Improvements to the Hay Nets

We've been using the hay net slow feeders for about a month now and it's been a success. We did make some modifications/improvements to them and feel we have a durable, easy-to-use version now.

G.W. thought that running some rebar through the back portion of the net would provide some structure and a means to secure the net to the fence. He was right, of course. He used pipe clamps to fasten the net to the fence. The zip ties were OK, but got brittle in cold temperatures.

The horses were flipping the nets over the fence until we began tying them to the middle rail of the fence. Tying it in the middle of the back of the net and tying tightly minimizes the chances that a horse would somehow get a foot caught.

The chains and snap hooks work beautifully. They had been slipping around and getting hung up on the net and chicken wire until we used some zip ties to secure the chain to the fence rail. We may use more pipe clamps instead of the zip ties. 

I scavenged scraps of stall mats from around the barn and put them under two of the nets. They help prevent the hay that filters out of the nets from getting trampled into the ground and wasted. I'm not sure yet if it's effective enough to warrant purchasing more rubber mats for the other two nets.

The hay that just came in is really nice and long. When the horses pull it through the net, it works like Kleenex in a box by pulling the next few strands up.

We had our last three tons of hay delivered last week. There's hay everywhere! 

Here's G.W. and another of our billboard hay covers.

And here's Carson demonstrating a hay net. 

Carson's coat, even his shaggy winter one, has started to dapple. I think it's from a supplement we give them called Omega Horseshine. Omega Horseshine does a lot of things for our boys, but the main reason we give it to them is to prevent sand colic. 

Horses who are fed on sandy ground run the risk of a dangerous accumulation of sand in their digestive tract. There are a number of sand colic prevention supplements on the market. These products usually contain psyllium, which forms a gel that picks up and moves the sand out of the digestive tract. Omega Horseshine contains ground flax seed, which works much like the psyllium does. Flax also contains essential fatty acids that are usually missing from a hay diet. 

Before I wrap this up, I wanted to  share just one more photo of the horses...