Paddock enrichment ideas

[AutumnDays]

Hi all,

Hoping to pick your brains if I may...

If you had redone paddocks with a meadow grass mix (got rid of all rye grass), planted with herbs and edible flowers, long bits of hedgerow in, track system going up to encourage movement... What else would you add in terms of enrichment? Obstacles? Scratchy post? Different mineral blocks? Just trying to come up with some ideas for when we (finally!) Get into our own place, the paddock is looking a bit flat and boring other than the foraging aspect. These two are no ridden, so trying to encourage varied movement in between walkies. I am not allowed (yet!) To do things like digging sand pits or ponds, or building banks, but they'd be done if I could!
Thanks all

 

[Burnttoast]

Ours love their scratchers. I used to have three different broomheads attached to the pole barn but upgraded to posh calf scratchers when the broomheads fell to bits (they lasted a surprisingly long time). The new ones are better though and get loads of use. All the things you mention will get use I'm sure but I'd allow an option not to use for obstacles. Would you be allowed to make a sand pit if it just involved dumping a ton of sand somewhere and putting logs round to keep it in?

 

[Gloi]

Sawn off branches from edible trees are always a favourite.

 

[AutumnDays]

There would be an option to avoid obstacles, I'm thinking bits and pieces to go around/over like poles and old 200ltr drums etc. Unfortunately I wouldn't be allowed to do the sand dump, but there is an area that looks a bit bare and dusty, I may just encourage rolling there! Lots of tasty edible trees on the hedge, but good shout, they could have the prunings from the apple orchard (sans fruit!) as something different. They'll be sharing with the Shetland sheep (who will be able to escape to the middle of the track if they want more grass!), and they love the same as the horses (scratchy posts, yummy trees, new things etc)... My OH says I'm creating a farm park for animals and I've grabbed that idea and ran with it! So he only has himself to blame!

 

[dorsetladette]

I've got poles/logs across all gate ways to encourage my non ridden to lift and pick his feet up. I've alos put them across the shelter entrance now.

I have babies that love to play so I have various bits and pieces stroon around the field, off cuts of hose pipe, space hoppers, jolly balls. etc.

We strim the remaining nettles back a few times a year and they love them once wilted slightly. I leave a patch of thistles as one like to eat them. and the pick at the hedgerows. They are obviously blackberry picking at the moment as I get purple kisses in the evenings.

 

[bouncing_ball]

scratching post, edilble branches and hay well spread out - haynets / hay balls / hay feeds spaced out

 

[stangs]

A big pile of branches also makes a good scratching post for their bellies. Some people also put up self-selection 'buffets', with different mineral/salt licks, herbal teas, etc, but I don't know how well this works in practice.

There's a variety of ideas here, though not all are relevant for horses.

 

[daydreamer]

I'm on a facebook group about tracks (Horse track system) and they have lots of enrichment ideas. Water buffets seem popular.

 

[Jambarissa]

A hill? We dumped all the excess ground from constructing our school in a mound and the grass grew over it, they love standing on the top gazing into the distance.

 

[AutumnDays]

Thanks guys, some great ideas here. Intrigued by the water buffet thing I'd love to do some earth work remodelling, but OH is being a bit precious about the fields at the moment due to it being clear for the first time in 15years (his dad couldn't use them anymore, but wouldn't let anyone else use them or even go in to tidy up, we gained at least 5ft all around the perimeter getting rid of the encroaching blackthorn).

 

[tda]

A hill? We dumped all the excess ground from constructing our school in a mound and the grass grew over it, they love standing on the top gazing into the distance.

Was just going to say this, we have a couple of small mounds of muck from house excavations and they live standing on them or running over them

 

[BBP]

We have set up a water buffet recently (trying to tempt one with impaction colic to drink) and it’s really interesting watching them choose. My two love the peppermint and camomile teas.

 

[AutumnDays]

We have set up a water buffet recently (trying to tempt one with impaction colic to drink) and it’s really interesting watching them choose. My two love the peppermint and camomile teas.

Herbal tea! Fab idea, I have loads of the stuff because I think healthy then remember wine has more therapeutic properties than herbal tea in times of crisis