Swede on string

[laura_nash]

Hi Everyone

I'm trying to come up with ways to keep my new horse busy in his stable. He's used to being out 24/7 and is HUGELY overweight, so he's now in part-time and on poor grazing and limited food. He finds it very boring and tends to start pawing the ground with a front or back foot when he gets really bored. He is easily bored generally, if he's tied up he last about 2 mins before trying to wander off, and anything within reach has to be explored, knocked over or generally played with.

He has a treat ball with some high-fibre nuts in, which he tends to kick all over the stable when he looses patience, and of course hay in a small-hole haynet, though not as much as he'd like.

I tried the 'swede on a string' today, and it didn't work. I drilled a hole in the middle and tied a loop of weakish string in it, then tied that to some bale twine. He gave one big tug and the string cut neatly through the swede, then he ate it in about three bites. He liked it, but it didn't exactly keep him busy! Did I do something wrong or is this idea just no good for a hungry and determined horse?

I've been thinking about trying to get hold of some decent-quality straw (preferably oat) and putting up an additional haynet full of that to help keep his stomach full. Has anyone tried feeding straw (he's bedded on rubber and shavings)?

Alternatively, any other ideas to keep him occupied?

 

[RachelB]

How did he get hold of it? I assume you hung it from somewhere well away from the walls? I hung mine from the middle rafters of my stable, it took my mare weeks to get the hang of grabbing hold of it. Apple bobbing is another good idea, but will only work if your horse won't just drink the entire bucket of water in one go (mine is too clever for her own good

) Hide-the-carrot is another good trick!
Straw is a good alternative to hay, but personally I would be soaking the hay for 24 hours and feeding it ad-lib.

 

[hellybelly6]

Maybe but in half a swede so he can eat it off the ground. I used to hide carrots around the stable and in the hay net when J was on box rest. I put the radio on and spent lots of time itching and scratching his itchy places.

 

[Eira]

Put a swede in a small-ish holed haynet so he has to press it against the wall to bite it ..
Thats what I'm having to do with Sol as she is on box rest

 

[Ashkadog]

The apple bobbing suggestion works wonders for mine. How did he pull the swede off so easily? It takes me ages just to get a hole in mine to get the string through. I do only put a big enough hole through so I can just get the string through and I wonder if it makes a difference if you put the hole down through the the core bit or across the middle the other way. Hope you know what I mean by that.

 

[hussar]

My youngster is on box rest and I've been putting swedes on a Likit holder hung from the rafters well away from the wall. He gets through one a day, but it does take him ages to make the first bite - after that, I think it's easier for him to get hold of.

Likits themselves were hopeless as he didn't lick them, he ate them - and as the list of ingredients didn't include one natural item, I felt that perhaps eating one every 24 hours wasn't ideal!

 

[laura_nash]

Thanks for the suggestions

I tried apple-bobbing - no good at all. He thought about it for about a minute and then chucked his water over (he's very good at grabbing things with his mouth..)!

Hiding carrots in the stable was also not great, he seems to have a food radar and finds them extremely quickly. I haven't tried hiding them in the haynet yet though.

ISH_Lover - that's a good idea, I'll try it in the haynet tonight.

(p.s. Ashka-dog, I've just checked with my boyfriend as I just gave it to him and said 'put a hole just big enough for this string through this' and he gave it back a minute later, apparently what you want is a battery drill and an auger bit)

 

[kerilli]

my horses just bash the hanging swede with their heads until it splits, then eat it off the floor. i've given up on that one!
a treat ball with just a few grass nuts in.
the radio on!
a filled-in tyre hung on the door so you don't hear them kicking it...!

 

[Ashkadog]

A what???? you have just made my mind up and now I will just give it to my OH to do. I have to be careful what the OH see's sometimes as he would probably question why my horse is getting fresh swede and there isn't any in the stew I have just cooked. Just like he says I always make the horses bed better than our own. "of course dear, thats because he cant make it and you can!"

 

[flyingfeet]

Any type of drill will work, as will a skewer with a twist in it (metal!)

I tried that and mine hated swede, so was a no go. However I fed his hay in a double haylage net, so it took all morning to eat one slab.

The vet also recommended shaking out the hay that you feed all over the box. However mine is a hoover and the nets worked better!

 

[Madasmaz]

I got a big drill bit and stuck mine on the base of a lickit, with the help of a hammer and bit of determination. Only one problem, I bought a big Swede and she's having trouble getting her teeth into it. Going to have to bin it soon as think its beginning to rot. Did do a kebab for her last week with carrot and apple on it. Made her neighbours very jealous as she crunched her way through it