The wiki's Hay Net Comparison Chart now shows an expected challenge rating on each of the small mesh options listed. Think of it as "Speed Now After Restricted Feeding" if it helps. ;-) Since we're slow feeding in order to STOP our horses from SNARFING down their hay, it sounded like an appropriate name to me. ;-) To illustrate my idea, I added introductory Snarf ratings on a scale of one to ten. "Ten" is the greatest challenge possible (and corresponding slowest eating speed); "one" indicates very little change from loose hay. Most horses use slow feeder netting between 4--7 on the Snarf-o-meter. http://paddockparadise.wetpaint.com/page/Hay+Net+Comparison+Chart Comments appreciated! If we can define hay feeding challenge level this way, we will be able to use the "Snarf-o-meter" to rate expected eating speed across all manner of slow feeders which can otherwise be difficult to compare. Please let me know about any changes you feel should be made to my crazy new system, lol. I would be very grateful for swatches of any slow-feeding material of which I don't already have samples. Send me a private message or email (tangledmanes @ yahoo.com). I'd like to get a hands-on feel for all the options to help assure fair comparisons and make sure everything seems to be in the right position on the Snarf-o-meter... (Already on hand: Arizona hockey goal netting [but no barrier netting yet], Nibble Nets, Busy Horse nets, Equinets easy keeper netting, SMHN from Miler's/Smith Brothers/Dover, Roma nets, Chick's "Tough-1" bags, and Brandi's SMHN.) JoAnn Johnson March 19, 2011

On the left: Brandi's rope smhn, weighing 7 pounds. On the right: NibbleNet 1.25" Picnic, weighing 5 pounds.

Yesterday I compared the NN 1.25 with my Brandi smhn, and at the end of the day there was about half a pound of hay left in Brandi's rope net whereas the 1.25" NibbleNet was empty except for a few partial stalks of hay; less than a mouthful.

My three horses also had a double-netted hockey bale bag available to them, with about 20 pounds of hay left in it. They ate about half of that along with emptying the NN and nearly emptying the Brandi bag.

Jewel was the first to the nets, and she ate from the NibbleNet 1.25" first.

I think that the protruding knots in the rope net make it less inviting to eat from than the smooth soft webbing of the NibbleNet. The rope construction also reduces the size of the openings as the amount of hay within decreases, unlike webbing slow feeders.

I close the top of this small rope smhn with a bucket strap.

Final Snarfometer Scores: NibbleNet 1.25": 8
Brandi's smhn: 9
Doubled hockey net: 9 (subject to verification)

JoAnn Johnson
March 29, 2011