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Discussion: How to hang or attach SHHN?
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Posted Anonymously |
How to hang or attach SHHN?
Apr 24 2009, 1:30 AM EDT
I posted on the "Mistakes to Avoid" section - but, I just ordered 6 SHHN for our 3 horses. They are all out 24/7 in drylot/pasture. Normally, they are tossed hay flakes all spread apart (6 flakes spread well apart for 3 horses) twice/dayWant to try this though! Not sure how to "spread them out" in the pasture. Can attach to posts at perimeter I guess? I like the most natural grazing position...so hang low on post....or....hay pillow? Is hay pillow anchored on ground? Do you find this valuable?
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Wildridge |
1. RE: How to hang or attach SHHN?
Apr 24 2009, 7:22 AM EDT
Hello,I just started using slow feed hay bags & love it. I am using the Roma 2 inch hole bags as I read that this is a good bag to let the horses learn on and plan to move to the 1.5 inch hole bags. The first time I fed, I cut the draw cord off and fluffed almost 2 flakes of hay into the bag. Then I tied the top with twine from a bale of hay by feeding through a ring & then the next tie knott, then the next ring & the next tie knott....all the way around & secured with a square knott. I cut the long ends off. I did this as you will see the last row of holes are large & I used the "hay pillow" technique to feed. (I saw a picture of this on this site.) Then I just threw the hay pillow out for 2 horses and watched to keep the two from squabbling as they were to share the one pillow (plus I wanted to snap a picture). It worked great...took the 2 horses about an hour to finish. Usually each horse would eat 2 flakes of hay thrown out on the ground 40 minutes, so it really slowed them down! Now I use the same technique but no longer fluff the hay. I put 2-3 flakes of hay (depending on the size) in the bags and throw out a bag for each horse. It takes them about 3 hours to finish eating the bag!!!! The horses love it & so do I. It has been rainy and there is no waste & the hay bags do not end up with mud stuck to them....amazing. I love this way of feeding & think you will too. The "hay pillows" are great. Let us know how it goes for you. Ann 2 out of 2 found this valuable. Do you? |
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Posted Anonymously |
2. RE: How to hang or attach SHHN?
Apr 24 2009, 10:09 AM EDT
Thanks....I'm glad it's working for you. Hmmmm.....I hope the ones I got aren't going to be too "hard" for the horses to use. It's the Millers/Dovers/Smith Brothers SHHN. So the openings ARE SMALL.I may have to check out the Roma ones at 2 inch openings if they seem to have trouble. So the Hay Pillow is just thrown out there...not anchored to the ground? Seems that may be th easiest way. Is there a downside to the pillow method, anyone? Seems easier on the human :) (rather than running around clipping the bags onto Hay Trees and Posts) I like the horses to hunt and walk around for food, so I put double the hay piles as horses. This also helps with herd dynamics at feeding time. Thus 6 hay bags for 3 horses. Thanks! I'm excited to try it Do you find this valuable? |
pawsplus |
3. RE: How to hang or attach SHHN?
Apr 24 2009, 11:07 AM EDT
Hey, you need to log in so we can tell who you are! :-) Always log in before posting or you'll come up as anonymous!Elizabeth Do you find this valuable? |
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pawsplus |
4. RE: How to hang or attach SHHN?
Apr 24 2009, 11:09 AM EDT
So anyway . . . I'm going to hang my hay bags low on trees. I have lots of those, so that will be easy, and it will keep them out of the mud. Also, my hope is that it will slow them down even more than being able to push them into the ground. The safest way to close them up is with tangledmane's shacklebolt method -- I'll look for the link and post it. Then use a clip to clip them to screweyes on the trees or posts. :-)Elizabeth Do you find this valuable? |
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pawsplus |
5. RE: How to hang or attach SHHN?
Apr 24 2009, 11:11 AM EDT
HERE YOU GO:http://paddockparadise.wetpaint.com/page/Hay+Net+Hardware It's best to do away w/ the string that closes the hay net no matter how you hang them or use them, b/c it's a hoof-catch risk. The shackle bolt holds the bag securely closed, gives you a way to attach it, and is safe. Elizabeth Do you find this valuable? |
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pawsplus |
6. RE: How to hang or attach SHHN?
Apr 24 2009, 11:12 AM EDT
"Is there a downside to the pillow method, anyone? Seems easier on the human :) (rather than running around clipping the bags onto Hay Trees and Posts)"I think the only downsides are: (1) in winter or whenever muddy, bag gets muddy. Putting it in a tub or box helps with that, though; (2) horses can push to eat and so they can eat faster. I have 2 total pigs so I'll be doing whatever I can to SLOW THEM DOWN, LOL. Elizabeth Do you find this valuable? |
tangledmanes |
7. RE: How to hang or attach SHHN?
Apr 24 2009, 1:26 PM EDT
"I think the only downsides are: (1) in winter or whenever muddy, bag gets muddy. Putting it in a tub or box helps with that, though; (2) horses can push to eat and so they can eat faster. "And some folks have said they wish the SMHN was made of a bright fluorescent color because their horses toss them around and out of the fence into the deep weeds and such. You could probably tie a short bright ribbon onto it if that's a concern. I lost a couple hay pillows over the winter when they were covered by snow, but they melted loose in the spring. Another point to be aware of is that some horses start out kind of rough on the SMHN during the first week or so of using them, so keep an eye peeled for extra holes chewed in the nets during the introduction period. ~JoAnn 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
