Netting Safety

We recently had a customer reach out requesting we discontinue the 3” mesh because her horse got her foot through it.  Fortunately, the horse is fine.

As a result of this, we thought this would be a good time for a discussion regarding netting and safe use.

As with any horse product, you really have to know your horse and what works and how to use it safely.    The following is the warning label that is on the packaging of all our net products and also on the terms and conditions when products are purchased.  It reads as follows:

“With any net type product, due diligence by purchaser/user is required to insure animal cannot get caught in net (examples: Halter/Blanket clips, shoes). Inspect net regularly for holes or tears, Discontinue use if bag gets damaged beyond repair. By purchasing/using this item, user accepts full responsibility for safe use of net. Intended for equine use only”

Here are some examples of items that can potentially cause an injury to a horse:   If you purchase a blanket that is too large for your horse, they can get tangled and injured easily, same can be said for halters.  A friend told me years ago about a horse that died in its stall because its halter got hooked on something (it was at a local lesson barn).    I was at a show one day and witnessed a draft cross horse with its foot stuck in a canvas hay bag with the single eating hole.  Horse was stuck up against the wall with his/her hoof in the air.  Meanwhile a number of folks were running around trying to find its owner and keep the horse from getting hurt.  We have all seen countless online photos of Horses/ponies stuck in hay huts, bale feeders,  fences, and the list can go on and on.

Why do we publish this warning, it’s to help folks think of safety concerns that could arise from use.  Also because we do not know your situation or your horse’s and its up to the owner/care giver to know their horse.  Your horse could be a mini, a draft, or anything in between, shod, unshod, troublemaker or princess.  Some folks use the nets for goats, alpacas, cattle and other hay eating mammals.  Is it safe?  We don’t recommend the nets for these animals, though many customers use our nets without incident.

We have published additional warnings on the 3” mesh netting in numerous areas of our web store about possibly catching a hoof, especially smaller hooves.  Also, Keep in mind also that if your small hole net gets damaged enough, a hoof could get stuck, that’s why it’s important to patch holes as soon as they appear.    No one ever wants to hear about an animal getting hurt, all one can do is be diligent and think “safety first”.   Even then, sadly things can still happen when dealing with animals in general.

We offer all these mesh sizes to accommodate everything from draft horses to mini horses.  Again, the users need to know and understand what they are using and observe the animal’s behavior and tendencies.  We will continue to offer our 3″ netting as it has been a very beneficial size that many of our customers seek for their particular feeding situation.  As always, if you have questions about the best and safest net mesh size for your horse(s) you can reference information on our website and blogs or call us directly.  We are happy to assist!