There are so many barn jobs that are at or beyond the limit of my strength, like stacking 3 string bales or even moving them. But men or even boys can usually do them as easily as I can lift a small bucket 
Hire a kid for whom it isn’t super hard!
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Yes to keeping up with riding! I’m rising 72, and right now I wish I could ride (horse is lame). But I usually take Jan and Feb off.
Now as to your problem, here’s my suggestion. Make up hay boxes. We used scrap plywood and PT 2x4s for the edges and feet. Be sure to drill some large holes in the bottom so water/ melting snow will run out.
Place hay boxes where it would be convenient for you to pitch hay into them.
Put a screw eye on the edge closest to the fence, where you can reach it.
Toss in your hay net.
Use a double ended snap to clip the net to the side of the box (just reach through the fence) to keep your busy horses from playing with them/ pulling them out.
I think the hay boxes will pick up bits that drop from the net as well as keep your horses from pawing the nets.
By the way, we started using boxes without nets at least 10 years ago, just in winter. They get cleaned out when needed (usually every couple of weeks). I feed hay every day to 11 horses in 6 paddocks and it takes less than 20 minutes if I lollygag. Most day, I drive my SUV around to the paddocks, stopping to toss hay. When conditions are too bad, I put a full bale on a sled to carry it around. I put some screw eyes on the edges, 2 on each side, and throw an unfilled haynet over the top that I clip to the screw eyes. Keeps the hay on the sled most times.
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Sorry. I must have misread your post. No need to be snippy.
I’m still confused about why it takes 15-20 minutes to walk 400-500 feet carrying a bale of hay, though. Whatever the reason for that, it does sound like hiring someone to fill and hang hay bags is the simplest solution to your problem.
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Here’s the product page from the manufacturer, I’ll go fix the link above, too.
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Question for anyone that uses nets - do your horses get sore in the poll area when eating from them? I found that mine did, so stopped using them.
I have not had that problem.
I have had no problem with teeth either.
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I feel your pain, OP! I have 12 horses here, out 24/7. I have tried almost every feeding system out there. And, I dislike the haychix nets because they are fiddly and TIME CONSUMING. (My nets are 10 years old, someone posted newer versions are easier.)
Ok, so there’s no cheap fix to this. What I do now is have hay in outdoor feeders (so don’t have to lug bales to sheds every day). I tried the hay box feeder, and it’s good, but year 3 and one of the grates has bent, making it unusable. It’s also a little fiddly getting the grate to slide out.
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=cc18b468-1a77-4ef2-8a99-1db772418937
This year I bought 2 port a grazers, and like them the best. No waste, and not fiddly. The easiest by far.
https://porta-grazer.com/product/xl-porta-grazer/
So, if you want to spend the money, buy a port a grazer, bungee it to the fence near the gate, and use that. You can then still put full bales in the haychix nets in the sheds, but odds are they won’t get eaten as fast, or even much. The horses here all prefer to eat outside if they have a choice.
I did just buy these hay hoarders, and they were just put up in my shed today, but I haven’t had a chance to fill them yet. Will report back!
My mare didn’t get sore when I used one, but she wasn’t particularly violent with hers. I used one of the thick webbed SmarPak nets and hung it low (she wasn’t shod and didn’t paw at it). The holes were big enough she could easily get hay out without having to slam or trash the net.
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Nope, not here, and I net all my hay. I do hang them low (no shoes on anyone) and they’re all very used to eating out of a net. All that might make a difference?
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Did I miss the part where the OP tells us how many horses she is feeding? I’m thinking maybe changing the mix and feeding hay in one or two locations versus all four sheds, but without numbers and herd dynamics to factor in…?
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@LCDR. I have 4 pastures and 5 horses. Two share a hay net, the others have individual hay nets in sheds…
I saw earlier that you have a tractor. Are you using it to transport the hay out to the sheds? I realize there are gates along the way.
I have a few years on you and I am trying to make my own small horse farm easier to run, but I am finding that a lot of things that would help me are expensive. But I realize that what in my youth may have been a shrug-it-off injury might today just shut down completely my ability to feed or fill water troughs or muck. My spouse has become quite frail and no way could take over any farm chores. It is sad to see because we fox hunted together for many years.
Unless the neighbors continue producing more children, you will someday not have any young folks to recruit to help. One thought is to talk with your hunt friends and see if any of them might have a longer-term idea. Perhaps one would be willing to time share an employee with you so between two of you each has dependable adult farm help?
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I recommend the Shires Delux Haylage nets. $15 and fits 98% of a 2 string 50lbs bale at once.
