horses bored in field?

[murphysmum123]

Do horses get bored in field being out 24 hours a day 7 days a week, looked out at mine today and feel they need a bit of excitement. My cob gets ridden 5 times a week and then lunged but anything I can give them in the field to make them look a bit happier?

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Standing around, relaxing isn't the same as being bored.

 

[Lolo]

No, I think they probably quite enjoy living the more natural life... Horses aren't really creatures for great excitement in my experience.

 

[Inthesticks]

I had the same thought the other day and research paddock enrichment things, but I got bored before I found anything I could actually do

 

[AmyMay]

No, I think they probably quite enjoy living the more natural life... Horses aren't really creatures for great excitement in my experience.

I agree. I've never seen a bored horse in a field. They're just chillin, and hanging with their mates

 

[murphysmum123]

Ok thanks I know I shouldn't put human emotion into my horses, just wanted to make sure they weren't missing out on anything!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Plus simple things, like magpies, can entertain and interest horses. They don't need field toys.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Unless they are pacing up and down past the gate or kicking it too come in I assume they are happy to be out!

 

[Polos Mum]

I think if they did get bored they tend to make their own entertainment - hearing scary things, seeing ghosts etc. that then require racing about tail in the air snorting!! Or by big horse will plag a game of 'tag' with his field mate - apparently a nip on the back leg is the best way to 'tag'

 

[fburton]

I don't believe horses get bored through (or with) lack of interest, though they may get frustrated sometimes.

 

[Jericho]

I don't think field kept horses get particularly bored as they are designed to graze and snooze. If they are in tiny flat paddocks with very little grass they might get a bit bored and do things like pace or scratch and certainly I think youngsters are very likely to get bored as they often play if they have access to a playmate.

Just think what a stabled horse must feel if not able to eat hay or on a busy yard....

 

[rubysmum]

Our attempts to make their paddock more interesting by introducing a gym ball type thing resulted in both of them
A. Running off in blind terror in case the blue thing killed them and
B. when we attempted to show them how to play with said ball, standing very far away with looks that said " we are not Labradors, go away"

I suspect they preferred being bored

 

[murphysmum123]

Our attempts to make their paddock more interesting by introducing a gym ball type thing resulted in both of them
A. Running off in blind terror in case the blue thing killed them and
B. when we attempted to show them how to play with said ball, standing very far away with looks that said " we are not Labradors, go away"

I suspect they preferred being bored

Lol this made me laugh perhaps I shouldn't worry!!

 

[Cortez]

What do you suppose horses in the wild do to "entertain" themselves then? Eating, sleeping, making little horses (ahem), kicking each other and running away from lions n' tigers n' bears would just about sum up the natural lifestyle if we hadn't come along to muck everything up for horses.

 

[fburton]

I don't think field kept horses get particularly bored as they are designed to graze and snooze. If they are in tiny flat paddocks with very little grass they might get a bit bored and do things like pace or scratch and certainly I think youngsters are very likely to get bored as they often play if they have access to a playmate.

Isn't that frustrated rather than bored?

 

[murphysmum123]

What do you suppose horses in the wild do to "entertain" themselves then? Eating, sleeping, making little horses (ahem), kicking each other and running away from lions n' tigers n' bears would just about sum up the natural lifestyle if we hadn't come along to muck everything up for horses.

Well in the wild they have a choice to roam and walk for miles as we keep them in fields they are limited to the same place day in day out, but I suppose thousands of horses are kept like this and are fine a I shouldn't feel in anyway guilty!.........my boy is definitely not going to make little horses I would rather he was bored!! Lol X