Are Hay Nets Good for Horses?

Are Hay Nets Good for Horses?

By Dr Duncan Houston

Hay nets can be one of the most useful tools in a stable.

They can slow down fast eaters, reduce waste, stretch forage over more hours, and help horses spend more time doing what they are designed to do: chewing forage.

But they are not perfect. A hay net that helps one horse may frustrate another, increase dust exposure in an asthmatic horse, create an entanglement risk, or make it too hard for a senior horse with poor teeth to eat enough.

The real question is not “Are hay nets good or bad?”

The better question is: Is this hay net, with this hole size, in this position, safe for this horse?

Quick Answer

Hay nets can be good for many horses because they slow forage intake, extend eating time, reduce waste, and may help mimic a more natural feeding pattern. University of Minnesota research found that small and medium-holed hay nets slowed forage intake and increased the time adult horses took to eat a hay meal compared with hay fed from the ground or from large-holed nets. (University of Minnesota Extension)

They are not ideal for every horse. Horses with equine asthma, dusty hay exposure, choke risk, poor teeth, frustration, weight loss, or unsafe net setups need a more careful plan. Hay nets are a feeding tool, not a magic gut-health guarantee.

Why Horses Need Slow, Regular Forage Intake

Horses evolved to eat small amounts of forage for many hours a day.

University of Minnesota Extension notes that horses may spend more than 14.5 hours per day grazing, while many modern horses are stalled, kept in dry lots, or fed only a few large meals each day. (University of Minnesota Extension)

That matters because the horse’s digestive system is designed around frequent fibre intake. Forage supports chewing, saliva production, gut fill, hindgut fermentation, and normal behaviour.

When horses are fed two large hay meals a day, some finish quickly and then spend long periods with no forage. That can increase boredom, frustration, wood chewing, cribbing in some horses, and may contribute to gastric ulcer risk in predisposed horses.

The AAEP notes that when horses are fed only twice daily, the stomach has prolonged periods without feed to help neutralise acid, and recommends free-choice grass or hay, more frequent feeding, and reduced grain as part of ulcer-risk management.

So the goal is not just “put hay in a net.”

The goal is more hours of safe forage access.

What Hay Nets Actually Do

A hay net slows the horse’s ability to pull out hay.

The smaller the holes, the smaller each bite usually becomes. That can extend the time it takes for the horse to eat the same amount of hay.

This can help:

• Slow fast eaters

• Reduce hay waste

• Extend forage time

• Reduce long fasting periods

• Support weight management in easy keepers

• Keep stalled horses occupied

• Reduce boredom in some horses

• Make restricted forage last longer

But a hay net does not automatically fix the whole diet.

You still need to weigh hay, check body condition, provide clean water, manage pasture, keep forage quality safe, and make sure the horse can actually eat enough.

A slow feeder that makes hay last longer is useful.

A slow feeder that makes a horse hungry, frustrated, losing weight, coughing, or unsafe is not.

What Does the Research Say About Hay Net Hole Size?

A University of Minnesota study compared horses fed hay from the ground with horses fed from hay nets with large, medium, and small holes.

The hole sizes were:

• Large: 6 inches

• Medium: 1.75 inches

• Small: 1 inch

In the study, horses fed from the ground ate at about 3.3 lb per hour. Horses using the large-holed net ate at about 2.9 lb per hour, so the large-holed net did not slow intake much. Horses using the medium-holed net ate at about 2.4 lb per hour, and horses using the small-holed net ate at about 1.9 lb per hour. (University of Minnesota Extension)

A second part of the study found that horses took about 3.2 hours to eat hay from the ground, 3.4 hours from the large-holed net, just over 5 hours from the medium-holed net, and 6.5 hours from the small-holed net. (University of Minnesota Extension)

That is the practical takeaway.

Large holes may not slow a horse much. Medium and small holes can meaningfully extend eating time.

But smaller is not always better.

If the holes are too small for the horse, the hay type, or the situation, you may create frustration, reduced intake, weight loss, or refusal to eat.

Do Hay Nets Help Prevent Gastric Ulcers?

They may help reduce one risk factor: long periods without forage.

That does not mean hay nets “prevent ulcers” by themselves.

