Small-hole nets: Make horse's neck sore?

[cyberbay]

I just returned to feeding my horse his hay via a small-hole net. He brutalizes the string-style net, so I got him a Nibble Net, with 1.5" holes.

Question: The NN does seem to pose more work for him to get the hay out than what I remember with the string-style small-hole net. As in, tugging and pulling to get that hay out.

The string nets I used before were from SMartPak, and that hole size is 1.5". (I looked it up online.)

The NN has been in use for a week. When I rode him yesterday, he seemed ‘heavy’ in the contact, which was unusual. There could be many explanations, but seeing how he needs to work at this NN for his hay, could all this effort be making his neck sore?

Thanks for any input…

[Texarkana]

There is certainly anecdotal evidence of horses becoming sore from eating out of hay nets, hay racks, and feeders that cause them to crane their necks in unusual positions.

Is his Nibble Net one of the styles that you turn into a “hay pillow” and throw on the ground?

[horsepoor]

I think that they can cause problems. I stopped using them as I thought one of mine was getting sore from it, and another was diagnosed with arthritis in his neck, so I definitely wanted to protect his neck from further abuse. Can’t do the loose pillow type nets here with the rain. I ended up switching to Porta-Grazers for those two horses and love them. The cost is steep but they work well, horses eat fairly naturally (no twisting or odd reaches) and I’m happy.

[trubandloki]

I wouldn’t think that a horse who ate with out issue from a small hole net would cause themselves issues using a NN. But then, they are horses so they are always inventing ways to do damage.

[cyberbay]

Thanks for the feed-back!

With the NN, the strong mesh makes the bag more solid and less malleable, so the horse has to really push in with his muzzle to make contact with the hay. The holes are also more separated with the NN, compared to a string net. He was working much harder at obtaining a simple bite of hay. The string net design is better for him, just not as durable.

I bought the NN because my horse ruins the string-style nets. Oh, well. The NN has been removed.

[Libby2563]

[QUOTE=cyberbay;8544690]
With the NN, the strong mesh makes the bag more solid and less malleable, so the horse has to really push in with his muzzle to make contact with the hay. The holes are also more separated with the NN, compared to a string net. He was working much harder at obtaining a simple bite of hay. The string net design is better for him, just not as durable.[/QUOTE]

I definitely agree with this about the NN and mine is mostly a backup now. My young horse would just give up on it after a certain point.

What brands of string nets have you tried? One of my horses is quite an aggressive hay eater who creates loose threads on the NN in hours or days, but I have had two SmartPak small hole hay nets for going on 2 years and they’re almost pristine. Whereas when I tried a Tough-1, it lasted less than a week. I believe Cinch Chix also makes some that are specifically advertised as extra durable.

[candico]

My horses always go for hay in the NN before any loose hay in the stall. I would think if it made them sore, they would definitely opt for the loose hay first. Mine actually seem to have more trouble getting hay out of the Porta Grazer, but it is more new to them so maybe more about where they are on the learning curve. I do notice that the Haflinger, which is our smallest horse and fastest eater has the fattest lips so struggles a bit more with the 1.5" NN, but destroyed regular nets. Maybe you could trade someone for the 2" holes.

[SuckerForHorses]

I have some small hole nets from Chick’s Discount Saddlery, and those suckers have lasted a few YEARS with my gelding who really gives 'em hell when he eats out of them. They were like $9 and I’m seriously impressed with how they have held up!

That being said, I have one of those giant round bale small hole nets from Cinch Chix, and when I don’t have any round bales to put in it, I just stuff it with square bales, like 15 of them, and its like them grazing from the ground because it flattens out like a pillow of hay. Love that thing!

but to answer your question, I do ^ the above as often as I can to avoid them having to eat out of a hanging net, which I do think torques their neck some, even if they don’t seem particularly sore. I like as natural as I can get, and while no net would be the most natural, it also creates a lot of waste.

[silverdog]

Great post. Currently dealing with a horse with a sore neck. Often feed him out of small hole net at shows but might actually stop that practice. He eats off the ground at home.

[kcmel]

[QUOTE=cyberbay;8543180]
The string nets I used before were from SMartPak, and that hole size is 1.5". (I looked it up online.)

