# Alternative to a hay net



## jesterfaerie (9 September 2008)

I personally hate haynets and only ever use them when travelling or if I have the horses tied up outside (i.e. for the farrier). I dislike haynets because I have known sevral accidents happen with them and coming into my pony with both front feet in it in a morning (he had untied it and dragged it to the other end of the stable he was not caught up in it with it still tied to the wall) it make me never want to use them in the stable again. Also I try and feed off the floor as much as possible.
Now I am moving back to a yard and you can only store 2 small bales of hay per week and my horse goes through a lot more than that so was planning on ordering say (for example) 3 and having one in his stable so he has a lot of hay (he has adlib as often as possible).
Now he is a messy beast so I can imagin he would waste some of it if I did this and at £5 I cannot afford to be throwing half a bale away. 

I am looking in the shires catalogue at their hay bags (one solid bag with a single hole at £8).
And I am unsure whether to try one or not because I really want to keep feeding from the floor but as I said we cannot store many bales but cannot afford to waste much either.

Ideas welcome.


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## appylass (9 September 2008)

I have a Munch Station for mine, made by Stubbs. It was expensive but has saved me a lot in wasted hay and feed. My pony would drag all his hay into his bed if I fed on the floor and also kick his feed bowl over and trample that in too!  I think you could get almost a bale in it. This si the first link google gave me: http://www.derbyhouse.co.uk/prodshow.asp?id=1629&amp;cat=5&amp;scats=115

It looks tiny in that pic, it isn't! I have put half a bale in mine with no difficulty and room left to spare.

I've also heard about people who've fixed a dustbin to the wall and cut a hole in the side at the bottom so horse has to pull hay out through that. I haven't tried it though.

Hope that's a bit of help.


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## Enfys (9 September 2008)

Any good at carpentry? 

Loosely  based on cattle hay racks of yesteryear when hay was thrown down from lofts. I used them for years just like this. They have been re-invented now of course and can be bought.

Make yourself a bale sized (vertical) hay bar type container with slats/bars at the bottom half  (small obviously, I hate stating the obvious unnecessarily, but someone would have)

Have a slightly slanted base so that the hay 'feeds' itself out.  

Hay doesn't get spread everywhere and your horse is still feeding at a lower level.

If I didn't feed loose I would have these made for my stalls.


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## jesterfaerie (9 September 2008)

Unfortunatly we are not allowed to alter the stables or anything so haybars and other such things are out of the question. Sorry forgot to mention this before.


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## VLHIEASTON (9 September 2008)

try a' wee pony' haynet, google it , they are orange , hold a large capacity and are very very small holed, best thing i have ever bought !!!
Ignore the fact that they say they are for ponies as they hold alot, both my 16.3 's have them.

I think the hole size is 25, usual haylage nets are 40 i think, haynets 80.
Fine for using with either hay or haylage.


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## VictoriaC (9 September 2008)

Can't remember what magazine I saw this thing in, but was for use in fields really, basically a large shallow bucket with a big snowflake shaped weight that sits on the hay, stops it getting trampled or blowing about. The horses pull the hay from the edges of the bucket and the gaps between the arms of the weight. Looked to be of a size where one or max two good friends could feed at the same time so should fit in a stable. 
Will have a quick look on web and see if I can find the name


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## VictoriaC (9 September 2008)

couldn't find the one i was looking for but look up 'Hay Hutch' and 'Slow-Down hay feeder', the latter is a very similar idea to the one I was looking for.


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## HelsB (9 September 2008)

Different idea here but do you have an outside space where you could put one of those plastic trunks used gor storing things in gardens? They are watertight, not breathable so not ideal for storing hay long term but fine for a few days?


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## flyingfeet (9 September 2008)

For my messy horse that insisted on dunking his hay in his water bucket, I used a massive bucket from Wickes (twice the size of largest tub trug) and held it in place with bungees.

Think it only cost £12.99 but did the job and now I have small waterers is being used as a terrier bath!


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## jesterfaerie (9 September 2008)

HelsB no unfortunatly nothing (inc hay) can be put in the fields either and there is nowhere for other storage unfortunatly. I just wish I lived closer to uni because we have made lots of hay but cannot travel 100 miles home for 2 bales of it at least once a week. It is really cr@p they need more space or a smaller yard!
I do like the hay hutchs but I think buying one of those may be more expensive than the waste he might cause. 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 But thanks for suggesting them to me, considering getting one when I have some more money for my fields at home, hay ends up everywhere!


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## SunshineTallulah (9 September 2008)

I like the look of the slow down hay feeder.  Quite expensive and only made in the US?

The hayhutch I think would not be as good once the hay is eaten down as how can the horses reach inside it?


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## Theresa_F (9 September 2008)

The shires haybags are excellent - you can fit a huge amount in.  

