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Avoid These Mistakes |
Version 53 - view current page
 At first glance, this SMHN hardware looks fine, but can you spot the potentially dangerous link? See this blog. AVOID spring clips and carabiners. |  T-posts are not sturdy enough to use as hay net anchors. See this discussion. When clipping a SMHN to a post, use one that would be large and sturdy enough for tying a horse. Also let the net bottom swing free to avoid creating a leg loop. |
 Brittle bucket lid. After I drilled the 1.5" hole for a skewer stick, I tried removing the lid but it shattered. It had been sitting unused in the garage, subject to temperature extremes but not sunlight for 3 years. |  This feeder actually works very well. But my horse pawed through the webbing in a week. She's gone through 2 of these so far. -Joanne |
 Hockey Hay Net after 4 days use and many repairs (repairs have been removed for picture) |  Initial wear and tear on a recycled tennis net. Has been turned over and has since lasted another 5 months. |
 This is a small-mesh hay net after being used on the ground as a hay pillow for three days. Since then, I have not had further net damage, and others have reported their horses also being gentler on nets after about a week of getting used to them. ~JoAnn |  |
 Timothy hay can't bend to get through this tiny one-inch grid. |  Recycled dog kennel failed testing as a horse hay feeder. |
 Heavy duty fish nets: Horses chewed holes in the one-inch netting within a couple of months. |  A small hole in the canvas barrier on this round bale was quickly ripped open repeatedly, even after being sewn closed with hay string. Don't use dry rotted old canvas! (Yes, another no-brainer.) More pictures |
 | Use caution when hanging a non-rigid SMHN from more than one attachment point. To avoid the risk of an equine wrapping the net around his neck, which could cause fatal consequences if he were to then slip and fall, attach any soft net from multiple points along the top. To be safe, Avoid hanging a soft net from two corners. ~JoAnn Johnson, Sept 26, 2011 |
Post your suggestions for slow feeder improvements on this page. :-)
