Slow feed option anyone else use these?

[whitney]

Hockey goal nets...... you sew them together and weave a drawstring at the top put a whole bale of hay inside and hang it from the rafters so the horses have a swinging feeder. The openings are 1 3/4" inch. Were thinking of putting them up with a rachet strap that can be tightened up every night to keep them just above chest level. We are getting the hockey net by the yard so we will be doing a round bale for the big horses. I've been to a ton of websites that show these. I'm just wondering if anyone has any personal experience with them.

Thanks

Whit

 

[candycar]

Yes! I have a similar set-up for when I free feed in winter.

I got the baseball backdrop type net on ebay. I got the thickest string width with the 2 inch holes. I think it was $50 for a BIG peice, enough to make several slow feeders.

I stitched it with baling twine into a pillowcase shape and slip a whole bale of hay in it. I use a big carrabiner(sp) clip on the open end to hold it closed then put the whole thing in a big oval plastic/rubber water tub and clip in 4 places to hold it in.

It works great! It slows them down and keeps most of the hay in the tub. It has held up well, they haven't chewed any holes in it yet!

Just search "sport net" or "baseball net" and you can get links to places that have it.

Good Luck!

 

[Mona]

I saw those just the other day for the first time, and my immediate concerns were what if they got their teeth caught in the net and ended up pulling one or more teeth out.

I know, I am likely worrying over nothing, but I always look for the worst case scenario as it seems horses always manage to get themselves into these predicaments.

 

[candycar]

I've never had a problem with anything getting caught in the net. The horses really seem to enjoy the challenge of getting the hay out of the small holes.

They will leave a loose pile of hay to go to the netted bale!

I have noticed that after they use them a while their front teeth are cleaner. I think the net has a flossing/polishiong effect!

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

That's an interesting idea. I thought at first you were suspending those in the air. I'd be worried about it moving around and I wouldn't want the horses eating that way, (head down eating preferred). But encasing it in a feeder to slow them down - good idea.

Flossing - lol!

 

[whitney]

Yep they hang from the ceiling. I HATE feeding off the ground where they are consistently reinfested themselves with PARASITES, ingesting dirt and sand (colic waiting to happen), not to mention feces and urine. Also,if you feed off the ground they consume their hay ration in minutes (terribly unnatural). 1 flake of hay takes one of my minis over 4 hours to eat with their current feeders they have 2" x 4" openings. But I'm looking to make it last 8 hours i.e. the 1 3/4" opening with the swing factor. WORD OF CAUTION I WOULD NEVER FEED A YOUNG HORSE HAY FROM A FEEDER OF ANYKIND.

 

[Double T]

I've been looking into these since they started discussing them on my barefoot group, and man the options are endless, they have them to go over a big round bale, or small so you can put a flake of hay in them. I've seen them (little) mounted in a round plastic tub, or on a wood board too for ground feeding. Here's the closest I could find online that would work for a mini and will prob order them after christmas.

http://millerharness...8&zmap=X4-27286

ETA here's the link for the ones that go around a big bale, but I don't think the holes are small enough for a mini.

http://www.littlethunderstables.com/TXHayMain.htm

 

[Suzie]

The only caution I would put out is we used to use hanging nets for hay but we had several minis that could "paw" the air high enough to get their hooves caught in the hanging nets. I was amazed at how high that could be. We thought if they had to extend their neck to get some hay it would be high enough to be safe--NOT. We had a mini mare who caught her leg in one at night and thankfully, she just stood still until the next morning when we found her and untangled her. We decided right then and there, no more nets ever here. This has been many years ago and we don't regret the decision.

I hate hay on the ground but have tried nearly everything out there that we could find, even having had some things custom made for us, and have not found a "perfect" alternative that was safe and effective.

If they ever find one that works and is safe, I will be first in line but for us it will be hay on the ground for now.

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

Horses are suppose to eat in a head down design. It keeps the airways open and helps with grinding/aligning teeth.

