Troubleshooting - What if my horse refuses to use the hay net?Updated 15 hours ago

Every horse is different, and while many take to their GutzBusta hay net straight away, others need a little time, encouragement, and the right mesh size to build confidence. This guide will walk you through key steps to ensure a stress-free introduction, help your horse stay motivated, and set them up for long-term success with slow feeding.

• First, NEVER introduce your GutzBusta to a hungry horse without offering some loose hay beforehand. Let your horse wander over and explore the new hay net on his own. This encourages curiosity instead of a ravenous or destructive behaviour.
• Place tasty, palatable hay inside the hay net so your horse will be motivated to try eating through it. If you start with bland or low-palatability hay, your horse may lose interest, especially with nets that have smaller openings (around 3cm / 1 ¼” mesh or smaller).
• Did you start too small too soon? If you introduced a hay net with 3cm / 1 ¼” mesh openings before your horse had any experience with slow feeders, he may feel overwhelmed and simply give up. Try using a net with 4cm / 1 ¾” openings to help train them, or fill the 3cm / 1 ¼” mesh net with more appealing hay to encourage effort. Lucerne/alfalfa can be a great motivator.
• EVERY horse is different, and their response to a hay net is very individual. Some horses take a little time to learn how to use one, while most figure it out within a few hours, or even immediately.
• Hay palatability is a major factor. If your hay is low in sugar and your horses aren’t very motivated to eat it, do NOT start with a 3cm / 1 ¼” mesh net. A 4cm/ 1 ¾” or even 6cm / 2 ½” option will work much better in this situation.
• Time of year also matters. For example, we produced a low-sugar, fairly coarse hay one year that wasn’t very palatable. To get the horses to eat it, I had to start with 6cm / 2 ½” holed nets. As they adjusted, they would eat it from 4cm / 1 ¾” nets, and in the summer some of our horses would even eat this hay from 3cm / 1 ¼” nets. Once winter returned, they only reluctantly ate it from 4cm / 1 ¾” nets but did eat well again with 6cm / 2 ½” openings.
• If your horse is an extremely aggressive eater, consider whether stomach ulcers may be involved. Because an estimated 70–80% of horses are believed to have ulcers, it’s quite possible. Eating helps soothe the burning sensation, but once a horse finishes a meal, the stomach can empty in just 20 - 30 minutes. At that point, stomach acid is produced again, which can irritate existing ulcers.
• You can also help your horse understand how to use a hay net by pulling small strands of hay through the net in several different spots. This encourages them to nibble at the exposed pieces and figure out how to use it properly.

We have an excellent FAQ page, discussing suitable hay net mesh hole sizes HERE. This is a comprehensive read to help you decide what hay net hole size will suit best.