# Are haynets bad?  Opinions please!



## frb (28 March 2008)

Been reading another post about feeding hay from haynets and other means.  Some people were quite negative about using haynets but gave no specific reasons why.  Have always used nets but used to try to feed hay from the floor in field  as natural feeding position but currant YO wants nets used, and ties them high in stables.
Just wondered reasons against nets and general opinions as worried now!
Thanks!


----------



## JessPickle (28 March 2008)

Well I have always used them and so has my YO never had any problems


----------



## Daisychain (28 March 2008)

Its just important to tie them high up, so they dont get caught up.


----------



## xfeex (28 March 2008)

I usually feed from the floor, mine is a youngster and Im paranoid about him getting his legs trapped. Its more natural for them too, a high net makes them twist there necks to eat. the only time i use a hay net is a small hole one for travelling or if they are tied up for a groom etc...


----------



## the watcher (28 March 2008)

I don't like them as they put the horse in an unnatural position to eat, and I don't like to have anything in the stable that the horse could get caught up on.

Yard owners tend to like them as it makes the yard easier to organise, they can do nets in advance, it can be more economical as less hay gets trampled into the bed, and of course it does allow you to more accurately weight the hay being given.


----------



## jess_asterix (28 March 2008)

I orefer feeding off the floor, more natural.

I have one that will only eat out of net, so I have no choice. 

They do have to be up high though, as when empty and they slack they obviously become lower and their is a danger of a leg getting caught.


----------



## JessPickle (28 March 2008)

our yard put the rings to tie to so people have no choice but to put them high.  The small kids have to get mounting blocks to put haynets up lol


----------



## Daphnelia (28 March 2008)

Can't feeding from nets cause neck muscle damage? Sure I read that somewhere, something to do with the twisting action the horse uses to pull hay from the net. 
Horses are built to feed from the ground, so personally I prefer to go along with that. But I dont even like hay bars, 'cause I worry about the dust..  
	
	
		
		
	


	





xxx


----------



## em1 (28 March 2008)

I posted a similar question on here a while back because my horse had managed to get himself hooked onto his net by his rug clip &amp; was there all night waiting to be released.  The replies were full of horror stories about horses damaging themselves with haynets, along with several others about how it is more natural for a horse to eat from the floor - which I do agree with.  I don't know anyone personally who has had a horse damaged by a net but mine was a close enough call for me to stop using them with my boy.  Plus he used to rip them to bits regularly anyway &amp; I kept having to replace them so all in all I've decided the floor is better!


----------



## monkeymad (28 March 2008)

I would prefer to feed hay off the floor, as agree it is more natural for horse.  Unfortunately my horse is a greedy pig and a good doer, and I have to put her hay into a haylage net and then put that into another haylage net!! At least then her hay won't be guzzled down within a couple of hours, leaving her with nothing to nibble on for the rest of the night!!


----------



## Mbronze (28 March 2008)

When my girl had injured her shoulder and back the physio suggested i either feed from the floor or tie the haynet low to encourage her to stretch through her back.
I elected to just tie the haynet lower, and yes she has caught her foot in it once but i was around and she just stod there looking rather daft examining her foot!!
Bad mummy!!


----------



## Kal (28 March 2008)

I would rather feed from the floor but we have to use aubiose bedding and my horse eats everything in site, so i am worried that his hay will get mixed with bedding and eating aubiose is bad for them. So i have to use nets, but haven't had any problems with them.


----------



## MistletoeMegan (28 March 2008)

Haynets mean that the horse has to eat in an unnatural position, has to 'tug' on the hay which can cause muscular and skeletal problems and then there are also the problems of the horse getting caught - no matter how well or high you tie the net, there is always the chance that your horse might get caught in it. 

Horses have a wonderful habit of finding ways to hurt themselves, giving them a haynet is just giving them another way to injure themselves - if you *need* to feed from them, and a floor manger/haybar doesn't work, then you'll obviously need to use one, but otherwise feed from the floor.