The NN has been in use for a week. When I rode him yesterday, he seemed ‘heavy’ in the contact, which was unusual. There could be many explanations, but seeing how he needs to work at this NN for his hay, could all this effort be making his neck sore?

Thanks for any input…[/QUOTE]

The SmartPak haynet actually has 2" holes, in spite of what it says online (I was going to write a review and complain, but haven’t gotten around to it yet)

I was using a haynet with 1" holes for my easy keeper, but also was concerned that the constant repetitive motion wasn’t good for his neck/poll (he was only able to pull out a few strands at a time). So I ended up double bagging two 2" hole hay bags (which is a real PIA).

[Foxglove]

Be sure to look in your horse’s mouth. After a week at a show using a small hole net, we found gum sores over and under the front teeth from what we think are constant rubbing and pulling against the nylon fiber. Our stall pig would pull back his lips and bite at the hay through the little holes, pulling it out. Not sure that caused the sores, but didn’t have them when home on pasture.

Foxglove

[Pocket_Pony]

@kcmel;8546182

The SmartPak haynet actually has 2" holes, in spite of what it says online (I was going to write a review and complain, but haven’t gotten around to it yet)

Ditto that. They are very sturdy, but certainly not 1.5" holes.

I also worry about neck pain from them shaking them around so much. I went from feeding from nets all the time to now just doing it at night so their hay will last. I have piggy-pigs who would eat up all their hay in just a couple hours; using the nets makes their overnight hay last until morning.

[seema]

I finally found slow feed boxes…bought a DIY kit from slowgrazer.com also high country plastics makes a plastic version which I may have opted for if I had seen it sooner.

[froglander]

I use a porta-grazer and sometimes my horse decides he is not hungry enough for the effort to eat if all that is left in their is grass hay (he’s already eaten the orchard/alfalfa). It’s nice because he can eat in a head down position. And it seems to keep dust down (except for when I fill it) since he can only pull a bite out at a time.

[quietann]

There are horses that do fine with the various options, and horses that don’t. Several horses in the barn where my mare is have NN’s with various hole sizes. These horses pull and tug a bit, but it’s pretty gentle.

My mare OTOH … when she had a NN, she attacked the damn thing and torqued her neck pretty badly by repeatedly jerking her head to the right as she did so. She will do the same with almost any hay net, hay rack, etc. that is above the ground. So she’s back to getting her hay loose, on the ground or in a big rubber tub on the ground, even though that means she has more “downtime” where she isn’t eating. In the right situation, I’d do a porta-grazer or something similar that she couldn’t pull around so much.

Interestingly, she sometimes is turned out in a run where another horse lives at night. He gets his hay in a knock-off NN, and she doesn’t attack it, just pulls hay out bit by bit like a normal horse. I have no idea why!

[Dune]

Great. One more thing to worry about with the “special boy”. Not riding him yet, so have no comment on the Nibblenet making his neck sore, will keep it in mind. If any of you have comments regarding him suddenly becoming “food obsessed” since the installing of the Nibblenet, feel free to comment on my Laminitis for Dummies thread please.

[PNW_AMTS_Dealer]

I finally gave up on nets and the Busy Buffet bags after my horse became more and more one sided and stiff. He already has wonky conformation (toes out) and he would always eat from the nets with the same right leg way back and head tipped to the right, no matter where or how low I hung them. I splurged and got him a Porta-Grazer and he is much more balanced. I figure I am money ahead not having to have body work done as much and no more wasted hay. Yes, even with nets he would pull hay out onto the floor then pick out the bits he liked and pee on the rest, not so with the Port-Grazer.

[ako]

I got two NN and put them on opposite sides of the stall to discourage one-sidedness.

[OhioRiderEsq]

I use the NN, and I have since my horse was on extended stall rest a few years ago. He’s an air fern who will literally eat however much hay is in his stall. He used to receive regular massages. The therapist did notice some additional muscle tightness on one side that we attributed to the NN. It wasn’t significant, and I have never noticed a difference in his suppleness under saddle because of it. I used to move it around the stall to change the angle or side he used. For me, it’s still worth it to be able to keep hay in front of my horse all the time without having gain too much weight.

[stb]

Ok, you Porta-Grazer people - which model do you have? I would like to order one, as my gelding is currently eating from a NN but he attacks the net violently, which can’t be that good for him.