In winter, more horses are stabled than at any other time of the year. Many box stalls today don't have hay mangers, which are common in tie stalls. Hay racks and hay nets are similar. They're both attached or tied to the stall wall. But horses must reach up and pull hay out of the rack or net.
Hay nets are more dangerous than hay racks.
No matter how high or tightly they're tied, some eventually slip down, allowing a horse to catch a hoof in the net. A horse could get a hoof caught in a permanent hay rack, but it's rare. The major drawback of hay racks is the dust and fine particles that can get in horses' respiratory systems and eyes. Horses are prone to respiratory problems, and feeding hay in racks aggravates this problem. Feeding hay on the stall floor raises concerns of contamination with internal parasites.