Also, filling haynets is one of the most god awful tasks known to man


----------



## Tinkerbee (28 March 2008)

they are of satan

I have to stand in the rain filling them, evil things


----------



## lifeslemons (28 March 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
Also, filling haynets is one of the most god awful tasks known to man 
	
	
		
		
	


	





[/ QUOTE ]

Ahhh, but its better than sweeping a yard every minute of the day because hay has been dragged across it. They also reduce the amount of wastage, although I do agree that in an ideal world people should try to replicate the natural grazing position as much as possible.


----------



## frb (28 March 2008)

Thanks for replies.  I also use a net so i know he is getting a certain amount and he walks it into his bed if loose which i don't think YO will like.  I would prefer to feed from the floor.  Having to fill a haynet then empty it will really nark my YO when i am not there!  Wish i had own yard! interesting to hear people's opinions, so thank you. x


----------



## YorksG (28 March 2008)

Always feed from the floor or haybar, never used nets. The owner of the RS where I learnt many years ago, told a story of one of her ponies strangling itself in a net. Also agree about neck muscles being built up under the neck if fed from a high net.


----------



## Toby_Zaphod (28 March 2008)

The only time I use a haynet is when I am travelling my horse so he has a haynet in the trailer. At any other times he is always fed off the floor.


----------



## MistletoeMegan (28 March 2008)

At my yard there is always more crap created from stuffing nets, and then soaking them, and then having to tie wet, icky nets up than putting slices into a wheelbarrow, wheeling said barrow to the box and tipping the hay out  
	
	
		
		
	


	





I will never be convinced that they are good, there are few jobs I hate more than filling nets


----------



## Grumbledor (28 March 2008)

This is a very interesting debate. We tend to do both with ours. Haynets are good as horse takes more time with eating, therefore more natural, constant 'little and often' consumption, minimises wastage in the stables, and is easier to weigh (as mentioned above). Bad because not natural, not allowing drainage from the lungs and the head, building muscles up under neck and potential dangerous objects in the stables. I haven't really used a Haybar myself? What are the drawbacks with these?


----------



## YorksG (28 March 2008)

The only draw back from mine is that my mare empties hers onto the floor lol


----------



## DiablosGold (28 March 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Also, filling haynets is one of the most god awful tasks known to man 
	
	
		
		
	


	





[/ QUOTE ]

Ahhh, but its better than sweeping a yard every minute of the day because hay has been dragged across it. They also reduce the amount of wastage, although I do agree that in an ideal world people should try to replicate the natural grazing position as much as possible. 

[/ QUOTE ]

I put the hay in the wheelbarrow, then wheel straight into the stables.  Takes less time and effort, and no hay on the yard unless it's very windy. 
	
	
		
		
	


	





I feed off the floor, because I believe haynets cause damage to horses' backs, necks and teeth.  Also, it's better for horses with dust allergies as the dust settles on the floor. 

I am a bit of a hypocrite though, as we are feeding haylage at the moment.  Horse gets the runs and gets hyper on it so am feeding less than I would normally, so putting it in a net to try and make it last longer.  This is certainly not for the long term.


----------



## Zoobie (28 March 2008)

I don't use them for reasons already given. Also  my equine dentist can always tell when a horse eats from a haynet because of what it does to the teeth. I use a haybar. Although my horse still trys to empty the hay onto the floor.


----------



## Grumbledor (28 March 2008)

Naughty pony 
	
	
		
		
	


	




! Does she dip it in her water too??


----------



## RobinHood (28 March 2008)

Haynets can cause muscle problems in the neck and poll because the horse has to put its head at a strange angle and then pull the hay out. My horse can't have haynets because eating from them aggravates his muscle problems and causes everything to go into spasm. I'm lazy and much prefer just putting hay over the door anyway


----------



## Moggy in Manolos (28 March 2008)

there are some horrible horror stories around using them
i have luckily never had any problems but i dont use them any more, i have a very large stable when i do stable my mare so i put it on the floor, i think its more natural


----------



## moodymare1987 (28 March 2008)

My horse wont eat haylage off the floor he is such a fussy eater, He has it in a net as less likely to drag his food all over the place.
On our yard it is so much easier to have haynets as we dont feed in the mornings. Also the yard owner would have a fit at the mess from all loose haylage lol.


