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Discussion on Haynet hazards when tying
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Member:
imogen
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Posted on Friday, Dec 26, 2008 - 2:34 pm:
Dear all
Don't do what I did... I have been tying my 3 yo for periods in my friend's yard with other horses. The yard tie rings are rather low and there isn't a separate ring for the haynets but I had been watching her closely. I left the yard to get gloves from my car (let's say 3 minutes...).
The horse got her front foot (pawing) in the haynet. She reared, fell over, scraped all the skin off above her eye, scraped my saddle, and by the time I ran back, she was upright again.
Fortunately the rope did not give so she has learned a good lesson about pulling back. She seems to be absolutely fine apart from a piratical bruise and scrape above the eye, but it was a lucky escape...
No haynets with young horses. I should have taken my own advice.
Imogen
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Member:
pattyb
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Posted on Friday, Dec 26, 2008 - 3:11 pm:
Hi Imogen, glad your horse was ok.
I've used haynets for several ages but the absolute rule of thumb is never hang a haynet where it hangs empty below the shoulder. Any time I have a helper in the barn, I have to be sure to tell them that. I also have to be sure to hang them against a wall so there is no reason to pass behind it. Trying to think back, I probably never used one with anyone under 2 years. Each stall has a hay ring so it's hard for a helper to get it wrong. I tie the net to a heavy clip, then clip the full haynet to the ring.
Again, glad everything is ok.
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Member:
lilo
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Posted on Saturday, Dec 27, 2008 - 11:12 am:
Thanks for the warning, Imogen. Many years ago I had to help extricate a horse from a haynet (he had gotten his front leg stuck, but, fortunately he did not struggle but waited patiently for someone to come help). I bought some haynets for my younger horse, who is always on a diet and goes through his ration of hay in less than 2 hours. I had not figured out how to hang it so it would be safe - I like the rule about not being lower than the shoulder when empty, but I generally like my horses to eat from the ground. I am now debating putting a portion of the hay into the net and then into the manger. It is not at ground level, but somewhat below the shoulder level of the horse. Sorry - I am just thinking out loud here .....
Lilo
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Member:
lindas
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Posted on Sunday, Dec 28, 2008 - 9:30 am:
I used to use hay nets for travel, horse shows, etc. Then my 16 year old mare got bored at a horse show and was pawing while tied to the trailer, she was very close to getting her foot in the hay net. The other horse, 6, actually tried to eat the net along with the hay, and I found it mangled up but with all the pieces accounted for. (he is not the brightest light) So I threw the nets out and switched to those bags that have a single hole in them. I put them up high enough that nobody can get a foot caught, and it seems to work well for travel. When at home I just put the hay on the ground in the corner of the stall.
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Member:
dove2
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Posted on Sunday, Dec 28, 2008 - 10:57 am:
I might have mentioned this in another thread, so please forgive me for redundancy. I have switched to slow-down haynets but wanted my horses to eat in a head down natural position. So I attached double-ended latch hooks to a wooden pallet, then built a two to three foot high wooden box around it to eliminate any pawing possibility. Works great! I'll try to get a photo posted in the next day or two, if anyone's interested.
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Member:
lilou
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Posted on Monday, Dec 29, 2008 - 4:34 am:
hello Dove2! Your MacGyver construction sounds great! I too feel that horses should eat having their heads down. I am very interested in seeing some photos. Thank you!
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Monday, Dec 29, 2008 - 4:53 am:
Also a reminder for having a pocket knife about you with a sharp edge for cutting all manner of things but a blunt tip to prevent injury.
DrO
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Member:
pattyb
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Posted on Monday, Dec 29, 2008 - 10:17 am:
Just a quick note: I've been using a Roma haynet for my Arab/Paint to slow down his hay eating habits. Roma haynets are made out of the same nylon as a regular haynet but the holes are only 2in.x2in. and impossible to get a foot into when hug at the correct length. Even if one were to end up on the ground, it would take some doing to make a hole big enough to put a foot thru it. I found them online at Tony's Tack Shop.
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New Member:
laraby
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Posted on Monday, Dec 29, 2008 - 4:39 pm:
I recently purchased a "nibble net" and like it a lot. It slows down my fat horse and no way can a hoof get caught. It's very easy to fill too since the back is solid.
I recommend it! Fast shipping too.
https://www.thinaircanvas.com/nibblenet/nibblenetframe.htm
Abby
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Member:
imogen
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Posted on Tuesday, Dec 30, 2008 - 2:46 am:
I agree that a small mesh haynet is what I should have used but even so, she could have got her foot over the tie-rope by pawing high so I should just have not give her a net.
The problem with the small mesh nets is also they drive me mad because they are difficult to fill compared to large mesh haynets as they close on themselves when you are trying to put the hay in with the other hand. However I always use them when travelling for safety. More haste, less speed...
Imogen
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Member:
cgby1
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Posted on Thursday, Jan 1, 2009 - 7:54 pm:
Imogen,
I just saw a hay bag that looks like the rectangular hay bag with a hole but it had a small mesh net in place of the hole. It looks like it should be easy to slide a flake of hay into it.
Cynthia
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