What do people use to keep their horses entertained?

I

isobels07

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looking for ideas to help keep horses from getting bored in the stable. has ad-lib hay and a salt lick but looking for something else. If its a treat ball, what nuts do u use in them that aren't ridiculously high in starch like most. i see lots of people feeding buckets of straw in the stable, can anyone elaborate on why. Any other ideas also appriciated.
 
AdorableAlice

AdorableAlice

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I used fibre blocks in the tiny holed nets and hung it so the horse could not press it against a hard surface so it lasted longer. This was for a young horse post OCD surgery so he was only in for 4 weeks. He also had a ball with basic fibre nuts in, which was his morning meal.

If you are facing a long term box rest you will find the horse will adapt and settle in time. For long termers too much stimulation isn't ideal, they have to settle and accept.
 
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Shay

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Is your mare on box rest? In recent messages she was out 24/7 but gaining weight?

You can double net hay so it takes longer to eat. Use several smaller nets in differnt places around the stable so they move from net to net. Fibre blocks. Vegetables strung onto string like a kebab. A whole swede. Nuts in a ball - but remember to account for that in her overall feed. An inflatable horse ball.

It all depends on why she is in and why she is bored!
 
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isobels07

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Shay said:
Is your mare on box rest? In recent messages she was out 24/7 but gaining weight?

You can double net hay so it takes longer to eat. Use several smaller nets in differnt places around the stable so they move from net to net. Fibre blocks. Vegetables strung onto string like a kebab. A whole swede. Nuts in a ball - but remember to account for that in her overall feed. An inflatable horse ball.

It all depends on why she is in and why she is bored!
Click to expand...
we decided to bring her in at night and put her out in a day until she goes on a barer field as was gaining too much weight and did't want to risk lami. has since lost weight but still keeping her in as a precaution.
 
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be positive

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AdorableAlice said:
Excepting a human money tree ?
Click to expand...

That doesn't need to be mentioned;)

I have just popped mine out for the night and was thinking of this thread and realised that next winter I am planning on providing some entertainment for them as instead of living out in a field 24/7, or possibly in overnight, they will be yarded most of the winter as I will have very limited grazing but an acre of yard with several barns on it, they will be fairly well occupied as they should have at least two barns to wander in and out of, a variety of surfaces, hard standing, concrete, some grass that will probably mud after a week, a rubber matted area which will have a hay feeder on, one barn will have straw, another rubber mats, I plan on several hay feeders placed randomly, I am a little concerned about boredom but having written all that down I think it should be enough to keep them fairly busy so the cinema room will probably be put on hold for now:rolleyes:
 
ILuvCowparsely

ILuvCowparsely

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isobels07 said:
looking for ideas to help keep horses from getting bored in the stable. has ad-lib hay and a salt lick but looking for something else. If its a treat ball, what nuts do u use in them that aren't ridiculously high in starch like most. i see lots of people feeding buckets of straw in the stable, can anyone elaborate on why. Any other ideas also appriciated.
Click to expand...
(l) stands for ok for Laminitis horses

  1. leave a radio on (l)
  2. float apples in water buckets
  3. get a treat ball
  4. hang vegetables and fruit in a home made mobile
  5. dot treats round the stable on ledges etc for the horse to find
  6. put likits in
  7. boredom breaker
  8. stable mirror (l)
  9. put hay into a small holed haynet or hayrack
  10. hide treats in the hay / haylage for horse to find
  11. dog pulls can amuse some horses (l)
  12. hang a small bottle of water on a string by the door for horse to play with (l)
  13. put some apple juice into manger for horse to drink
  14. put a football or horse ball in stable (l)
  15. give the horse lunch time scoop of ready grass ( something to look forward to )
  16. cut some fresh grass and put on the floor for him to eat
  17. cut some dandelions and put in stable.
  18. if you can cut some nettles and when dry put in stable.
  19. dot some licorice around the stable the strong smell will keep him amused.
  20. put some crushed polo's into a bottle with a screw top make a few holes in it so smell comes out
  21. hang some wind chimes near his stable. (l)
  22. have the owner make a cd/ cassette of his voice ( reciting a poem etc ) (l)
  23. cut a horse friendly small branch for horse to chew on
  24. get a small water feature, the sound of running water calms horses (l)
  25. if at all possible try grazing or turning horses friend out in paddock where box rest horse can see him. (l)
  26. put some clear apple juice in his water to make his drink tasty and to make sure he is keeping fluids up
  27. hang a familiar rug over his door like his best friends or girl friend to make him for relaxed (l)
  28. hang a Scandinavian salt block up
  29. put a window in the back of the stable if they are due for long term box rest
  30. Put a football in its stable
  31. two haynets each side of stable so he can wander between them both
  32. Have a visiting masseuse treat him weekly or once a month
  33. Sedaline - a mild amount to keep the edge off
  34. Get a small handfull of hay twist it both ends opposite way so like a long sausage, once its twisted as much as you can make a knot in it and pull tight, the horse will chuck it around and spin it around giving fun times.
  35. fill a haynet and bury fruit within the hay net
  36. Give him or her some Valerian
 
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isobels07

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ILuvCowparsely said:
(l) stands for ok for Laminitis horses

  1. leave a radio on (l)
  2. float apples in water buckets
  3. get a treat ball
  4. hang vegetables and fruit in a home made mobile
  5. dot treats round the stable on ledges etc for the horse to find
  6. put likits in
  7. boredom breaker
  8. stable mirror (l)
  9. put hay into a small holed haynet or hayrack
  10. hide treats in the hay / haylage for horse to find
  11. dog pulls can amuse some horses (l)
  12. hang a small bottle of water on a string by the door for horse to play with (l)
  13. put some apple juice into manger for horse to drink
  14. put a football or horse ball in stable (l)
  15. give the horse lunch time scoop of ready grass ( something to look forward to )
  16. cut some fresh grass and put on the floor for him to eat
  17. cut some dandelions and put in stable.
  18. if you can cut some nettles and when dry put in stable.
  19. dot some licorice around the stable the strong smell will keep him amused.
  20. put some crushed polo's into a bottle with a screw top make a few holes in it so smell comes out
  21. hang some wind chimes near his stable. (l)
  22. have the owner make a cd/ cassette of his voice ( reciting a poem etc ) (l)
  23. cut a horse friendly small branch for horse to chew on
  24. get a small water feature, the sound of running water calms horses (l)
  25. if at all possible try grazing or turning horses friend out in paddock where box rest horse can see him. (l)
  26. put some clear apple juice in his water to make his drink tasty and to make sure he is keeping fluids up
  27. hang a familiar rug over his door like his best friends or girl friend to make him for relaxed (l)
  28. hang a Scandinavian salt block up
  29. put a window in the back of the stable if they are due for long term box rest
  30. Put a football in its stable
  31. two haynets each side of stable so he can wander between them both
  32. Have a visiting masseuse treat him weekly or once a month
  33. Sedaline - a mild amount to keep the edge off
  34. Get a small handfull of hay twist it both ends opposite way so like a long sausage, once its twisted as much as you can make a knot in it and pull tight, the horse will chuck it around and spin it around giving fun times.
  35. fill a haynet and bury fruit within the hay net
  36. Give him or her some Valerian
Click to expand...
wow! thank you
 
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