----------



## Orangehorse (28 March 2008)

I suppose that if you use a net with very small holes it would be safer as the horse couldn't get his foot in.  But there have certainly been some nasty accients with haynets.  I would never use one in a stable with a foal for instance, or a horse that played around.

That is why the haybar idea is a good one - the horse eats in a natural position, but the hay doesn't get trampled on.

There was a very clever feeding station at Your Horse Live a few years ago, which was a mobile hay manger on wheels that had a spring underneath the hay and a mesh over the top, so the hay got pushed to the top of the manger and the horse could eat it through the mesh.  A brilliant idea, but it cost about £350, so I don't think the poor man sold very many.


----------



## amandaco2 (28 March 2008)

i use very small hole haynets as my hay is soaked to reduce dust and calories.plus less waste.

i did have hay racks but i hated it-i got covered in bits of hay and it would go right down my horses nose!

i soak my nets and i tie them up on the outside wall under my horses 'windows' so they have their heads out in the fresh air, the haynet is tied down low so its abit more natural.
but they cant get caught up in it as its not even in their stable.
works well for me.


----------



## KatB (28 March 2008)

Horses are not giraffes, they do not feed from high up. Feeding from haynets puts the horses heads at an unnaturally high angle to eat at, and the tugging to pull hay out causes neck muscles to get sore. Horses sinuses also naturally drain in a gazing position, so feeding from a net encourages coughs etc. I weight my hay and soak it in a net, and then tip it out on the floor for my horse. The only time he ever gets a net is when travelling/at comps.


----------



## marieE (28 March 2008)

nets are the invention of the devil i hate filling them and all the negga's mentioned mean my net lives in the trailer and only gets used on days out, its not welcome on the yard!


----------



## Pedantic (28 March 2008)

Bad for kneck, back, dust goes straight down throat into lungs, bits go into eyes, teeth dont grind properly causing sharp edges on back teeth (ask your dentist) plus bloody liabilty for getting feet and head collars caught in/on, if horses were meant to eat from high up they would have been born giraffes, feed from floor, it's more natural


----------



## Cop-Pop (29 March 2008)

I feed from the floor for three reasons:

1 - it is the natural feeding position for horses
2 - my TBx is very prone to choke and the vet suggested feeding from the floor as one of the preventative (sp?) measures
3 - It's quicker than filling bl**dy haynets!  Mine are on matting with not much bedding so they don't mix it in and waste it


----------



## DreamerII (29 March 2008)

Dreamer will quite happily eat his hay from the floor in a natural position so he has it on the floor in a corner of his stable. He doesn't seem to drag it too much or get it mixed in with the bedding.

He will get a haynet if we are travelling or if he is tied up to be groomed/I'm doing anything else with him that is gonna take longer than a couple of minutes. 

A girl at our yard uses haynets and NEVER ties them properly (no matter how many times we tell her about them). Her youngster horse got his leg caught once and just stood there looking dopey! If that had been D he would certainly have paniced and probably done himself some serious damage!


----------



## embonaught (29 March 2008)

I asked the physio about using haynets just the other day. I was slightly concerned about the unnatural position a horse had to put itself into in order to eat. She told me that she was actually in favour of using haynets for the following reason:
When a horse grazes, it uses far less movement in it's neck than when it's pulling hay from a net. Grazing is simply head down, straight on. Pulling hay from a net encourages the horse to bend and flex its entire head and neck, up and down, side to side, therefore helping to keep area more supple.
I know there are other downsides to using haynets, but don't let worrying about building up muscles in wrong place/hurting his back, etc put you off. It's certainly put my mind at ease - and I do really rate her as a physio!


----------



## Thistle (29 March 2008)

I use the big tub trugs to measure and feed from those.

The exceptions being when travelling and if a horse is on box rest when I have to make his hay last longer.


