Enriching my laminitic horses environment during the summer months

[Kitchingman]

I have two Laminitic horses who spend the summer months munching hay in a safe woodchip paddock where they have no access to any grass or hedges.

I try to enrich their environment with toys and salt/mineral licks. I am also considering tieing bunches of herbs around the paddock for them to invesigate and sniff because they are unable to browse and forage in the paddock.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Perhaps herbs such as lavender, sage and thyme that they wouldn't necessarily want to eat but at the same time wouldn't be harmful if they did?

Any suggestions, comments or any other ideas to enrich their environment would be helpful.

Thank you

 

[Nudibranch]

What about a ball to play with? Tree branches are good too, be careful they aren't a poisonous species. Just one or two at a time shouldn't affect their laminitis. I'd imagine they would enjoy eating the herbs though!
Given that horses spend most of their free time grazing, I'd say spread their hay out, stuff it in double nets, etc, so they have to occupy themselves trying to get it.

 

[angiebaby]

My next door neighbour fills wooden pallets with hay, stands them up, then ties them to something so they don't fall down, takes her pony ages to eat! They also have a little sand pit

and she collects vegatable peelings from the pub down the road and spreads them out!

 

[Sugarplum Furry]

You could hack down some big nettle patches (your neighbours will love you!!), let the nettles dry out, and hang them round the paddock in bunches for the horses.