Balotade® Stall Hay Net 120 × 90 cm, 30 mm Mesh

Large stall hay net — 120 × 90 cm, tight 30 mm mesh

A Balotade® hay net designed for one job: giving the horse constant access to forage for most of the day. It is a flat, rectangular net measuring 120 × 90 cm with tape-bound edges and loops along the top — you fill it from above and hang it by the ties. The tight 30 mm mesh makes sure the horse does not finish the ration in two hours.

Why a net makes a ration last longer

A horse at grass spends most of the day eating — the figure usually quoted is 14 to 18 hours. Stabled feeding rarely looks like that: a haynet’s worth of hay thrown loose on the stable floor disappears in 40 to 60 minutes, after which the horse stands for hours with an empty floor in front of it.

A net reverses that ratio. The horse pulls out a few stalks at a time and chews for longer. The same weight of hay lasts two to three times longer, and the gaps between meals stop being long windows without forage.

• Something to do — long breaks between feeds leave a stabled horse with little to occupy it. A horse that is busy eating looks for less to do.
• Prolonged access to forage — instead of swinging between a large ration and hours with nothing.
• The same ration, spread out — ponies and horses kept on a measured amount of forage get it across the whole day instead of in one go.
• Less waste — hay does not end up under hooves, mixed into bedding or trodden in. At current hay prices a net pays for itself quickly.

30 mm mesh — for horses that eat quickly

Thirty millimetres is the mesh size for the fast eaters — the ones that hoover up the ration before you have left the yard. At this density hay comes out of the mesh a stalk at a time, which realistically extends eating time up to threefold compared with hay fed loose.

For a horse that has never eaten from a net, a tight mesh can be frustrating at first. It is worth offering a small amount loose alongside for the first week and only then moving to the net alone. Older horses and those new to nets usually get on better with a 45 mm mesh. We stock those nets too.

The white version — polyester

The white net is made from polyester, the others from HTPP. Polyester is smoother to the touch and holds its shape well, so the flat net curls less while you are filling it.

Why Balotade®

Balotade® nets are made from braided cord, not thin string. The braid is thick and smooth, with no sharp edges that could chafe lips and gums. The edges of this net are bound with strong tape and the top loops are stitched in together with that binding — reinforced exactly where flat nets usually start to fail.

The weave is knotless — the cords interlace at each opening instead of being tied. That has two practical consequences: there are no hard lumps for the horse to rub its lips against with every mouthful, and there is no single knot for the mesh to start unravelling from once it gives. The cord is also UV-stabilised, so it does not lose strength after a season in the sun.

Colour is not only about looks. In a yard with several horses it lets you assign a net to a particular stable straight away and avoid mixing up rations when horses are on different diets.

Specification

Use and care

• Hang it at wither height or lower — the horse then eats with its head down, in a position close to grazing.
• Do not hang it too low with shod horses — an empty net hanging loose is the one real risk of a shoe catching. Set the height so that once emptied the bottom edge does not drop below roughly 60 cm above the ground.
• Supervise the first few days — some horses need a moment to work out how it functions. It is worth offering a small amount of loose hay alongside at the start.
• Cleaning — shake out the remains, rinse with lukewarm water if needed and let it dry. The material does not absorb water, so it dries quickly.

Frequently asked questions

How much hay fits in this net?

Around 10–14 kg of meadow hay — realistically a day’s ration for a horse of 500–600 kg. With tightly baled hay it takes more.

What is the difference between 30 mm and 45 mm mesh?

Thirty slows things down more — hay comes out a stalk at a time. Forty-five is gentler and more versatile, and copes better with coarse-stalked hay. For a horse that eats very quickly choose 30 mm; for an older horse, or one eating from a net for the first time, choose 45 mm.

Is the net suitable for the paddock?

Yes. Attach it to a solid post or fence at wither height. Out in the paddock it is especially worth making sure the empty net does not hang down to the ground.

How should I hang the net so it empties properly?

By all of the top loops, stretching the net slightly across its width — the hay then spreads evenly and the horse can reach every corner. Hung from a single point it bunches downwards and the lower layers become hard to get at.