Gastric ulcers are influenced by many factors, including training, stress, transport, stall confinement, grain intake, illness, pain, medications, and feeding schedule. The AAEP recommends free-choice access to grass or hay and more frequent feeding to help buffer stomach acid, but ulcer prevention still depends on the whole management plan.

In practice, a hay net can be useful when it helps a horse spend more time chewing safely.

It is less useful if the horse is still going many hours with no forage, the hay is too dusty, the horse cannot eat enough from the net, or the real problem is heavy grain feeding, stress, pain, or training intensity.

Do Hay Nets Reduce Colic Risk?

Be careful with this claim.

Hay nets may support healthier feeding patterns by slowing intake and reducing long gaps without forage. That can be helpful for gut routine.

But colic has many causes. A hay net does not prevent impactions, gas colic, sand colic, strangulating lesions, dental disease, dehydration, parasites, ulcers, sudden feed changes, poor hay quality, or grain overload.

The safer statement is this:

Hay nets can be part of a colic-risk reduction strategy when they help provide regular forage intake, reduce binge eating, and support a consistent feeding routine. They are not a colic guarantee.

If a horse is showing colic signs, do not assume the hay net is the answer. Call a vet.

Do Hay Nets Help With Weight Management?

Yes, they can help some horses.

Slow feeders reduce the amount of forage a horse can grab per bite. UConn Extension describes slow feeders as tools that regulate how much forage is available at one time, reduce boredom by extending feeding time, and may help reduce weight gain in easy keepers. (extension.uconn.edu)

That is useful for overweight horses, ponies, miniature horses, donkeys, and easy keepers that need controlled forage but should not be left with nothing to chew for long periods.

The key is controlled intake, not starvation.

Merck Veterinary Manual notes that horses on restricted or weight-loss diets should not be fed below 1.25% of body weight in dry matter per day without veterinary monitoring, because more severe restriction can increase complications such as hyperlipemia. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

So yes, hay nets can help stretch restricted forage.

But the hay still needs to be weighed. The horse still needs monitoring. And an overweight horse still needs a proper diet and exercise plan, not just a tighter net.

Choosing the Right Hay Net Hole Size

There is no perfect hole size for every horse.

A sensible starting point is usually based on the horse’s size, feeding speed, dental health, body condition, hay type, and whether the horse has used hay nets before.

Large Holes

Large holes are easier for horses to use, but they may not slow intake much.

They may suit:

• Senior horses

• Horses new to hay nets

• Horses with mild dental difficulty

• Horses that become frustrated easily

• Stalkier hay

• Horses that need slower introduction

They may not be enough for:

• Fast eaters

• Easy keepers

• Overweight horses

• Horses needing restricted intake

Medium Holes

Medium holes are often the best starting point for many healthy adult horses.

They may suit:

• Horses that need slower intake

• Horses that are not severely overweight

• Horses with normal teeth

• Horses already used to nets

• Owners wanting more forage time without making eating too difficult

University of Minnesota found that the medium-holed net meaningfully reduced intake rate and increased time to consumption compared with hay fed from the ground or large-holed nets. (University of Minnesota Extension)

Small Holes

Small holes slow intake the most, but they need the most monitoring.

They may suit:

• Easy keepers

• Overweight horses

• Ponies

• Minis

• Horses that inhale hay too quickly

• Horses on controlled forage diets

Be careful using small holes in:

• Senior horses

• Horses with poor teeth

• Horses with choke history

• Thin horses

• Horses prone to frustration

• Horses eating coarse or stalky hay

• Horses that have never used a hay net

Small holes can be useful. They can also be maddening. If the horse is shaking, biting, pawing, giving up, or losing weight, the hole size may be too restrictive.

Hay Net Position Matters

Hay nets are often hung high for convenience and to reduce entanglement risk.

But horses naturally eat with their heads low. A high net can place the head and neck in a less natural position, and it can increase the chance of dust and hay particles falling toward the horse’s eyes and nostrils.

