It took Disco longer than I thought it would to figure out how haynets work.
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| "I prefer my meals easily accessed, thanks." |
I did all the usual stuff - fluffed the hay up inside so it was easy to grab, pulled hay out of every square. He knew it was there, and he'd nibble at it, but would often leave it mostly untouched in favor of the one flake I threw on the ground.
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| I was motivated to teach him about haynets because otherwise, omg, he keeps an even neater stall than Connor does, and that's saying something. |
Just this week, he started draining the haynet suddenly and completely, which made me happy. I wondered what had changed that quickly though. Suddenly hungrier due to a growth spurt, maybe?
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| Good baby |
And then I started getting funny videos from the boarders a couple of nights in a row.
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| *Jaws theme plays* |
And I realized he'd found his own motivation to learn how haynets work. From his neighbor's alfalfa (Disco just gets grass). "That is such a pony thing to do!" my barnmate said.
| "...what?" |
Fortunately he's not getting much, and he won't be able to fit his nose through there much longer as fast as he's growing, but in the meantime it's making for some hilarious videos!
That is so freaking adorable.
ReplyDeleteI'll be honest, Nay Nay has ZERO motivation with hay nets UNLESS there is alfalfa in it. When I first got him, I had a hay net in his stall because all my guys use nets and he ate NOTHING. He's an OTTB, he's used nets. But NOPE. He acts like he just CAN'T. I tried hay bags. Better, but he'd eat 2-3lbs only. I bought a bag with a big hole and he destroyed it but loved it and his stall looked like a frat party (his stall is one step from a teenage boy's room on a good day). Loose hay? Party (or crime) scene. We agreed on a large hole net, but even that he hated. I ended up getting a hay feeder which he loves? Why? No clue. And a few weeks ago I put out a portagrazer in the run in and once he got over being scared of it, seems to like that as well. But he hates nets. He'll eat from netting as long as it's large holes (which is over my hay feeder outside) but grumbles. BUT BUT BUT I just started putting his western alfalfa in a slow feeder hay bag above his stall hay feeder and suddenly he has no issue.. So, with proper motivation...
ReplyDeleteBut I love the video! And I'm jealous of Disco's clean stall...
Speedy gets one alfalfa in the evenings, but last week I gave it to him one afternoon to prevent him from rolling before he was clipped. That evening when I fed he looked at his grass hay, looked at me, then went to stand outside his shelter until I left. Soooooo offended!
ReplyDeleteGav hates hay nets. When he walks into the trailer the first thing he does is throw his hay net out of his manger like he's offended by it. XD Ponies!!!
ReplyDeleteHa! That's hilarious. He knows where the good stuff is!
ReplyDeleteThat's so adorable!!
ReplyDelete