Natural Horse -

>The horse's body has evolved to work most efficiently when eating at ground height. When a horse puts it's head down to eat the lower jaw drops forward and then when the horse lifts it's head to chew the jaw slides back. This forward and backward motion helps to grind the teeth and keep them at the optimum length. Obviously this does not occur when the horse is fed from a hay net or rack. This is why it is important to provide food at ground level. Here is a website that has some great ideas on how to accomplish this: www.swedishhoofschool.com/feeders.htm (opens in a new window)

The airway is also designed to work best when the head is held long and low. A high head position puts a bend in the airway which impedes inhaled air. This means that any foreign particles that are inhaled, such as dust from hay, are more likely to hit the walls of the airway and embed in the mucous membranes. This in turn allows germs and viruses to enter the tissues.

The horse's spine is suspended between the withers and is raised and lowered by the tension created through the ligaments when the head is raised and lowered. By feeding from the ground there is less strain on the muscles to maintain a correct posture.<

I'd personally love a wonderful on the ground system, but haven't found it yet. I am lucky though my horses do have access to pasture 24/7 so they're not stalled/penned in dry lots. The hockey nets are really creative use to slow them down. I have the small hay nets we've used in the trailer or at shows and horses do well with them.

My concern Minis tend to paw more than the biggies or at least mine do. I'd hate to have one caught up in the the net.

There is a link on that site to photos of using the hockey net and a Swedish sitefor ideas on slow feeding.

 

[Matt73]

Yep they hang from the ceiling. I HATE feeding off the ground where they are consistently reinfested themselves with PARASITES, ingesting dirt and sand (colic waiting to happen), not to mention feces and urine. Also,if you feed off the ground they consume their hay ration in minutes (terribly unnatural). 1 flake of hay takes one of my minis over 4 hours to eat with their current feeders they have 2" x 4" openings. But I'm looking to make it last 8 hours i.e. the 1 3/4" opening with the swing factor. WORD OF CAUTION I WOULD NEVER FEED A YOUNG HORSE HAY FROM A FEEDER OF ANYKIND.

Ditto what Michelle said. And...if you clean your pastures/paddocks regularly and have a good deworming program, you don't worry about parasites

I only feed on the ground. I would never think of feeding a mini from a haynet etc. The only time I use a haynet is for biggies in transport. And if I had paddocks with sand and the like I'd use a feeder just up off the ground (but they still have their heads down to feed).

 

[targetsmom]

I prefer feeding on the ground too, as being more natural. I use rubber mats in the stalls, under the overhang area where I feed, and even a couple of places outside. All our horses are on daily wormer, plus I sweep the mats (yes, an area inside the stalls too) right before feeding so the hay gets fed on the clean rubber.

I once had a mini get her foot caught in a hay net in the trailer on the way to a show, so NO hay nets here at all! Good thing she was very quiet and no damage was done, but I can't imagine how she balanced in the trailer like that. I did just buy a slow feeding Nibble Net with 1.5" holes for Max (who is battling ulcers) - too small for even the smallest mini to get feet caught in. I hang it at chest level, although I would really like one I could throw on the ground. I think the slow feed options are the best thing in the world for horses prone to ulcers!!! Max just loves his and nibbles whenever he wants, including during the night.

 

[Double T]

You can fashion them to be fed on the ground. I don't like to feed in something hanging either. BUT I do also have long aluminum feeders that I hay my crew in, that way they aren't getting dirt, poop and sand in the mix, these were originally made to feed weaner calves in but are perfect for the mini's. But I've seen some fashion ground feeders with the hay bags, from putting them in tubs to on wood. I can't find all my pictures I had but here's a site with some that may help. Bear in mind the holes for this type of bag are too big for a mini, but it does give you an idea on how you can make it.

http://paddockparadise.wetpaint.com/page/The+NibbleNet

 

[whitney]

For those that have had problems with hanging hay nets were the openings 1 1/4" or were they standard big horse hay nets. These nets we ordered are hockey nets with openings 1 1/4" I shouldn't have to worry about feet getting stuck in them.

 

[targetsmom]

Mine is a mini size hay net with small openings, but I don't think they are as small as 1 1/4". That is pretty small if they don't stretch out.