I think the idea of a hay box (or larger feeder of whatever shape while keeping the hay netted - could even toss square bales into/ under a hay hut with net as I have) is your best bet. Yes there’s the up front cost but the time savings is unreal. Being able to put hay out once a week/ month/ every other week vs everyday is a huge benefit and time savings while maintaining the cost savings of the netted hay. That or a free standing feeder near the fence/ closer to the gate (why do you feed in the sheds?) would help as well. I’ve seen some over the fence but not attached to the fence ones that you could toss flakes in as easily (in theory) as tossing it over the fence. Something like this may work with your wire fence:
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A couple of suggestions, based on what has worked for us over the years. From the start, if you can hire help to free up your time, great solution. However, help sometimes doesn’t show up so streamlining things saves your back and $$ paying for that help.
#1. Agree that the Shires nets are the best. Read the label carefully, get the huge ones that fit about a 9 kg bale (mine are technically haylage nets 50” long). Here, with my small squares, that is basically a bale (minus a flake or two) in the net. I throw the flake on the ground in the stall, hang the net to feed.
#2. Expensive but the hay optimizers (about $1K) are functionally priceless and very helpful. They hold two small squares for me, about 5 feet by 5 feet square. Super easy to fill - push back net, drop in bales, cut strings and drag net back over. Worth the investment but I don’t put them near the sheds, they get placed where it is convenient for the humans to fill them. Walking is good for horses.
#3. A UTV/gator is our most frequently used implement. Daily. Especially if it has a dump trailer in the back. Much more useful than the tractor. I can load it up with bales, drive up to the feeder and dump then in. It can drag various trailers, drags etc. to help maintain driveways and pastures etc. I don’t know if this would be in the budget, but depending on how much help costs and how much you would like to do yourself, definitely consider it. In our area, used ones are about $10K so pricy but oh so very worth it.
There is also good reason why many farms just throw hay. If it is more convenient to have the nets filled every other day, with you supplementing by throwing loose flakes, there is no harm in that. Keeps the horses foraging and moving around, hopefully spreading out there use of the pasture.
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@Mouse_amp_Bay --I am really starting to feel a sense of relief! After reading all replies, decided to take a break from hay nets, go back to tossing hay over fence, and contact neighbor about having one or two of his sons (he has 7 boys and 2 girls age 14 to 8 mon --good chance there will always be one until I am 90) --but I would like to buy the bale size Shires Hay Net --could not find that on line --can anyone help?
RE: buying a bigger tractor or gater snow mobile or other device --at 72 (DH 75) our farm days will likely draw to a close in the next few years. Investing in a 10K vehicle is not going to happen as we would also need to invest in a building for it too --the barn is a stable --stalls and hay --and all garages are used with his cars or my truck. That eliminates going to round bales --and cannot see the cost/benefit of hay feeders as I would need 4 —
I think a middle of the road approach --take a break, hire help, and buy more nets is the way to go. Oh, someone said ask people to share help from the hunt club --I live 50 miles from the club.
My neighbors are all Amish with large families. As the only English person in the neighborhood (ie, I drive a truck) I am asked at least once a week for a ride some place --I always say yes if it is in the afternoon and I have nothing else going --I am retired and except to ride my horses and turn out a few paintings now and then I don’t have anything else pressing–They are all great neighbors! In return I have access to help when I need it (repair my trailer, dig fence posts, put down gravel, rake leaves, etc–well anything a strong man or bunch of kids can do —the kids painted all my fence last year). And at least once a week there is a knock on the door and a wife or child will have dinner for DH and me all nicely plated and yummy! Cookies and cinnamon rolls are common too.
Most recently the children asked me to come to their Christmas show at the Amish school down the road --it was awesome! I was the only English person there --one room school house, no electricity, just 24 enthusiastic kiddos grades 1-8 singing and putting on Christmas skits. Off topic --sorry.
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I’m not sure you stated how many horses you’re feeding. What about buying larger hay nets and putting enough hay for a week in each net? Stagger it so you’re not refilling all the nets on the same day.
You are getting good exercise with all this, so that’s the positive side. It ultimately comes down to you deciding the importance of the money you’re saving vs the value of what’s not getting done in your life with you spending more time in hay.
Sounds like a wonderful neighborhood! And an endless supply of young help. Hope you can stay for many more years!
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You have good people around you, glad there are hard working (keen!) kiddos willing to help.
I’m in Canada and a local tack stores has shires stuff. However, it looks like there is a shires store on amazon.com if that helps you?
This shires net–the red and black one–very easily holds an entire small bale. Despite being noted at 45", it’s quite a bit larger than the 50" haylage nets due to how it’s constructed.
https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/shires-deluxe-haylage-net-21147
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Google was no help – do you have a link for this feeder? It’s a great idea, but I could find no trace of it on the internet. @Bluey?
