Likits and swedes on ropes....

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StoptheCavalry

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My horse is stabled a little more than normal at the moment due to the awful weather and after trialing a million different sizes of bed and bedding I now think the horrible mess he's making may be due to box walking. He is very anxious when left on his own but never really had an issue when he's in his stable and can see others. His stable is about 14ft x 15ft (I think, terrible with measurements, but it is BIG), so he has plenty of space to move around. He wees on his bed and seems to kick it all forward leaving a horrible soggy mess in the morning.

Anyway I've got him a few boredom beakers to see if it helps. I think he may be playing with the ball a bit as it does move round the stable. He seems to have no idea whatsoever what to do with the likit I've put up, I did try to show him it was to eat (glad no one caught me, would have been embarrassing!!) but there are no marks on it at all after 3 days. I am now going to try a swede on a rope, should I peel it or does it really not matter?

He is already on mag ox to try and calm him down a bit but if anyone has any other ideas of what to do I would be very grateful. He's definitely lying down at night so he cant be too upset.
 
Lucy used to love swede. I used to hang them in her stable for her. I never peeled it. :)
Some horses just don't like the lickits (my pony loves them and can eat them in under 5 mins :rolleyes: ). I would also be careful if he's stressy anyway as they contain alot of sugar. I've just started trying uncle jimmys licky things. Herbie doesn't seem to be able to eat them so quickly. Your horse may like them as they are more like horse feed all squashed up (if that makes sence) also I think I saw a sugar free one which may be best for your horse. :)
 
I used to paint a football in honey and put it in a Haynet with medium holes and hang it off the ceiling. They like licking the honey off and it's much cheaper than a lickit! Don't do it for my fatty but used to for previous horses I've owned. Plus you can stick other veg in for them to try and pull out.
 
I just used bailertwine to hane Lucy's swede up. She loved them so much she used to chew through the twine so the swede fell on the floor and was easyer to eat :rolleyes:
 
My TB is also on box rest at the moment due to injury (coming into a 4th week - god its been a LONG month!)

He's quite content in his stable but gets stressy and box walks when the others start getting turned out and he gets left - I found a few things to help resolve this and now he's nowhere near as stressed as he was:

- A radio left on
- Haynets with carrots, various green, apples, low cal treats spread all in the hay net amongst the hay
- He's got a boredom ball which he gets his balancer cubes in
- I also sprinkle low call cubes round his bedding for him to sniff out
- He has also taken a liking to hanging swedes and parsnips, my dad just drilled some holes through various swedes/parsnips/carrots/ apples/pears/cabbages etc and just thread some baling twine or rope through them and hang.
- Try apples in his water bowl, my TB thought this was way too much effort and didnt like this but some horses enjoy bobbing for them!
- If he's quite playful then the horse balls are good fun for them to throw around
- Although not tried it for my boy as he's settling now but maybe try a horse mirror?
- Try and hang haynets round his stable so he can move about a bit
- Hang ones of his friend's rug in his stable or over the door to ease some comfort?

Hope some of the above are helpful, it's not easy!!
 
Thanks for the replies.

I was a bit worried about the sugar in the likit as he is feeling rather "well" at the moment and thought it might push him over the edge, then decided it is going to be another week before I ride him as Im away so would rather hes not bored as I think it will be a challenging ride anyway.

I think a lot of it is that he is simply bored, I've not been able to ride much with all the snow so think he's itching to get out and do something. I will try to squished up feed ones instead and see if that helps. Its a carrot flavoured likit, I took it down from being hung up and put it under his nose, he sniffed it a couple of times and then went back to his hay.
 
mischamoo said:
My TB is also on box rest at the moment due to injury (coming into a 4th week - god its been a LONG month!)

He's quite content in his stable but gets stressy and box walks when the others start getting turned out and he gets left - I found a few things to help resolve this and now he's nowhere near as stressed as he was:

- A radio left on
- Haynets with carrots, various green, apples, low cal treats spread all in the hay net amongst the hay
- He's got a boredom ball which he gets his balancer cubes in
- I also sprinkle low call cubes round his bedding for him to sniff out
- He has also taken a liking to hanging swedes and parsnips, my dad just drilled some holes through various swedes/parsnips/carrots/ apples/pears/cabbages etc and just thread some baling twine or rope through them and hang.
- Try apples in his water bowl, my TB thought this was way too much effort and didnt like this but some horses enjoy bobbing for them!
- If he's quite playful then the horse balls are good fun for them to throw around
- Although not tried it for my boy as he's settling now but maybe try a horse mirror?
- Try and hang haynets round his stable so he can move about a bit
- Hang ones of his friend's rug in his stable or over the door to ease some comfort?