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Wildridge |
8. RE: How to hang or attach SHHN?
Apr 24 2009, 5:43 PM EDT
One more thought, I use the twine as the overall size of the smaller anchor bolt is just to small to load all the rings and tie knotts...there is not enough space on the anchor bolt. I feel that I need to get rid of those big holes at the top of the net (any one else do this?). I even tried the 3/8" anchor bolt, and true to Tangled Manes, the metal is just to large to fit through the small rings on the ROMA bags. I have not had trouble with the horses throwing the pillows in the woods (yet), but I have lost the Nose It toy to the woods just about every time I put it out (need to make the toy box!) Once I get my track up and running, I will probably anchor some of the hay pillows on track. I plan to put out several types of hay feeders for interest. One thing at a time for me...lot's to do & am enjoying the process. Ann Do you find this valuable? |
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tangledmanes |
9. RE: How to hang or attach SHHN?
Apr 25 2009, 12:12 PM EDT
| Post edited: Apr 25 2009, 12:16 PM EDT
" I feel that I need to get rid of those big holes at the top of the net (any one else do this?). "This picture shows the top of my Roma net on which I tied extra knots to reduce the size of those top holes by the rings: http://paddockparadise.wetpaint.com/photo/3520278/Roma+net+rings The gloved hands are my 8 y/old's. Tying a quick knot under each ring reduced that row of top holes to being close to two inches each. It did make the Roma slightly more difficult to load than before because that also reduces the diameter it will open for loading, but not by too much. ~JoAnn 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
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pawsplus |
10. RE: How to hang or attach SHHN?
May 28 2009, 10:16 AM EDT
Just a suggestion that anyone w/ questions about this topic check out my blog entry re: my mistakes in this area! :-) It's the 5/27/09 entry.http://paddockparadise.wetpaint.com/page/Hoofmaiden+and+Blue+Heron+Farm+Blog Elizabeth Do you find this valuable? |
mousey114 |
11. RE: How to hang or attach SHHN?
May 10 2010, 6:26 AM EDT
So would i need to weigh this down? and if so, with what?
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SwedishHoofSchool |
12. RE: How to hang or attach SHHN?
May 16 2010, 10:42 AM EDT
There are lots of pictures and suggestions of how to close ands hang SMHNs on www.SlowFeeding.com (in the far right column).
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mousey114 |
13. RE: How to hang or attach SHHN?
May 18 2010, 5:35 AM EDT
I have provided my welsh with a tiny holed net just left in his paddock (still setting up track) tied to a log in cases of high winds. He loves it! However my TB is scared of his one moving when he takes a bite! how should i progress with him? should I try a different approach?/design?Its ok to say wait for the time it takes for him to get used to it (parelli savvy club answers) but i need him to be slow feeding at this time of year (UK summertime). thanks Do you find this valuable? |
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Takelababy |
14. RE: How to hang or attach SHHN?
Jul 24 2010, 1:35 PM EDT
Today I used two hay nets, one a fine mesh and an old, large hole net. With both I pull the draw cord tight, run it back down to the bottom on the inside of the net then run it back up, again on the inside. The hay is now packed tight but the net drops only a foot or two. still too high for a horse to put a foot through.
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tangledmanes |
15. RE: How to hang or attach SHHN?
Jul 24 2010, 7:56 PM EDT
Sounds like that could work, but how do you hang it? Do you tie it to where you want it and then run the cord through the mesh? I don't think it would work for a hay pillow at ground level... Any pictures to share? :-)~JoAnn~ Do you find this valuable? |
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Takelababy |
16. RE: How to hang or attach SHHN?
Jul 24 2010, 8:56 PM EDT
We bot small hole hay nets from Chick's in the US. They don't have a bottom circle but have folds instead. I just thread the cord thro those then back up to the top. I have an eye bolt screwed into the barn wall about 6' high. I run the now shorter cord through that and pull the"pillow" up tight to that and tie securely. The horses do have to raise their nosesto start with, but it's just for a noon feeding while the large biting flies are so bad.
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Takelababy |
17. RE: How to hang or attach SHHN?
Aug 21 2010, 11:29 AM EDT
I should add that I use a large carbiner clip as it's easier to work with than a small one. I hook it to my now short tie string and clip it into an eye screw that's attached to the barn wall. The screw is about 6' off the floor so when the net is empty it's still several feet off the floor. I'm wondering if the nets are used as pllows if the horses will paw at them and possible damage them. When I load my nets, I sit on a bale, fold one side of the net over my leg and hold it with my forearm near my knee. This helps hold the net open while I stuff with my right hand. I pull the thread tight and tie a single knot, then thread the string back and forth on the inside when I'm done and tie a single knot. By weaving the cord down the inside the horses don't get hold of it and it hangs a little shorter when empty. If this doesn't make any sense-blame me!
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Takelababy |
18. RE: How to hang or attach SHHN?
Aug 21 2010, 11:33 AM EDT
Altho I don't have a track my system works fairly well in winter. By mid Dec. when there's no chance of rain I'll have 5 large round bales brought in and they are spaced well apart. Despite the quantity of hay the horses move from one bale to the next. Should one start a squabble the other two head off for another bale and not always the closest. The wind may dictate which bale they chose. All are placed well away from the water so the horses do move around plenty.
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peggy@pasillas.net |
19. RE: How to hang or attach SHHN?
Nov 14 2010, 9:51 PM EST
I have a 3 inch tie ring hanging about 6 ft up the pole. I use a double snap hook, one end attached to the closure string, then run it through the tie ring, and pull the hay bag up by the string. I hook the other end of the double snap hook to the steel ring at the bottom of the hay bag. I've been using it this way for over 2 years and have never had one unhook or a horse get caught in one and I have some pretty aggressive eaters.
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