I have used them with Chancer since I got him as didn't want to have nets with a youngstger.  I find them far better than nets as less chance of getting caught up and very easy to fill.  I also feel happier at hanging them fairly low so he can eat more naturally.

Only downside is if you soak - they are not suitable for this.


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## Enfys (9 September 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
Unfortunatly we are not allowed to alter the stables or anything so haybars and other such things are out of the question. Sorry forgot to mention this before. 

[/ QUOTE ]

Bummer.

Can see the YO's point though.


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## K27 (9 September 2008)

I use a  big rubber/plasticy tank from a plumbing shop- I think they are meant for central heating water but they are really sturdy for feeding hay and last for years and you can fit loads of hay/haylage in them, they are about £30-£40. One of my horses has a plasticy/rubber huge round tub which I managed to find hanging about the yard when I moved in, which is good too- I would imagine it came from a garden centre and is meant for putting plants and flowers in!. then one of my other(smaller) horses has a large rubber tub just from the local feed shop, it cost about £12.


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## jewel (9 September 2008)

i have one of those hay bags for travelling i find it brill


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## kerilli (9 September 2008)

a plastic dustbin wedged in the corner, with one of those metal star-shaped things that weighs the hay down if he's likely to pull all the hay out.


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## becca114 (9 September 2008)

what about something like this:
http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav/nav.js...;isSearch=false

It will be plenty big enough to hold a full bale but unless your stable is of reasonable size, it might take up too much space.


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## jesterfaerie (9 September 2008)

Unfortunatly it is too expensive, it would cost more to buy than and not have any wastage than it would to have wastage so cannot justify buying one of those but thanks for posting it. 
	
	
		
		
	


	





Kerilli sorry thick question but what are the star shaped things, do you have a link?


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## Madasmaz (9 September 2008)

How about a massive tug trug? Can't fathom why you are moving to a yard where you have to buy your own hay and not have anywhere to store it. As for not making your stable home...glad I'm not there...Mine has let me put up a collapsable saddle pole on the outside, two spring clips for a stubbs hay feeder/soaker that they no longer make, and a flood light as I have had to close off the bars to stop a bargy horse upsetting my pony. Tonight is the first night I haven't had to comb the bed for stamped in droppings.  
	
	
		
		
	


	




 In a fortnight.


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## griffglen (9 September 2008)

They are called hayledges

http://www.hayledge.craddocksmoss.co.uk/

someone else on here recommended them to me a few weeks ago.  Havent got round to ordering any yet though!


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## Coffee_Bean (9 September 2008)

Yeh I feed out of a great big tub trug.


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## Christmas Crumpet (10 September 2008)

When I got my TB I used a big haynet with big holes. He would just rip the hay out,drop most of it on the floor and then trample on it. It also meant that he ran out of his hay very quickly. I now have a big haynet with tiny holes. It takes him ages to eat it and he hardly loses any on the floor. Def. try a big haynet with little holes!!


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## Christmas Crumpet (10 September 2008)

Forgot to say that there is less chance of a horse getting tangled up in a haynet that has tiny holes because they can't get their feet in the holes.


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## SunshineTallulah (10 September 2008)

I like the look of those Hayledges!

My horse has found a crafty way of ignoring the fact that he has small holed haynets - he chews a great big blooming hole in it!  So kinda makes the small holed haynet kinda pointless!

Are the hayledges heavy?

What are the bins like that they also sell?  Worthwhile or are you just as better off buying a mammoth trug and drilling drainage holes in it??

Are the wee pony haynets - chew proof??


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## jesterfaerie (10 September 2008)

I think I may just have to risk having it on the floor.
Whenever he goes near the haynets he is more interested in trying to eat them than the hay inside, for some reason he really does like eating string (hay net string and bale band string!)

Gildford where is the best place to buy them all the places I have seen only have standard nets with small holes. Thanks


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## Tiffany (11 September 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
I personally hate haynets and only ever use them when travelling or if I have the horses tied up outside (i.e. for the farrier). I dislike haynets because I have known sevral accidents happen with them and coming into my pony with both front feet in it in a morning (he had untied it and dragged it to the other end of the stable he was not caught up in it with it still tied to the wall) it make me never want to use them in the stable again. Also I try and feed off the floor as much as possible.
Now I am moving back to a yard and you can only store 2 small bales of hay per week and my horse goes through a lot more than that so was planning on ordering say (for example) 3 and having one in his stable so he has a lot of hay (he has adlib as often as possible).
Now he is a messy beast so I can imagin he would waste some of it if I did this and at £5 I cannot afford to be throwing half a bale away. 

I am looking in the shires catalogue at their hay bags (one solid bag with a single hole at £8).
And I am unsure whether to try one or not because I really want to keep feeding from the floor but as I said we cannot store many bales but cannot afford to waste much either.

Ideas welcome. 

[/ QUOTE ]

£5 a bale - OMG I'm paying £2.50!

I feed from nets in day if in because there's always someone about and from floor at night when no one around.


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