UConn Extension notes that some slow feeders need to be hung higher to prevent rapid access, but this can place the horse in a more unnatural eating position. (extension.uconn.edu)

The best setup usually balances three things:

• Low enough to encourage a more natural feeding position

• High or contained enough to prevent hooves, shoes, or legs getting caught

• Secure enough that the net cannot swing dangerously or fall apart

For many horses, a ground-level slow feeder, hay net inside a safe feeder box, or secured slow-feed bag may be safer than a loose dangling net.

The goal is low, safe, and controlled. Not a hay piñata.

Respiratory Risk: When Hay Nets Are a Bad Idea

This is the big caveat.

Hay nets can increase dust exposure in some situations, especially when dry hay is fed from a net inside a stall. Research discussed by equine respiratory specialists found that horses eating from hay nets inside the stall had much higher dust exposure in the breathing zone compared with horses eating hay from the ground. (DVM360)

AAEP guidance on equine asthma stresses that dust and irritants in the horse’s breathing zone are a major concern, and that hay is one of the first sources to consider when reducing respiratory triggers. (AAEP)

This means hay nets are not ideal for every coughing horse.

Be cautious with hay nets if your horse has:

• Equine asthma

• Chronic cough

• Nasal discharge linked to hay exposure

• Poor performance with airway inflammation

• Dust sensitivity

• Recurrent respiratory flare-ups

• Dry hay in a poorly ventilated stall

For these horses, safer options may include steamed hay, properly soaked hay, haylage where appropriate, hay cubes, hay pellets, low-dust bedding, better ventilation, or feeding from a low, clean position.

A hay net may slow the stomach, but if it irritates the lungs, we have not won.

Risk Framework: How Worried Should You Be?

Low Risk

This is usually low risk if your horse:

• Has normal teeth

• Has no cough or asthma

• Maintains healthy weight

• Eats calmly from the net

• Has no choke history

• Has no frustration or aggression around feed

• Uses a well-secured net

• Has clean, low-dust hay

• Has normal manure, appetite, and water intake

This horse may benefit from a hay net, especially if the goal is slower eating and less waste.

Moderate Risk

This is more cautious if your horse:

• Is new to hay nets

• Is a fast eater

• Is overweight

• Gets frustrated when forage is restricted

• Has mild dental wear

• Has mild cough with dry hay

• Is shod and using a low net

• Is in a group where feed competition occurs

• Has not had hay intake weighed

This horse may still use a hay net, but the setup needs monitoring and adjustment.

High Risk

This is high risk if your horse:

• Has equine asthma or chronic coughing

• Has poor teeth

• Has repeated choke episodes

• Is thin or losing weight

• Cannot eat enough from the net

• Becomes aggressive around the net

• Gets hooves or shoes near the net

• Is using a damaged net

• Is eating dusty or mouldy hay

• Is fed from a high net with hay dust falling into the breathing zone

These horses need a more careful feeding plan. A different slow feeder or forage form may be safer.

Critical

This is urgent if your horse:

• Has a leg, shoe, halter, or jaw caught in a hay net

• Is choking

• Has feed material or saliva coming from the nose

• Shows colic signs

• Has breathing difficulty

• Has sudden severe coughing or distress

• Stops eating

• Becomes weak, sweaty, painful, or depressed

• Develops sudden laminitis signs after diet restriction or feed changes

This is not a “try a different net tomorrow” situation. This needs immediate action and often veterinary care.

When Is This an Emergency?

Call a vet urgently if your horse has:

• Pawing, rolling, flank-watching, sweating, or repeated lying down

• Loss of appetite

• Reduced or absent manure

• Feed or saliva coming from the nostrils

• Repeated coughing while eating

• Difficulty swallowing

• Severe respiratory effort

• Nostril flaring or abdominal effort while breathing

• A trapped leg, shoe, jaw, or halter

• Sudden lameness or laminitis signs

• Depression, weakness, or collapse

If the horse is caught in a net, keep yourself safe first. A panicking horse can injure people badly. If it is safe, cut the net rather than trying to untangle it slowly.

If the horse is choking, remove feed and water and call your vet. Do not syringe water, oil, or anything else into the mouth.

What Else Can Look Like a Hay Net Problem?

Not every problem that appears after using a hay net is caused by the net.

