How to Anchor a Hay Net Inside a Trough (Without Drilling Holes)Updated 10 minutes ago

If you board your horse, you have probably run into this exact problem. You want to use a slow feed hay net in a water trough to cut down on waste, but the trough belongs to the property or another boarder, so drilling holes in it is off the table. So how do you keep the net secure without damaging someone else's gear?

One of our USA customers, Mary, ran into this exact situation and came up with a genuinely clever fix that we think is worth sharing.

The Problem

Mary has a horse and a donkey, and she loves using our extra small nets scattered around the pasture to keep them moving and grazing throughout the day. She wanted to take it a step further and set up a medium net inside a 100 gallon water trough. The trough worked well as a feeding station, but it belonged to another boarder, so she needed a way to anchor the net without drilling into it.

Her first thought was a cinder block or concrete block placed in the bottom of the trough, giving her something solid to attach the net to.

The Solution

Mary settled on a large concrete block placed in the trough, with a loop of plastic zip ties wrapped around it to create an attachment point. She then clips her hay net straight onto that loop. The block stays put in the trough, the net stays secured to the block, and hay loss has dropped right off.

There is a smart safety thought behind the zip ties too. Rather than using something stronger like wire or a permanent strap, Mary chose zip ties specifically because they will break under real pressure. If a horse or donkey ever got tangled, the zip ties give way before anything else does. In the few months she has been using this setup, the ties have broken twice, and each time it was a simple, cheap fix rather than a safety incident.

Why This Works So Well

• No drilling or permanent changes needed to a trough you do not own
• A heavy block keeps the whole setup stable, even with two animals sharing a feeding space
• Zip ties act as a breakaway point, adding a layer of safety around the setup
• Cheap and easy to replace if a tie does break

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

If you want to try this yourself, look for a concrete or cinder block with smooth edges rather than sharp corners, since that reduces any risk of rubbing or injury. Check your zip tie loop regularly for wear, and keep a few spares on hand if they break. As always, keep an eye on any new feeding setup for the first few days to make sure your horses are comfortable and safe with it.

Got a clever feeding setup of your own? We would love to hear about it. Send us a photo and a quick rundown, we love featuring real customer solutions like this one.