Does anyone have a Hay Pillow? (For stall or field use). Is it that significantly different from a plain old slow feed haynet to justify the price?
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I just googled themâŠthat seems like a better option, but i have never seen them here. I would guess they are more sturdy and easier to fill than just a net? Now I want to try them!
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I loved the idea but hated the price! I took a standard hay net and put a locking carabiner through the loops (removing the string, so nothing to get caught on). My horse thinks it is great, and I find it all over the field. Keeps him busy! I wouldnât use with shod horses. Itâs a bit of a pain to fill, but was a cheap experiment. Still like the idea of those pillows though!
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Ok thatâs a good idea. Thanks.
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I has to click, just to see why someone would want to sleep on hay!
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I had a nice relaxing visual of a warm sunny day and a nap in the pasture under a tree while horses grazeâŠ
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They are kind of pricey and I donât see the advantage to a slow feed hay net. However I really like the ones that go in a trailer especially since my trailer doesnât have good set up for hay nets. I will have to decide if I want to spend the moneyâŠ
My barnmate used one in her stall. Her horse peed on it practically daily. It was grossâŠ
I could not justify the price of the hay pillows so instead I bought hay bags on clearance (with nylon webbing and 1.5" holes) to toss out into the dry lot and sacrifice lots. It works great! The bags have velcro at the top and I also use a sturdy carabiner to keep the rings closed. Using these bags slows down their intake considerably but they are still in the head down grazing position, as opposed to eating from a net or bag that has been hung up.
My horses are barefoot so I really have no concerns about them getting tangled up in the bags. While I think you could use the nylon webbed bags with shod horses without too much risk, itâs not something I would ever do.
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Heavier than a hay net, stinky/hard to clean when wet and take alot time to dry unless itâs a hot sunny day, and frustrating for horse. Though, very fun for horse to throw around the paddock once emptied, if not attached to a fencepost or wall.
I bought one; the net part quickly broke/wore through. It was promptly replaced by the manufacturer, so good customer service. However, with use, dealing with the zipper was an increasing aggravation â think about zipping back and forth right next to hay â so I retired it.
For the money, I donât think itâs the best choice, although I liked the initial concept. Wouldnât recommend one.
Horse at my barn has one for paddock use only. No good in stall, gets pee or poop on it. No good in wet weather either. Zipper can and has been a royal pain. Donât use with shod horses. IMO the cons are not worth it.
I used a Freedom Feeder with a rope and 3 hole conway loop thingy from a giant Tough1 haynet to make a hay pillow. As long as the holes are small, the rope is secured well, shortened with a chain âstitchâ and then fed into the haynet, itâs a great, safe option. Ponypants is back in front shoes now so weâre using the same arrangement but hung against the wall, low enough to keep allergies happy, high enough that she canât step on it and catch a shoe. Caveat, I am lucky to be able to hang it low. If she were the pawing or kicking type, it would be hung higher. Keep that in mind when choosing to hang a net 
Donât use if your horse has shoes. I know horses (without shoes) that have them & do great. Advantage is they can move them around & they are eating with their heads & necks down instead of up like youâd need to safely use with something tied in place (like a small hole hay net). They have been sufficiently durable too.
Check out Nibble Nets, I have a few of them and they hold up really well. Just mount them low if you want to feed like they are grazing
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I had tons of hay nets in various sizes and mesh. I have been taking out the strings and using carabiners for over ten years. My horses are barefoot. They rarely get rolled into a pee puddle or poop pile, but if they do I just toss them in the washer. I like to fill from an intact bale â fit a net over each end like a pillow case and cut the twine in the middle.
Iâd never heard of them, so had to Google as others have done. I use the Nibble Net picnic for some of my pony boarders. Itâs similar but open all 'round. They can be tossed on the ground or hung.
Interesting discussion⊠the barn where my mare is boarded has been encouraging everyone to use hay nets of some sort, including hay pillows even for horses that are shod. Itâs been a few months, and so far, there have been one or two with pulled shoes, but no injuries.
Knowing that my mare has torn off shoes from pawing at hay nets hung too low, I elected to use NibbleNets that are hung roughly at her chest level. She does sometimes pull hay out, drop it on the ground, and eat it from the ground. I suspect sheâd play with a hay pillow if she had one.
I have visions of the TBâs using them for a football and the welsh mare pawing them apart. Mine are all barefoot so I would love to try them but canât stomach the cost.
So, normal horse. My little nutjob got a special treat the other night - hay on the floor and half a haynet. All tolled about 20-25lbs for 24 hours. Plenty of hay. Should have had leftovers. Nope. She was so mad about having to clean up the (very neat, tidy, clean, SAME AS IN HER NET) hay on the floor that she completely trashed about 10lbs worth. It was flung and trampled, her net was totally empty and she was YELLING at me when I came in the barn door. YELLING, âI AM STARVING HERE I THOUGHT YOU HAD ABANDONED ME!!!â ⊠and there was still a small untouched pile of clean hay under her feeder/net. Apparently, she was saving that for in case I really hadnât shown up to tend to her every whim.