----------



## Parkranger (29 March 2008)

feeding from the floor is much better for their neck muscle development.....


----------



## machannah (29 March 2008)

I wish i could feed from the floor, but my mare is fussy when hay gets mixed in to the bed, and therefore the wastage is massive so I do feed from a haynet, which is small holed. She rarely eats the wastage from the haynet off the floor (so i feed whats left to the welsh cob horse dustbin next door!!)

Also my mare actually soaks her own hay, so i have a lesser worry about her not eating with her head down. For pretty much every mouthful of hay, she dunks this in to her water and then eats that, she does the same with hard feed also. Very odd!!


----------



## MizElz (29 March 2008)

Friend of mine's pony got caught up in one (it was tied up as high as is recommended - pony had been rolling and got a hind leg caught.) He went down to the stables to find pony dying slowly and painfully of a twisted gut, with two broken hind legs to show for his troubles. As such, I would never use a haynet in a stable again.


----------



## _Libby_ (29 March 2008)

QR- I spoke to my Equine dentist about this recently. She recommended that they are always tied below head height as the tugging on the hay from high up can damage the teeth and neck muscles. It also encourages dust etc to go into the horses lungs. Feeding from the floor is more natural but can be messy. I would recommend making your own haybar.


----------



## Merlotmonster (29 March 2008)

I only use the ones with small holes. This stems from an accident involving a friends horse many years ago. Her horse got its foot caught in a hay net. We came up in the morning and found it hanging there. They hay net had dug so far into its fetlock we had to dig it out with scissors. The horse was lame for a year and then it was found that all the blood vessels had simply died and the foot was useless. The poor horse ended up being destroyed.


----------



## walkandtrot (29 March 2008)

I dont use haynets anymore, unless travelling, after a open evening talk from an equine dentist, I'm no way an expert but its better for the horse to be feeding/foraging downwards, all to do with the alignment of the jaw and if theyre chewing upwards for long periods of time its defying nature?!! and can do long term damage. I'm considering buying Haybars, anyone got any experience of them?


----------



## RunToEarth (29 March 2008)

I've never had any problems with them. My mare won't eat from the floor of her stable and my gelding just mulshes it into his bed.


----------



## BeckyD (29 March 2008)

Ronnie rather likes them, all colours taste just as good.  The rings slow him down a little but they'll get gobbled in the end.

I joke not.  
	
	
		
		
	


	





Now he has a hay ball.  Much less edible


----------



## MagicMelon (29 March 2008)

I dislike nets having found one of my horses years ago with his hoof through one out in the field 
	
	
		
		
	


	





However, I think they have their place. 4 of mine live out 24/7, the other comes in at night. They all have hay in the field on the floor UNLESS its windy and then I put it in nets and tie up on high rings. The one who comes in at night generally gets a big haynet but also some on the floor so she can choose. 

Obviously at events, haynets have a use.


----------



## Coffee_Bean (29 March 2008)

Mine eats off the floor if she's in her stable, but has a haynet when I tie her up because to me it is more dangerous her eating off the floor with her leadrope trailing. I am now going to get the reply "well don't give her one then" but I gave reasons for why i do in another post a month or so ago. But when she is in the stable she always gets it off the floor, though I think I will get her a big tubtrug as she tramples it all into her bed.


----------



## JM07 (29 March 2008)

i replied and gave a reason...which is they have been/are proven to cause neck/whither/back problems..

it tends to put a horse into an unnatural position to eat...


----------



## Tia (29 March 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
Well I have always used them and so has my YO never had any problems 

[/ QUOTE ]
Yep, that's what one of my liveries said ......  right up to the moment his horse caught his teeth in a haynet and broke it's lower jaw in half.  Literally in half!  

The horse had to have the split half of the jaw removed and now only has 2 bottom insisor teeth on one side and obviously no jaw, let alone teeth, on the other side.

I have never used haynets for at least 20 years.  Never liked them much before that time but at least they were made of sisal then and not nylon like they are today.


----------

