Hay, Baby

I can’t express how much I like hay nets. They can take a little longer to fill than just throwing flakes of hay into a stall, but benefits definitely outweigh that small inconvenience.

For one, there is much less waste. A lot of horses spread their hay around and then end up pooping and peeing on it instead of eating it. Why some horses prefer to defecate on their food instead of eating it is beyond me, but having it safely encased in a hay net on the wall prevents that. It also prevents hay from being blown out of paddocks on windy days. There is nothing more annoying to me than watching handfuls of hay tumble across the yard. There goes 50 cents.

Second, having it in a net so that horses can’t take giant mouthfuls makes them eat slower. Hence their other name, “slow feeders”. Horses like mine who need free choice hay due to ulcers, but also suffer from, let’s call it slower metabolisms, really benefit from this. It keeps something in their bellies, but limits their intake at the same time. Some studies have even shown that horses prefer this as they get anxious the faster their hay runs out. Even though they are the ones eating it. Go figure.

Third, when you fill a hay net you know that your horse is getting about the same amount of hay every time. Flakes can range in weight and size. Instead of actually weighing out what you are giving each horse, which isn’t exactly feasible, at least you know that they are getting the same volume.

Hay nets come in all styles, sizes and qualities. Cost doesn’t always translate to durability, but as with most things, you often get what you pay for. Bags are easier to fill, but most don’t hold as much and they get really stiff in cold weather. My mare actually stopped eating from hers when it was really cold earlier this winter because it was so stiff she couldn’t get the hay out.

The nets can range in size from those that fit a whole bale to just a couple of flakes. The whole bale ones are nice, because you usually only have to fill them once a day, but they are HUGE and take some muscle to hang. I prefer the mid-size nets that hold five to six flakes. I fill them twice a day, but I have two for each horse (one for outside and one for inside) so filling them is all done at morning chores. So while it does take a little more effort to fill and hang hay nets, with a little planning, it shouldn't take that much more time.