Equilibrium PortionPacer Haynet

Introducing the Equilibrium PortionPacer Haynet, a game changer for controlling your horse's forage intake.

Smarter fibre feeding to support a healthy horse, the PortionPacer Haynet allows you to take control of your horse’s diet with tested feed rates and known fill sizes.

This haynet comes with a fantastic 3-year guarantee to give you peace of mind!

● 2 x hole sizes (3cm and 6cm).
● 5 x haynet sizes from 2kg – 12kg**.
● 3cm hole size can extend eating times by up to 30% on average*.
● 6cm hole size has a similar feed rate to ad lib, floor fed hay on average.*
● Ideal for weight and dietary management of all horses.
● Helps reduce wastage compared to floor fed hay.
● Improves wellbeing by reducing the amount of time your horse is without food.
● Made from long lasting, strong Polypropylene woven into a knotless design.
● Fully recyclable at home at the end of its long life.

*A field based observational study looking at 10 horses and 10 ponies fed forage from the floor, a 6cm holed net, and a 3cm holed net.

**Based on average haynet fill using dry meadow hay.

What is the inspiration behind the PortionPacer™ Haynet?
We know horses are natural trickle feeders but for a variety of reasons, it’s not always
possible to know how much they eat or how long their hay lasts them. The PortionPacer™ Haynet solves two problems. The first being that you know approximately how many kilograms each haynet holds, and therefore how much your horse is being offered. The second point is that you know the feed rate in comparison to ad lib floor fed hay, so you can take a decision as to which haynet they may need to manage their weight and if eating times need to be extended. Using this information can help you not only monitor their forage intake, but also reduce the ‘hunger gap’. If horses are left without food for periods of time, it can have negative effects on their mental and physical wellbeing.

Who is the PortionPacer™ Haynet for?
The variety of mesh hole sizes and hay net sizes means there is a PortionPacer™ Haynet
for every horse and pony. Here’s a few scenarios:
● For all horses to know how much they are eating and adjust their diet accordingly
(if needed).

● To extend eating times for overweight horses, or those who eat quickly and are
therefore left without hay for long periods of time.

● For underweight horses to monitor the amount they are eating.

● For horses that tend to wreck haynets.

● For horses that like to mess their forage, resulting in waste.

Which haynet would be best for my horse?
Both haynet options are long lasting and durable solutions to knowing how much forage your horse is eating. They are also effective in reducing waste, could save money, and for horses who mix their forage into their bed and reduced the chance of ingesting bedding. With size options from 2kg for very small ponies, all the way up to 12kg for the bigger horse, there are multiple options to ensure your horse is getting access to the forage they need.

Small Holed Haynet (3cm)
The small holed haynet makes a significant difference to rate of intake. The way in which
forage is eaten is just as important as the amount of forage given. Feeding patterns are
one of the risk factors for digestive disorders and a difficult aspect to manage, especially
when the horse is stabled for prolonged periods, for example overnight.

In a field based observational study looking at 10 horses and 10 ponies fed forage from the floor, a 6cm holed net, or a 3cm holed net, the feed/forage intake rate of horses and ponies using the 3cm net resulted in a more consistent hourly intake pattern. The 3cm net also prolonged feeding time by up to 30% across the group.

A small holed haynet can help reduce the total amount eaten as well as prolonging the
time taken to consume a set amount of forage. For many horses, a controlled calorie intake also means less time spent eating, which impacts on digestive health and general well-being. As horses are designed for multiple meals per day, using a small holed haynet is an easy way of working towards a more natural feeding pattern for your horse or pony, whilst carefully reducing the amount eaten in a 24-hour period.

Large Holed Haynet (6cm)
The large holed haynet is a great choice for all the practical reasons above whilst keeping intake rate similar to that of floor feeding. Horses and ponies are highly individual and some naturally have slower intakes or lower appetites than others.
A large holed haynet is ideal for:
● Horses or ponies needing free choice forage and requiring no calorie restriction
● Horses and ponies that are naturally slower feeders
● Horses who mix their forage into their bed.

FAQ’s:
Can I soak hay in it?
Yes. The haynet mesh does not absorb water which makes it lighter for lifting soaked hay
and less prone to smelly bacteria forming.

What is the benefit of knotless hay nets?

Traditional nets are believed to cause damage to horses’ teeth with the knots. Being
knotless, the horse can grab at the forage with less chance of grabbing the net as well. This also means that the net can last longer and potentially save money in the long-term.

