Bored foals, advice please!

[Hoovesandhats]

I have two eight-month-old New Forest foals, Billy and Kit.

They have 24-hour turnout with access to a stable for flat-out snoozes, which they take advantage of, often.

However, with all the rain our paddocks are getting really boggy and waterlogged and I have upped my hay supplementation. They used to have two stuffed nets to go back to if they wanted, but I've recently been trying out one of those Haygain bins due to a lot of wasted hay, which they have a lovely time playing with. They also have a big net to supplement that at the moment.

They do graze during the day but I've noticed, since the waterlogging, that there have been some chew marks on my fences and my gate. I think they are bored as they're not grazing quite as much as they used to.

They live at home and are visited often throughout the day. I also do some training work with them throughout the week.

Does anyone have any good tips for field toys, or stimulation for them that they might enjoy? And also some tips to stop the chewing before it becomes a long-term behaviour?

Thank you in advance.

 

[Nudibranch]

Foals do tend to be chewy at times. I'd paint the fences and gate with something to discourage them and provide a good lick like the Rockies red. Do they have any hard feed for minerals? It's more likely teeth than a deficiency I'd have thought but Suregrow is good for covering nutrition without excess calories. My big man used to enjoy messing about with footballs, big trugs...anything that's safe although obviously keep an eye on them. You could also provide some tree branches to chew instead -non toxic species obviously!
Lovely foals though. What are your plans for them?

 

[Hoovesandhats]

Foals do tend to be chewy at times. I'd paint the fences and gate with something to discourage them and provide a good lick like the Rockies red. Do they have any hard feed for minerals? It's more likely teeth than a deficiency I'd have thought but Suregrow is good for covering nutrition without excess calories. My big man used to enjoy messing about with footballs, big trugs...anything that's safe although obviously keep an eye on them. You could also provide some tree branches to chew instead -non toxic species obviously!
Lovely foals though. What are your plans for them?

Thank you for your reply!

They have a Himalayan salt lick in the field and one in their stable, as well as a Likit they got for Christmas - though I think they're pretty much sweets for horses. I'll look into the Rockies lick.

They have a little hard feed at the moment, morning and night (a handful of sugar beet and some Haygates Stud Mix, which is what they were on when we got them) as they're on antibiotics for a mild respiratory infection.

Initially I weaned them off the hard feeds as we had plenty of grass and they had hay to supplement and a few carrots, and I was advised as natives they didn't need it. I was also warned against giving them too much in the way of protein. Do you think they're better off having tiny feeds or a supplement every day? I know they'd be keen! I've had really conflicting advice on that. As these two are my first foals, I really want to get it right for them.

The branch is a great idea. I think you're on to something with the teeth. Billy is forever playing around with my yard broom and Kit seems to be the main fence chomper. We have a lot of trees at home, and due to the insane winds, lots of branches on the floor. We have Horse Chestnut, though some say they are poisonous, some say not, and Beech trees.

I also got them a treat ball yesterday, stuffed with a handful of hay so they treats don't fall out too easily, and I'll get something nice and rubbery they can throw around.

Billy comes from some great stock so I'd like to show him for his breed, he's a real Forester type and has bags of personality. Kit is a lot quieter and bigger so I'll eventually have him as my riding horse. He's quite fine. I'm hoping he'll turn out like a Forester I had as a child, who could jump anything practically from a standstill.

Thanks again for your help. xx

 

[Denise657]

My fell gets bored and I had a large unused dog toy hanging around so I widened the hole where treats come out and put cut up carrots and celery in there. It bounces back when you knock it so she gets a lot of 'play' from it, bashes it with her hooves as well as moving it with her mouth. We once gave my older girl a space hopper thing when she was younger (supervised at all times because they're kids toys) and she threw it around till it popped.
This is the treat thing: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0...large+kong&dpPl=1&dpID=51q64CXc3bL&ref=plSrch

 

[TheMule]

If they're on antibiotics the you should be feeding a probiotic too- especially important in a young horse

 

[MotherOfChickens]

beech and ash branches would be fine. all of mine have played with a horse jolly ball at times as well. personally dont do balancers for young natives but as they are on a'biotics, some Protexin wouldnt go amiss but carry it on after the end of the a'biotic course.