Hope some of the above are helpful, it's not easy!!
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Thanks so much for all these ideas. I have the swede ready to go, he is fed off the floor so may try hiding things in it to keep him entertained and may possibly also hang a net up so he has plenty to do. I think because they got into such a routine of being fed then turned out every morning now he is not able to go out every morning its upsetting his routine. His stable mate who isnt anywhere as near as stressy is fine with the current situation so guess it is just his personality.

I will get one of the balls to put treats in this weekend, think they might turn in to disgusting wee soaked treats if they go in his bed.
 
shadowboy said:
I used to paint a football in honey and put it in a Haynet with medium holes and hang it off the ceiling. They like licking the honey off and it's much cheaper than a lickit! Don't do it for my fatty but used to for previous horses I've owned. Plus you can stick other veg in for them to try and pull out.
Click to expand...

This is a great idea. Do you not think its amazing what we do to try and cheer our horses up. I just called my other half to ask him to bring rope home from work, when he asked what it was for, I tried to explain, he was like "Your doing what?!?!" non horsey people just dont understand!!
 
The football with the honey is a good idea! I generally don't like the likits or Uncle Jimmy's things either because of the sugar content.

If you've got any kind liveries that can put things in his stable at different times of the day, that's always handy and will help break up the day for him. I often leave a small haynet, his treat ball, a scoop of nuts, other entertainment bits all outside his stable and various kind other liveries when the'yre down, often throw one of the other in so he doesn't end up gobbling eveything I give to him in one hour after i leave the yard in the morning!

And no, non-horsey people do not understand! lol - as long as it makes sense in your own mind, drilling holes through veg etc, just roll with it! ;) I ignore my boyfriend's comments of you're crazy :rolleyes:
 
It might be worth trying a smaller stable. Sounds counter intuitive but mine has been better in a smaller box and I know someone else who found the same. Can't say it is definitely the size of the box that makes the difference as other things have changed too, like the view, but I thought a smaller box would be a nightmare and it seems to be better. She used to have a huuuuuge stable and is now in a fairly standard one. I also find deep litter bedding better, again counter intuitive but it works, I think because it forms a solid base that can't be dragged about.
 
Just be carful with the radio - check they're ok with it before you leave them with it.
I had a day hanging round the yard waiting for a delivery last week and took a radio into the stable while I gave my girl a good groom.
When I turned it on (nice calming The Archers) she went from happily munching her haynet to standing at the back of the stable snorting.
Guess she's not a fan of radio 4.
 
I also found breaking his breakfast and dinner up into smaller 4 or 5 meals and again trusty fellow yardies would throw the meals over his door through out periods of the day which would help with the boredom.

Are you able to walk him out in hand at all?
 
When i used to give my girl lickits she never liked the carrot one so you could try another flavour although like you say they are high in sugar hence why i dont give them now:)
 
mischamoo said:
The football with the honey is a good idea! I generally don't like the likits or Uncle Jimmy's things either because of the sugar content.

If you've got any kind liveries that can put things in his stable at different times of the day, that's always handy and will help break up the day for him. I often leave a small haynet, his treat ball, a scoop of nuts, other entertainment bits all outside his stable and various kind other liveries when the'yre down, often throw one of the other in so he doesn't end up gobbling eveything I give to him in one hour after i leave the yard in the morning!

And no, non-horsey people do not understand! lol - as long as it makes sense in your own mind, drilling holes through veg etc, just roll with it! ;) I ignore my boyfriend's comments of you're crazy :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

There are unfortunately only 3 of us at the yard so not many people around. He is generally out all day but we were forecast a day of heavy rain and their winter field is already like bog so decided to leave them in. My very kind yard friend is taking him with hers on a walk down the lane tonight to stretch his legs.

