Hay Net Question - Pastures

I think Rod here had a great idea for hay. He cuts a hole in the side of a plastic drum, drills drain holes and stands it on end, tied to a post. Horse gets his head in there with plenty of room, wind doesn't blow hay away. 

I agree with your new barn, though everyone does things their own way. The jaw alignment is correct for chewing when the head is down. It can affect everything from their shoulders, back and even their back hooves. Obviously horses have eaten head-up for centuries and seem fine. Not judging.

Also, hay bags have been involved in some bad accidents so better-safe-than-sorry. What about the bags that aren't made of rope?

I hope all goes well - sounds like, if they care more about what's best for the horses than what's convenient for the people, not a bad thing.

[quote=hunterseat]

I agree with your new barn, though everyone does things their own way. The jaw alignment is correct for chewing when the head is down. It can affect everything from their shoulders, back and even their back hooves. Obviously horses have eaten head-up for centuries and seem fine. Not judging.




Thanks Hunterseat  


I agree with the safety issue regarding horses getting their feet in the nets.......I can see them laying on the ground and a shoe could easily get caught in there.  What do you think about adding large troughs under the nets on the ground so the horses can still eat from a low height, but not get their feet on the nets?


What I understood about horses, and this is a good topic I think, is that horses can actually see better out of the tops of their eyes, where more light enters, so as they are eating with their heads low, they can see their predators better.  I know many horses I have seen will lower their head when taking a good look at something curious.


Also, I have heard that a horse needs to be able to lower their heads so they don't get respiratory issues? Like in long trailer hauls etc.......not sure it had anything to do with eating, although if they are eating from the ground, it accomplishes the same thing regarding this point.


All in all, I am very happy with the new barn.  12 x 12 covered stall deep with shavings, and synthetic chips, with a 20 x 20 area just outside his stall.  Then a gate outside leading to a 100 x 60 turnout along side the pasture.....of course all the horses just hang out along the fence line together which is fine for now.  My horse is actually recovering from a interior check ligament which was a bummer.....he's on a 5 month recover schedule...now about 4 months into it....still a little swollen and heat there....so he should remain calm and not run around too much.


Beautiful day today here in So Cal....hope everyone else was as lucky as we were today.

We use the canvas-type hay bags which tear if a horse gets stuck. We feed with hay bags at shows and in the trailer and really when you think about it, the horse takes a bite of hay, then puts their head down to chew.....We hang them high enough that if they pawed, they wouldn't get their hoof in it which is about head-height anyways. There are some hay nets made out of cotton rope rather than the nylon and those would break/tear if a horse got caught, probably don't last as long as the other kind but they aren't expensive. My horses are all out in the pasture and we use big rubber mangers for their hay. Good to hear from you again! Sorry your horse is injured.... we have one that seems to be accident prone and gets laid up about once a year.....

Good to hear from you too Dana! Hope all is well!

I'm not sure if I have this correctly. You wish to put a hay feeder out in the paddock? Is there grass in this paddock? Is it a dry lot? What's the ground like...any sand? What about other horses or is he alone? 

 Cinch Chix have a neat feeder that comes in sections and comes with a net as well. There are all kinds of slow feeder designs available, just google it. I have a feeling that the barn owners just don't want the extra work of stuffing a net. 

If you could find a feeder that you can fill and will last until the next time you come, then you could do it yourself when you are there. If there are other horses involved out there, maybe getting other owners of those horses to chip in and get them all a big feeder. Silly barn owners, they don't know that they will save mega dollars in hay costs/year using slow feeders. 

On the ground is not really correct, its more like 6" off the ground naturally, because its live, clean and standing in a field. Hay is lying on the ground, getting wasted, ground in and picking up debris/mud/sand etc. I have heard mine cough when I throw it on the ground and have had to go back and water it down, but with a slow feeder, haven't had to water down the hay and have never heard a cough. My horses don't have shoes and I hang them at chest height anyway, not the ground. As long as the net holes are big enough to start, that it doesn't frustrate them, they won't paw...they're too busy working with their mouths, + when they have hay 24/7, they don't get frustrated with being hungry either.

Horse have to get used to slow feeders brain-wise. Now the hay is there all the time and they don't get piggy when they know the supply isn't going to run out. They even share better. They settle down and start grazing the bag properly. When that happens, you are now regulating their intake in the best way to regulate weight, prevent ulcers and keep them warm at 5am in the morning. If he is in a dry lot, then two small ones set at opposite ends of the paddock to make him move more would be ideal. The more movement, the better. Best wishes.