homemade toys - boredom busters for colt in the field?

cob&onion

cob&onion

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My 2yr colt is still entire as he only has one testicle that has dropped - planning on having his op autumn if its still not said hello :rolleyes:
I have 2 mares, he is separated from them by electric fence then a 5 metre gap then more electric tape - he can see them well and they do stay by the fence and grazer close by. But, being a baby he does get bored on his own. I have tried looking out for geldings for company but no luck - i don;t want to take anything else on so he will be in his own space untill he has been gelded.
I bought him a treat ball but he doesn't seem interested in it - all the nuts where still there this morning :rolleyes: so am looking for more boredom buster ideas for the field. There is plenty of grass for him but i do feel a bit sorry for the little chap.
He does like to play - he runs round with branches in his mouth and his trug - he tosses it over the fence and nudges it etc :)
So i thought what about these ideas - what do you think??

Apples in his water

A loose turnip in his field - hes on a gradual slopey hill so things roll rather well :)
A few plastic trugs he can toss about

And how about this! -
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TKO-75cm-...essories_ET&hash=item1e58cb510c#ht_2178wt_982
 
How about putting an ad up for grazing for a colt? Anybody who's got one that hasn't dropped struggles to find turnout on a normal yard, bet you'd get a few takers. I really think having a playmate is so important to a youngster.
 
My gelding got a space hopper for his second birthday. He kicks it about and swings it by the handles.

DSCF3304-1.jpg


I agree with the above -another colt would be the best toy.
 
A space hopper!!!! *adds to list of things to get for 2yo*

My 2yo has a jolly ball and a tyre that is meant to have his feed bucket in, but every morning i find it in a new place in his stable.
My 3yo used to have an old welly that i used to stick carrots in the bottom of when he was a yearling, he used to love chucking that about.
 
Loving the space hopper idea and the welly with carrots!!

Yep i know the best thing for him would be a friend, the search goes on!!
 
have you tried one of the rescue centers they might also have a loop sided colt and might welcome a temp home for a few months, just a thought
 
s4sugar said:
My gelding got a space hopper for his second birthday. He kicks it about and swings it by the handles.
Click to expand...

We've got one for our baby... He loves it... Carries it around and throws it/kicks it all over the place...

We were turning him out with one horse in their own field which was ok and it meant we could rotate the 'nanny' so he'd be known to the other horses but they didn't want to play like lunatics all the time... A two year old has recently arrived on the yard though and both boys (ours is almost one) are out together and having great fun... :)
 
Definitely keep searching for a pal for him! It's my line of work (with humans rather than horses), so I know that play is more than just something to use up spare time - it fulfils a very important developmental function in young animals. If they don't get it, the need for it builds up and up, and you get "overspill", where he'll desperately try to get you to play colt games with him for lack of an appropriate horsey pal.

There are also two kinds of play - social and object play. When horses (and young humans) don't get enough social play, they do more object play. It makes them feel a bit better but they don't learn anything about appropriate social behaviour and can grow up a bit backwards. The problem with this is that we humans just think they're badly behaved rude animals (and end up reprimanding them) - we don't know that an important bit of their socialisation has just been completely missed out.

So yes, by all means, pop sticks, balls, wellies etc. in the field... but finding a horsey playmate is more important, both for his long term wellbeing but also so that you have a nice, relaxed, well socialised and non-frustrated baby horse to train ;)
 
Space hopper is a fantastic idea, will definitely be thinking about getting one of those!

I use a dog rope toy as mine loves bits of rope and throwing that at anyone possible and chasing it... I think theyve switched the horse for a dog :rolleyes:

I tend to use toys when I'm in there like grooming brushes, grooming bags, headcollars, leadropes, saddles etc to hide treats in, around and under.

Pan
 
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