Bored Horse?

Question

I'm looking for some neat ideas to keep my horse occupied when he has to be in his yard... the yard is pretty big (enough for him to canter around easily) so anything you can think of would be great... He's pretty smart so puzzle type things are good... i dont really want to buy gimmicy things... today he got a milk bottle with holes poked in it and he licked the molasis out. I usually hide food around his yard but i want other ideas....
thanks for those who answer

MY HORSE IS NOT ALONE.... He is in his yard only at night... during the day he is out in a massive paddock with 11 horses.... i just wanted to entertain him in the evening after i leave and before i get there in the morning... SIGH people never actually answer the question...

Answer 1

I know what you mean! Try all the old favourites but mix them up a bit to add variety - turnips or swedes on the floor to roll around, forage fed from the floor - or from nets with carrots stuck in, footballs or rubber buckets to throw around, salt/mineral licks, horse-proof mirrors sometimes go down well, horse balls that drop bits of food out as they roll around are good (could use the milkbottle for that one too) I find these type of things work just as well if not better than all the expensive horse "toys" as mine don't bother with them, but if yours does then maybe you could try some of them - lickit balls, horse balls etc

Answer 2

Some fun things for horses to play with are.... one of the biggest yoga balls that you can find, blow it up and let him roll it around. Yoga balls are usually pretty durable, and if they are really big then the horse is less likely to pop it.
Lay a large tarp on the ground, maybe an old one so if it gets wrecked it doesn't matter. Your horse can walk on it and make neat crinkly noises!
A tether ball type thing with treats like carrots and apples chopped up in it would be neat, you can ususally buy the treat balls at tack stores and then you would just have to tie it on something, like a fence post of the side of a barn/walk-in.
Maybe a few large hula-hoops? Another SUPERVISED toy could be a very stury garbage bagwith pop cans in it, not too large though, juts throw it in the paddock and let him jingle it around. Just make sure someone is near him as the bag could rip and he could get cut on a can.
Don't give him all kinds of toys at once because he could get a little overwhelmed.
The more creative, the better!

Answer 3

If you have a tree or something which you hang stuff from, this might be good.

Get a large root vegetable like a turnip and bore a hole through it. Run a piece of string through it, put a bit knot on the bottom, and hang it from the branch or overhang, and let the horse have fun playing with it, trying to bite it, etc.

Answer 4

Some like kicking soccer balls and have you considered a little (pygmy) goat? They're cheap and easy to keep and horses generally love the company. Don't forget they are herd animals and they like to be with other herd animals. Sometimes you can get a goat (any kind will do) for pretty cheap or look on ASPCAs for companian animals-ones too old to ride but would be great companians for your horse. They have donkeys, goats, ponies. (Petfinder can link you to all the ASPCAs in your area). Good luck.

Answer 5

Put him out in a bigger area. He is just bored of his stall. But there is a toy that you can put feed in and the horse rolls it around to get it out. Get him a friend maybe. My horse Popeye which is 11 stays out in the field with my 167 black angus cows.

Answer 6

My last horse LOVED a milk jug (filled with small stones to rattle) tied to an old lead rope. LOL! I also had one in his stall that had a few treats in it that worked to get out. He also like one of those balls children hop on that have a handle. He carried it all over the place. He also like big rubber buckets and exercise balls. An old broom was fun to carry around as was traffic cones. You could place some apples under a big tarp, or in the middle ... Maybe treats in a tire? Anything new and spooky in the pasture in good, as long as safe. A bunch of balloons tied to a bucket (breakable string) with apples in it can be fun...

Hope this helped...

Hey thought of a fun one.... they can bob for apples! LOL Large tub with water and a few apples in it....

Answer 7

I have to agree with getting a companion animal like a goat or a mini horse for your horse. Thy never grow tired of them, and really do need their herd, no matter how small the herd is. I used to raised dogs and in the evening, put them up in kennels (large, talk, chain link kennels) and my aged percheron would always go and stand as close to them as he could, even pushing his face up next to the wire, to sleep...horses really do need that, it's healthy and if you get a little goat, it would prefer to eat the weeds and leave the good grass for your horse...they too will get attached to your horse, so if you show off in other locations, be prepared to take him along...they are no problem and serve to keep your horse calm in new situations.

Answer 8

those apple flavored things that you hang are good in the stall, but out in the field give him toys like a big bouncy ball, those toys that the horse pick up and throw around, and a soccer ball are all good choices. Theirs a gelding at my barn who gets bored easily and we go into his paddock and play follow the leader with him and teach him tricks, and that keeps him occupied, like we taught him to bow, and to take food from our mouths, stuff like that.

Answer 9

salt blocks are nice, and so are jolly balls, but the balls shouldn't really be played with without supervision. but still fun to kick around with your horse! pilates/ exercise balls work great if you don't want to buy an expensive ball specifically made for horses.

Answer 10

Get a Jolly Ball or a Likit.

http://www.likit.co.uk/