Important rule-outs include:

• Dental disease

• Choke tendency

• Equine asthma

• Dusty hay

• Mouldy hay

• Poor ventilation

• Gastric ulcers

• Hindgut disease

• Parasites

• Sand intake

• Low water intake

• Poor hay quality

• Excessive diet restriction

• Bullying in group feeding

• Pain or lameness limiting movement

• Feed competition

• Boredom unrelated to feeding

• Sudden changes in forage amount or type

In practice, if a horse is losing weight on a hay net, do not just blame the horse for being “fussy.” Check teeth, hay quality, hole size, actual intake, social competition, and whether the horse can physically eat enough.

If a horse coughs only when eating from the net, look hard at dust exposure and feeding position.

If a horse gets frustrated, the net may be too restrictive, the forage may be too coarse, or the horse may need a slower introduction.

What Should You Do Next?

1. Decide Why You Are Using the Hay Net

Do not use equipment just because everyone else at the yard does.

Your goal may be:

• Slowing a fast eater

• Reducing waste

• Extending forage time

• Managing weight

• Supporting a stalled horse

• Reducing long fasting periods

• Preventing hay from being trampled into bedding

The goal decides the net.

A horse needing weight control may need a smaller-hole slow feeder. A senior horse needing easier access may need a larger-hole net or soaked forage alternative.

2. Weigh the Hay

Hay nets do not remove the need to measure.

Weigh how much hay goes in and how much is left. If you do not weigh it, you do not know whether the horse is getting enough, too much, or not finishing.

This is especially important for:

• Overweight horses

• Underweight horses

• Ponies

• Miniatures

• Seniors

• Horses with laminitis risk

• Horses in training

• Horses recovering from illness

3. Start With an Easier Net

For a horse new to hay nets, start with a larger or medium hole size before jumping to a tiny-hole net.

University of Minnesota notes that small and medium hay nets may take several feedings for horses to adjust to. (University of Minnesota Extension)

Let the horse learn the system before making it harder.

4. Watch the First Few Meals

Do not just hang the net and leave.

Watch for:

• Can the horse pull hay through?

• Is the horse eating calmly?

• Is the horse biting, shaking, pawing, or giving up?

• Is the net swinging dangerously?

• Is the horse coughing?

• Are legs, shoes, or halters at risk?

• Is the horse eating enough?

If the first few meals look rough, change the setup.

5. Place the Net Safely

The safest setup depends on the horse and environment.

General principles:

• Avoid hanging nets where hooves or shoes can get caught

• Avoid loose dangling nets

• Use safe attachments

• Avoid tying to weak fittings

• Do not hang so high that dust falls directly into the face

• Keep the horse’s head position as natural as safely possible

• Consider a feeder box, slow-feed bag, or ground-level system for safer low feeding

• Check regularly for holes, broken strings, sharp clips, or damage

Do not use hay nets with foals, unsafe fencing, loose halters, or setups where a leg can enter the net.

6. Keep Hay Quality High

A hay net does not make poor hay safe.

Avoid hay that is:

• Dusty

• Mouldy

• Musty

• Wet and spoiled

• Full of weeds

• Full of sharp stems

• Too coarse for the horse’s teeth

• Stored poorly

Merck notes that spoiled feeds should be avoided, and that dusty feeds can initiate or aggravate respiratory problems. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

If hay is dusty, the answer is not simply a different net. The answer may be better forage, soaking, steaming, haylage, cubes, pellets, or a respiratory-focused feeding plan.

7. Monitor Body Condition and Behaviour

A good hay net setup should improve the feeding routine, not create new problems.

Monitor:

• Body condition

• Weight

• Neck crest

• Manure output

• Water intake

• Coughing

• Eating time

• Feed frustration

• Dental comfort

• Hoof comfort

• Aggression around food

• Whether the horse is finishing hay too fast or not finishing at all

Recheck after 1 week, then every 2 to 4 weeks if using hay nets for weight control.

Common Mistakes Owners Make

Using the Smallest Holes Immediately

Tiny holes can frustrate horses and reduce intake too much. Start easier and adjust.

Hanging the Net Too High

High nets may be convenient, but they can create an unnatural eating posture and increase dust exposure around the eyes and nostrils.

