can anyone help cheer Ash up?

[Ash the arab]

As some of you know Ash is off work until the spring. Well, he is getting very fed up!
He has been off for about 6 weeks now and is getting increasingly grumpy. He is living out, just coming in for a bit of tea and a groom.
He has had to have periods of time off work before and i have found after a few weeks he does start to get grumpy, pulling faces and just miserable in general, he soon picks up when back in work. With such a long time off work in front of him i don't want him to get any worse!
I do take him for a short (10 min) walk around the village but its obviously not enough for his brain!
I was thinking about looking into the parelli games but after the post about it maybe its not such a great idea!

So can anyone suggest any brain games i can play with him? Nothing too physical, as it is a tendon injury he is recovering from!

 

[Sooty]

Have you tried putting some of his feed ration in a snack ball? Or try hiding carrots round his field or stable, or giving him a swede to play with. Maybe you could do some clicker training with him, just to keep his brain occupied.

 

[Ash the arab]

Thanks for your reply!
Hiding food isn't really practical at the mo as he is living out with others, and he finds it far too quickly anyway! serves me right for having a clever Arab!!
Clicker training sounds interesting though - will have a look on the internet.
I really feel that he misses 'doing things', and if i can find something to do with him he will feel important again!

 

[Alibear]

if ground works possible then you can do lots of that, things like using poles to build a corridor and getting him to walk forwards through it then back through it etc.
you could also practise some of le trec style things like getting him to stand still and then walk over to you when you call .
I think some kelly marks books have ideas and suggestions along those lines in them. Being an Arab he'll probably suss it all very quickly

 

[Forget_Me_Not]

Poles on the ground in a mess (like the game u played when you were little were you have 2 take out a stick with out ruining the others-i think-) and lead him over it teaching him to figer a way through, like where put his legs etc. Worked with one of ours. Long reining on walkies bit differentif thats a poss. Intro things like umbrelas and ballons?

 

[mrdarcy]

I'm sure he'd enjoy a walk round the village every day. He's probably missing spending time with you just as much as he is missing doing stuff - you're part of his herd after all. My arab sulks terribly unless he gets lots of attention from me. Even just grooming, bathing, plaiting his mane, sitting with him and chatting to him will make him feel he's still part of your herd.