Stable wrecker and toys

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EJJ999

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Looking for any tips with the 5 year old warmblood to keep him amused in the stable. He is out all day but not an option to leave him out at night yet. He has again damaged his stable this morning. He isn't a stressy horse and he was exercised yesterday - so should have been tired.

He likes his mouth and has to fiddle about but this is often leading to damage.

His hay is in 3 separate nets around the stable and packed in a slow feeder inside a greedy feeder and he still manages to get to it easily. He usually has hay left in the morning. He has a dog rope toy hanging and often I hang a swede in the doorway.

I am not keen on the likits as I am concerned that if it gets a good grip on that (and he is likely to) it is sugar overload and he isn't good with sugar. He has a treat ball but he gets irritated with it and often kicks the wall in frustration so doesn't get that too often.

Pretty sure he will pick a fight with himself if I put a stable mirror up!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just looking at the Bizzy Bites toy but again trying not to buy something that is a sugar overload. Has anyone tried one?

Or any other helpful advice??????
 
I haven't seen those. Hopefully someone else will come along who has tried one. I have the ball with the handle. Once he worked out there was no food to be had he couldn't be bothered.
 
I found the sugar free Jimmy's balls or Licky Things (actual names I swear!) to be really good.
My boy also loves the Vitamunch hay bricks - I double net them, and always have one alongside his hay in the evening. They're often more palatable than hay, and because they're so compressed and then double netted, it means he's occupied with gnawing away at it, so it keeps him more entertained. They are a bit dear, but they last him a while!
I can't do it in my stable as I haven't got any beams (and it's a little snug in there as well), but a lot of people I know hang things like Swedes and carrots or even brussel sprout stalks from the ceiling, or a Jolly Ball that you can buy online. My friend has also hooked a broom end up on the wall, so her horse can sort of scratch and groom himself on that, and mouth it as well...
Good luck! I know the struggles of having a bored horse stuck inside all day :(
 
How much and what do you put in the treat ball? I have one that has little patience but if it is filled enough then he gets enough out of it initially to settle him and then he calms down and isn't as "aggressive" with it. Agrobs Hay cobs are great to fill it, you could fill it all the way and it is just hay so no added sugar etc.
As already mentioned the forage blocks are good, you can buy plain ones for cheaper than the vitamunch and just use their little nets for them - Halleys sell blocks, as do Equiblocks, I think they work out at about a pound each or less but if you can hang it in the middle of the stable they do work well for mouthy horses.
In the summer you can try and find some beech trees, hawthorn hedges, any other edible trees that you could trim some branches or twigs off and either tie them together and hang them up or put them in the haynets. Same for weeds like sticky weed, nettles, cow parsley.
I also often soak a huge bucket of hay cobs to put in, mine like to have a munch on them and then a bit of hay etc so they keep nibbling through the night. It is basically hay replacement but adds variety to brighten up a boring stable life. I have a long wooden trough in my current stable so it gets tipped in there for them (my two share a stable).
I also do huge ropes of veg and fruit to hang but again it really needs to be in the middle of the stable so they can't pin it, and it can end up quite expensive unless you hit the market stalls at the end of the day. Obviously the sugar content might be an issue too. Cabbages can work well as a cheaper alternative but they seem to get shredded rather than eaten!
I really want to make some horse toys like the dog toys - ones where they have to swivel a container to get the food out - that can be fixed to the wall, but not got round to making them yet. You could do some scentwork with him and hide fruit/veg or particular treats such as minties with a strong scent around his stable for him to hunt out - you might need to show him initially but once he knows they will be there it could keep him busy for a while, especially if you can get imaginative and hide them high and low!
 
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