Feeding Dusty Hay in a Net

A hay net can keep the nose close to the dust source. This is especially risky for horses with equine asthma or chronic cough. (AAEP)

Not Weighing Hay

A hay net slows eating. It does not tell you how much the horse actually ate.

Ignoring Dental Problems

If the horse cannot chew well, a small-hole net may make feeding too difficult.

Using Damaged Nets

Broken mesh, loose strings, weak clips, and hanging loops can become entanglement risks.

Using One Net for Several Horses

Group feeding from one net can increase competition, bullying, aggression, and uneven intake.

How To Prevent Hay Net Problems

Use hay nets as part of a proper feeding plan.

Focus on:

• Weighing hay

• Choosing the right hole size

• Introducing nets gradually

• Checking the net daily for damage

• Using safe attachment points

• Avoiding high-dust hay

• Feeding low and safe where possible

• Providing enough water

• Monitoring manure and appetite

• Checking body condition every 2 to 4 weeks

• Using multiple feeding stations for groups

• Avoiding hay nets in horses with uncontrolled asthma

• Booking dental checks for horses struggling to eat

• Adjusting the plan when weight, workload, season, or hay batch changes

The best hay net setup is not the fanciest one.

It is the one that keeps the horse eating safely, calmly, and for longer without creating respiratory, dental, frustration, or injury problems.

Will My Horse Be Okay?

Most healthy adult horses can use hay nets safely when the net is well chosen, well secured, and matched to the horse.

If your horse eats calmly, maintains weight, has normal manure, does not cough, and the net safely extends eating time, that is a good outcome.

If your horse becomes frustrated, coughs, loses weight, cannot finish hay, develops choke signs, becomes aggressive, or interacts with the net dangerously, the setup needs to change.

Hay nets are useful. They are not compulsory.

Sometimes the best answer is a different hole size. Sometimes it is a ground feeder. Sometimes it is steamed hay. Sometimes it is more feeding stations. Sometimes it is no hay net at all.

The horse gets the final vote.

FAQs

What size hay net holes are best for horses?

For many healthy adult horses, medium holes around 1.5 to 2 inches are a sensible starting point. Small holes around 1 inch slow intake more but need closer monitoring. Large holes are easier but may not slow eating much. University of Minnesota found that medium and small holes slowed intake more than large holes or feeding from the ground. (University of Minnesota Extension)

Can hay nets cause ulcers?

Hay nets do not directly cause ulcers when used properly. They may help reduce long periods without forage, which is one ulcer risk factor. But ulcers are influenced by stress, training, transport, stall confinement, grain intake, illness, and other factors.

Are hay nets safe for horses with asthma?

They can be risky, especially if dry hay is fed from a net inside a stall. Horses with asthma need reduced dust exposure in the breathing zone. Steamed hay, soaked hay, haylage, hay cubes, pellets, better ventilation, and low-dust bedding may be safer options. (AAEP)

Can hay nets damage horses’ teeth?

Some owners worry about dental wear. UConn Extension notes that two recent studies suggest hay-net type slow feeders did not negatively affect dental health, although some hard-sided or metal slow feeder designs may create more concern. (extension.uconn.edu)

Should hay nets be used on the ground?

Ground-level feeding is more natural for head position, but loose nets on the ground can create entanglement risk, especially for shod horses. A ground-level slow feeder, secured net inside a feeder, or safe hay bag may be better than a loose net.

Final Thoughts

Hay nets can be excellent tools when they are used properly.

They can slow fast eaters, stretch forage time, reduce waste, support weight management, and help horses spend more of the day chewing. That is valuable, especially for stalled horses, dry-lot horses, and easy keepers.

But they are not automatically safe just because they are common.

The safest setup depends on the horse’s lungs, teeth, weight, behaviour, hoof and shoe status, hay quality, and how the net is positioned. A small-hole net full of dusty hay hanging high in a stall is very different from a well-secured slow feeder with clean forage for a healthy horse.

Use hay nets thoughtfully. Watch the horse. Adjust the plan.

Slow feeding should make life healthier, not harder.

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If you are unsure whether a hay net is right for your horse, especially if they cough, lose weight, eat too fast, have dental disease, or need weight control, ASK A VET™ can help you work through the safest feeding setup and next steps.