Entertaining a boread laminitic on boxrest?

[E_Lister]

Unfortunately we have a pony with laminitis. She is currently on box rest for the first time in her life and although she has adapted reasonably well, we feel that she is getting bored.

Normally we would give her a snack a ball with her hard feed etc in, but she isn't getting any. We are spacing her hay nets out so that she has hay for as long as possible, unfortunately she is a very fast eater and is on a very small ammount (reccommended by the vet) and once that is finished she has very little to do.

There are other horses that she can see, although a lot of the time they are out of sight (either at the other end of the field or hiding in the barn where the hay is!).

She is having half an hour to an hours groom every night and relishes in the chance tp break up the boredom but we are struggling to find entertainment in ways which don't involve ANY food/treats at all.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance

 

[Lotty]

I know the feeling.....my mare was on box rest for 5months when she had laminitis earlier this year.

I did the same as you and visited the yard about 6-7 times a day to hang haynets. You may be doing this but I bought the very small holed shires hay nets and double netted them so it would take her longer to eat. I then found some brilliant hay nets called Elim-i-nets, they have smaller holes.

I also bought a bag of Spillers High Fibre nuts and used to take half a cup down the yard and I started to teach her tricks. Don't laugh, I point at one leg and she lifts it really high, same with the other. If I say no she shakes her head no, if I put my arms around her neck and say cuddle she brings her head round. Suppose you could use a clicker too, it fills in a bit of time. Hope she gets better soon.

 

[Amos]

can you hang in the middle of the stable a swede on a rope. I know you said no food, but if it is large enough and can't reach a wall the pony shouldn't actually be able to get a grip on it? hard to think of anything that isn't food related. How about a stable mirror? Sorry all I can think of at mo!