How to Make a Rope Hay Net

If you ever want to take your horse somewhere and need to bring along your own hay, or need to place his hay higher for him to eat it, a hay net is a good option. A hay net is a rope netting that opens so that you can stuff it with hay, then gathers together at the top to keep the hay from falling back out. The editors of "Horse & Rider" magazine, one of the magazines associated with Equisearch.com, developed a method for creating a hay net out of baling twine.

Things You'll Need

  • Plastic or nylon baling twine
  • Measuring tape
  • Scissors
  • Felt-tip marker
  • Cigarette lighter
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Gather together ten pieces of baling twine that measure 7-ft. long. Examine each piece of baling twine and throw out any piece that has a frayed section.

    • 2

      Measure 5 in. from one end on each piece of baling twine. Mark these measurements with the marker.

    • 3

      Hold the baling twine pieces in one bunch and make the pieces' ends with the 5-in. measurements even with one another. Hold the pieces at the 5-in. mark and tie them together in one big overhand knot. This knot is the bottom of the hay net.

    • 4

      Hang the baling twine from the knot, or nail up the hay net to keep it in place while you are knotting the rest of the hay net.

    • 5

      Separate the 10 pieces into five pairs and use the clothespins to hold the pairs together.

    • 6

      Measure 4 in. from the big knot at the bottom on each pair of baling twine pieces. At the 4-in. measurement, tie each pair into another overhand knot.

    • 7

      Create the diamond pattern by separating the original pair and pairing each piece of twine with the piece next to it and clipping them together with a clothespin. Check that nothing overlaps as you work down the net. Mark 5 in., and tie each new pair into an overhand knot. Repeat until you have five rows of knots.

    • 8

      Create new pairs as though you were going to knot up another row, but these are instead for the drawstring at the top of the hay net. Make a loop with the pair, then another, larger loop with the side of the twine away from the knot. Pull the small loop through the large loop until you have another knot. Take the ends of the pieces and tie them together to keep the big loop and the knot in place.

    • 9

      Measure 2 in. from the bottom of the loop's knot and cut off the excess baling twine. Use the cigarette lighter to heat and melt together the ends of the baling twine so they don't unravel.

    • 10

      Make your drawstring for the hay net by using three new pieces of baling twine to cut into 4-ft. lengths. Tie an overhand knot in one end, braid the baling twine pieces together, then tie an overhand knot at the other end. Heat and melt the ends.

    • 11

      Pull the braid through all of the loops. When you close the hay net, the knots at the end of the drawstring will prevent the drawstring from falling out of the net.