I have also just had to text the boyf (hes actually my fiance as of last weekend YAY ME!!) to ask to bring his drill bits home from work, cant be bothered explaining now!! I did actually catch him cuddling my horse last week when I dragged him down, he said he had him in a head lock, it was definitely a cuddle if you ask me :D
 
A smaller stable might help if him can't box walk as much then he bedding shouldn't get horrible anuother thing that stopped my horse was tying a haynet in one place and one alittle further away i found that they would spot the other haynet and not bow walking as far it might work it's worth a try :)


Good luck
 
Kat said:
It might be worth trying a smaller stable. Sounds counter intuitive but mine has been better in a smaller box and I know someone else who found the same. Can't say it is definitely the size of the box that makes the difference as other things have changed too, like the view, but I thought a smaller box would be a nightmare and it seems to be better. She used to have a huuuuuge stable and is now in a fairly standard one. I also find deep litter bedding better, again counter intuitive but it works, I think because it forms a solid base that can't be dragged about.
Click to expand...

You may be right, he was in a smaller stable at my old yard (on straw) and was the cleanest horse Ive ever known, the whole stable was a bed and he poo'd and pee'd in neat little areas. Hes not in a very big stable with about 1/4 shavings/wood pellet bed and its a tip all the time. Once the sheep have been evicted I might see if I can move to the smaller stable and see if that works.

Thank you :)
 
Thanks for the honey/football idea - love it!

My current horse loves her treatball, but my late mare had no patience with them - only tried it once, and she lost her temper with it and trashed the stable :(.

Swede on a string - nooooooo!!! I hung one up in the stable off the roof beam and it was nibbled. It spent another week bashing me behind the ear before it got thrown at the wall (and landed in the straw and got eaten by a horse).

I've heard good reports on Lucie Brix, though mine can polish one off in about half an hour.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone

Stable was a little less trashed which is surprising given he was in all day bar his little walk down the lane. Think he just gets ants in his pants every now and again.

Likit has still not been touched and have sent the OH to work with a swede and some rope to drill through it, good luck to him explaining that one to his work colleagues :D

Definitely going to try some of the other ideas though. When you hang the net with honey covered football does it not make the wall really sticky or do they polish that off too. I have visions of turning up to the yard to find my horse covered in shavings stuck on with honey!:D
 
Haven't read the whole thread so pardon any repetition, but my boy never quite got the hang of likkits hung on string . . . he simply refused to either lick or bite and simply chose to use it as an instrument of torture and nudge it with his head so that it swung (and thwacked him in the face) and then did it again. Yes, he's a bit special.

One thing that does work, though, is to hide bits of carrot, cut up swede, apple, etc. in his bed (he's on straw) . . . he loves to forage and it keeps him occupied. The downside is that he pretty much trashes his bed . . . but it's a small price to pay for a calm, happy, occupied beastie.

P
 
PolarSkye said:
Haven't read the whole thread so pardon any repetition, but my boy never quite got the hang of likkits hung on string . . . he simply refused to either lick or bite and simply chose to use it as an instrument of torture and nudge it with his head so that it swung (and thwacked him in the face) and then did it again. Yes, he's a bit special.

One thing that does work, though, is to hide bits of carrot, cut up swede, apple, etc. in his bed (he's on straw) . . . he loves to forage and it keeps him occupied. The downside is that he pretty much trashes his bed . . . but it's a small price to pay for a calm, happy, occupied beastie.

P
Click to expand...

Hi Thanks for the reply

I don't think he has any clue what its therefore and aside from smacking me on the head every time I bed down I don't think its been touched. He's on shavings at the moment and he's a dirty ****** but considering hiding things in his hay pile to find instead
 
I have never tried this idea but i have heard that it does work and keeps them occupied for ages. Cut up bits of swede, carrots, apples, pears, whetever fruit and vege your horse likes, throw them into a largeish pan or a great thing to use is an ice cream tub. Throw them all in there, fill container with water, and put in freezer, leave for 2-3 days so it freezes all the way through, and take it out of cantainer and chuck it in the stable on the floor. Horse will be trying to get the fruit and vege out of the ice block but won's be able to do it very easily so will either have to smash it or lick it and wait for it to melt :D Good for keeping them hydrated too! :D
 
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