Keeping fit youngsters occupied in this weather

_jetset_

_jetset_

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I was wondering whether anyone had any suggestions for keeping baby horses entertained in this weather? I have a 3 and 4 year old at the moment and in the last couple of days I have noticed they are a lot more woo hooey in their stables and a little more restless. My two older ladies (9 years and 15 years) seem pretty chilled out about it and seem to be enjoying their hay more than ever!

So, yesterday I went and bought the babies a ball each (one of the hexagon ones so I can put chopped up carrots in and cool nuts). I also bought one of the hanging likits (the Rock Salt one) each, and thankfully the rock salt lick is literally that as I have to be careful what I feed the 4 year old as she suffered from ulcers in the summer which we think was a result of her diet before I got her. They have been fascinated by the hanging likit holder and my 4 year old LOVES the ball!

However, I was trying to think up anything else that would help.

They are turned into the lunge pen for 30 mins each morning (I am wary about leaving them longer due to the ulcers etc.) and luckily they play with each other the whole time and have a ball when they are out. I am also working the 4 year old under saddle four times a week and in hand once a week. The 3 year old is just being very lightly lunged three days a week maximum because he is a big rangy baby standing at 16.3hh so I am just being a little cautious until he is backed.

I am gutted because he was supposed to be going away to be backed by SAMgirl this week, but the weather has postponed plans!

They have adlib haylage, the 4 year old has a lunch of Just Grass (they are just on Just Grass and TopSpec Balancer as feeds) and they have their balls put in at lunch time too by the girls at the yard.

Any other suggestions???
 
can you not put them in the field with some hay for several hours? mine love the snow!! but i have dropped all grub off to fibre only in the buckets, aND I FEED GOOD HAY NOT HAYLAGE oops cap button on! just grass is quite high in p etc. maybe drop them onto no sugar hi fi.? but easiest solution is out in the field to play and relax.
 
The fields have been closed by the yard so we have no access to the fields and probably will not now until April or May due to the ground, just the turnout pen. Most yards in the area do not even have this to turn out in, so we are very lucky to have that.

I have no idea why I wrote haylage... They are all on hay :D I think I am getting snow dementia!

I have to be careful what I feed my mare who had ulcers, as she is also sensitive to feeds. Hifi is very lightly molassed so an absolute no no for her unfortunately. I was advised to put her on pure dried grass or Alfa (which she will not eat at all, even the TopChop Lite which has a minty dressing) and she is also being prepared for the 5 year old classes so she does need a decent amount of protein for her muscle development too. So that is why they are simply on the Just Grass and the TopSpec Balancer.

It has been suggested I give her a tubtrug of the Just Grass in her stable but she is a bit of a bugger with tub trugs and seems to be on a one woman mission to destroy them :)
 
Turnout. To not have turnout over the winter is not an option imo-thats poor yard management and if its an area thing, I'd rent a field if it were me.
 
There are no fields to rent... I have looked on several occasions but farmers will not rent to horsey people in the area as the land is clay based.

Next year we will hopefully be on our own yard but until then I really am in the best place for me and for the horses.
 
SusieT said:
Turnout. To not have turnout over the winter is not an option imo-thats poor yard management and if its an area thing, I'd rent a field if it were me.
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we have turnout.... but its rutten andsolid and i cant afford to have a horse with a broken leg.. mabey thats the same for OP's fields??


snack a balls, lots of hay, likits, apple dunking (mabey too cold?) swede on a rope, or carrots etc in haynets.... things hidden in haynets?

for exercise my 4 year old gets lunged before i get on her... i like her to be able to go "yahoooo" and get the energy out of her before i get on :D

she gets worked 4/5 days a week (ridden) combination of poles/small jumps, and mostly flatwork but tbh im just keeping her fit over winter as our indoors too small to do a lot tbh.... but just glad we have one

p.s shes not going out either until the grounds much better so enjoy then pen with your youngsters. :)
 
noodle_ ... I love watching them playing in the pen, I have some fan photos of them!

I hadn't even thought about apple bobbing, perfect! Plus it would be a way to keep their water from freezing and encourage them to drink more.

I started her over some poles today... she was a bit worried at first, but she got it eventually! Poor love, she is a posh dressage horse don't you know, she should not be expected to go over lowly poles :) Wait until she starts to learn to jump!!!
 
dengie do a new hifi which has no added sugar, and no mollasses!!! and an alpha with no molasses! at least you can get them into a pen. get a clip drilled to the wall and attach the trug to it!! where in lancs are you? pm if req. can you put them in the pen am and pm? have you an indoor where you can work them/their brains harder? the 4 year old i am sure you can mange to ride through. the 3 yr old could do with more time out. hay in th pen and more mosey time?
 
I'll be interested in replies our 3yo and TB (the latter more so :rolleyes:) are getting a little silly as well. I might dig out the hexagonal ball we have somewhere though :).

_jetset_ said:
It has been suggested I give her a tubtrug of the Just Grass in her stable but she is a bit of a bugger with tub trugs and seems to be on a one woman mission to destroy them :)
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Our 3yo does the same I think we've been through 4 in little more than a week, you leave her with one for a minute and that's it :rolleyes:!

Re. turnout it is practically impossible at, in mine and friend's experiences, this end of the country to find winter turnout. We keep our horses at home and there is no way they could be turned out through the winter it would be a completely unmanageable situation for many reasons, yet many horses are fine without it. I agree it is ideal but not always a possibility.
 
My mare has two apples, two carrots and a parsnip in her net for her to "find" overnight, keeps her entertained! I also feed Just Grass and think it's a brilliant chaff. Along with Dodson and Horrell Safe and Sound as an extra for variety. It's meant for laminitics but I feed it normally.

I know you're worried about ulcers but surely they could have more than 30mins in the lunge pen? If you're riding they would go for a lot longer than that without forage. Give them a scoop of Just Grass first so they've go out on a full belly.

I too am on a yard that doesn't have Winter turn out in fields but have got the bonus of small sand pens that they go out in for half a day to take the air.

Apple bobbing is a good idea - unless you have one like mine that can't be bothered! She also won't pick food up off the floor, such a faddy lady.
 
_jetset_ said:
There are no fields to rent... I have looked on several occasions but farmers will not rent to horsey people in the area as the land is clay based.
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Not exactly sure where you are but I passed a field this week (taking different route due to the snow) that was up for rent, had stables too. Not sure how many as I was too busy avoiding black ice :eek: and I don't know how much land there was either.

In fact, the only thing I do know, is where it is!!
 
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