Why don’t the mesh sizes go smaller than 3cm?
We found in testing that smaller than 3cm mesh sizes made very little difference to the feed rate, and made some horses display frustration behaviours, and some even stopped trying to eat from the hay net. We found the 3cm is the perfect size to balance this reduction in feed rate, without frustrating the horse.

Why is 6cm the largest mesh hole size you offer?
In our initial pilot study, we trialled a net with 10cm mesh holes. Initial results suggested the feed rate was very similar to that of the 6cm holed net, but bigger holes could pose a bigger safety risk. We opted for the smaller size to reduce this potential risk, yet not impact feed rate significantly.

I’ve heard that feeding from hay nets can cause muscular issues in horses?
While horses do spend a lot of time grazing, they do also like to pick from hedges or trees and move around. Standing to eat from a hay net in one place for multiple hours isn’t ideal for their mental or physical health, however sometimes it is a balancing act with other considerations (their weight, how quickly they eat, if they drag forage into the bed and ingest shavings as a result). There are things you can do to mitigate the negative impact this could have on your horse. Read our article here on feeding at variable heights to help keep your horse more physically mobile and engaged in the stable, while feeding from hay nets.

FREE ECONOMY DELIVERY ON ALL UK MAINLAND ORDERS OVER £50+

How long will it take for my order to arrive?

We want to be crystal clear when it comes to managing your expectations; our website is stock managed to show you what items are available for same day dispatch and those which are externally warehoused and therefore, will take a little longer to arrive with you.

Simply make your product selections and a message will pop up telling you how long it will take us to dispatch your order; we call this our product availability message.  If you are happy with the product availability message on the item, checkout your order and we will ship your order in the timeframe stated.

If you have lots of items in your basket, please use the longest product availability message to work out when your order will arrive.  We care about our environmental impact, so we don't split ship orders unless you get in touch to request that we do so.  We will let you know on your order confirmation when we expect your order will arrive with you.

Whilst we do our best to meet the handling times stated in the product availability message, occasionally we can experience some delays in the delivery network.  At these times, a team member will email you to keep you updated on the progress of your order.

Selecting FedEx or DPD does not change our expected handling times; the service selected is always from the point of despatch not purchase.

If you do require an order urgently, please contact us before ordering to ensure we can accommodate your requirements as we hate to be party poopers!

I need my order for tomorrow

PLEASE CALL US TO ENSURE GOODS LEAVE US SAME DAY DUE TO HIGH VOLUME PROCESSING (UPDATED 21/11/2023)

If you need an item next day, please check the following:

·         It is earlier than 1pm (if it is later than this please get in touch before ordering as we may still be able to assist)

·         It is a weekday (weekdays are Monday - Friday)

·         All items on your order show a product availability message of "Express Warehouse: Despatched same / next working day"

·         You have selected FedEx or DPD as your delivery option during checkout

Delivery is the next working day (please note Saturday and Sunday are not considered working days; if you require a Saturday delivery there will be an additional charge and you will need to contact customer services prior to ordering)

If you are unsure, please call our team and we will do what we can to help you get your order promptly. 

Which couriers do you use?

Before choosing a courier, please make sure you are happy with the product availability message as these handling times apply before we ship your order.  If it doesn’t show “Express warehouse: immediate despatch”, it will not leave us on the same day you have placed the order.

We use FedEx, DPD and Royal Mail for most of our deliveries.  Some large items may come with other trusted 3rd party couriers.

Our Royal Mail economy service is usually delivered in two - three days.  You will receive a text message and an email confirming the day of delivery; Royal Mail provide a four hour time window for delivery.

FedEx and DPD are delivered next working day from point of despatch for UK mainland addresses or in two working days for Scottish Highlands, Islands, Northern Ireland, and Irish addresses.  You will receive a text message and an email confirming the day for delivery. 

Selecting FedEx or DPD does not mean your order will bypass our handling times; FedEx and DPD are from the point of despatch, not the point of purchase. 

If an item has an "Oversized goods must select FedEx" overlay on it, please ensure you select FedEx as your delivery option to avoid any delays with your order.

More information can be found on our Delivery Information page.

We offer a no hassle 30 days returns policy for refunds and exchanges. This starts from the day you receive your order not from the day we despatch. We offer a low cost returns service at a charge of £4.99 which covers the cost of returning your item and receiving your replacement order, further details can be found on our returns and exchanges page.

Further information can be found on our Returns & Exchanges page.