a spook or panic if they managed to move the tyre? I like the idea of using wheelie bins strapped to the fence with a slot cut at the bottom to pull hay out, but our bottom scratchers would find it too appealing.

 

[cauda equina]

They can always find something to hurt themselves on. We have a slightly wobbly tyre jump in the xc field and when they are turned out there they generally kick it over and make a mess of it. Haven't hurt themselves yet but there is always a first time.If you are tying up nets though, I guess they might tangle themselves in the string. Can't you tie them to the fence or a fence post?

Or just put hay in the tyres, not in nets.

The strings are tied so there are just loose ends with no loop.
I could tie them to a fence post, just trying to find a way to leave the hay in the middle rather than at the edge.
I have been using water-filled plastic containers as anchors but the beggars chew them and now they leak!

 

[Widgeon]

They can always find something to hurt themselves on.

I'm a big believer in this! All you can do is manage risk and try to keep it within reasonable bounds (whatever that means to you). Ours all have tractor tyres in the field that we dump their hay into; none of them have ever tried to climb into or move one of them. Personally for a shod horse, I would be more worried about leaving haynets of any description in the field, than a whacking great tractor tyre.

 

[KittenInTheTree]

We use blue plastic barrels cut in half as hay feeders, since one of the small companions chews holes in nets.

 

[cauda equina]

Thanks, I should have said, they are not shod

I'm another big believer in they can always find something to hurt themselves on!

 

[Landcruiser]

I use tractor tyres as hay feeders and also have lots of car and lorry tyres dotted around my turnout area, which they have to step around and over, and which also get used as small hay feeders. Never had an issue (they are barefoot). I tie nets into the tractor tyres via a heavy duty plank bolted across the diameter on the bottom side, with a normal tie ring attached.

 

[Birker2020]

We use blue plastic barrels cut in half as hay feeders, since one of the small companions chews holes in nets.

That's what I use in my paddock but upturn it over a small tub with the hay in so it doesn't get the damp sucked through it from the ground and rain can't get too it either. Then I put a wooden block on it to stop it blowing away during the night. Horse learnt immediately to knock over the blue plastic barrel and is able to find the hay underneath.

 

[Peglo]

We have a deep heavy tire in our field. Ours never pay it any attention to it unless there was hay in it. Never occurred to me that they could get stuck in it ? I guess horses do love to hurt themselves.

 

[Mudfukkle]

I have a big tractor tyre for my hay hutch destroyer he pees on the hay if I don't put it in something. He is barefoot btw, I found tell tale hoof marks inside the tractor tyre, but no signs of a struggle and he didn't look distressed, so I guess he went in and got out again. Personally, I'm loving the tractor tyre, we drilled holes on the edge of the bottom, so that any excess water drained out, the tyre is a lot cheaper than another hay hutch for him to destroy.

 

[Leandy]

No idea how a horse could hurt itself on a tyre? Clearly I'm missing something. Not a huge fan of haynets though, they definitely do get caught up in those if not tied up high out of the way. Not sure I understand how you are planning to tie to tyres and keep them high enough? Why do we make such problems for ourselves? Just feed the hay off the ground loose??

 

[cauda equina]

They have haynets on the ground, the strings are tied in such a way that there are no loops, ponies are barefoot
I don't feed the hay loose because of the amount they would waste

 

[Leandy]

I would be far more worried about haynets on the ground than tyres on the ground. I think if I were using haynets on the ground (which I wouldn't...) I would certainly not tie to anything. If they managed to get caught up I wouldn't want them weighted down with anything capable of moving at all

 

[cauda equina]

Each to their own

 

[Barton Bounty]

I have tyres in my field, on the yard and in the stable. BB will just tip buckets of water, feed etc out onto the ground ?

 

[Barton Bounty]

They have haynets on the ground, the strings are tied in such a way that there are no loops, ponies are barefoot
I don't feed the hay loose because of the amount they would waste

My hay is loose for the last week but that is going to change tomorrow! Wasting far too much ?

 

[PurBee]

I’d use a big 50kg rock/boulder and tightly tie the net around it….but i do have a few massive stones laying around!

I’ve also used heavy stones in water trugs to stop mr cheeky tipping them over..

The horses have never managed to injure themselves on massive stones that are dotted around.

Maybe you could fill a tyre with hand-mixed concrete? - that’ll be heavy and you could roll it into place.