If your horse has recently been confined to his stable more than you’d hoped, then you both may be feeling pretty fed up – boredom busters for horses will become your new best friend.
While bored horses are at a higher risk of developing stereotypies, most horses settle to restricted turnout if their mates are also stabled. Still, you might want to try some of the following ways to keep your stabled horse happy and healthy.
Boredom busters for horses
1. Stable toys
There’s such a wide range of stable toys available – so we’ve rounded up the best stable toys for horses, which has something for every need.
Some are designed to keep your horse occupied with food, but this is no good if you’re battling laminitis or your horse is prone to obesity – instead, one of the best slow feeders might be what you need to keep them busy. Other toys encourage play without the need for food, so there is plenty to choose from.
If funds are tight, you could make your own. My pony loves a hanging swede – I make a hole through the centre and hang it up with baler twine, making sure he can’t push it against a wall to increase the challenge.
2. Encourage foraging
Horses are natural foragers, so encouraging their natural instincts to keep them busy is a real win. You could try…
- hiding carrots or horse treats in haynets
- hanging carrots up round the stable
- put apples in the water bucket for apple bobbing
- using treat balls
The Equine Behaviour and Training Association (EBTA) recommends providing different types of forage to stabled horses, to replicate as closely as possible the ‘patch foraging’ that is normal behaviour when grazing. For example, you could place the components of your horse’s feed in separate buckets or offer one haynet filled with hay, another with haylage, plus a large bucket of dried grass or other hay replacer placed around the stable.
Extending your horse’s eating time will not only prevent boredom, but it will stimulate more saliva production, which can help prevent gastric ulcers, too.
3. Licks
If your horse can be trusted to regulate his intake, one of the best licks – whether on its own or as part of a toy – can be beneficial for staving off boredom as well as supplying minerals, preventing dehydration and balancing electrolytes.
4. Carrot stretches
Stabled horses can get stiff, so why not maximise this time by practising carrot stretches? If you’re unsure of how to stretch your horse, or want to brush up your skills, here is a video from YouTube to help.
Handheld licks, like the Horslyx Mini (available on Amazon), are a great substitute for a carrot and can encourage your horse to hold the stretch for longer, too.
5. Pamper time
With little opportunity to indulge in a lovely long itch-busting roll, your horse will probably appreciate a good grooming session. A thorough groom can also help stimulate his circulatory system in a similar way to a massage.
You could even try using a specially designed massaging grooming tool, such as this massaging grooming glove, or mitt, such as the Equilibrium Hotspot.
6. Mirrors
Horses are herd animals, and if for any reason he has to be stabled away from his mates, or can’t easily see them from his stable, then the EBTA suggests using a mirror.
Don’t opt for a huge one, so he can avoid his ‘stable buddy’ if need be, and try him with it on the yard first, to ensure it doesn’t freak him out. If your horse is an aggressive type, he’s likely to be aggressive with his ‘mate’ so a mirror may not be a good idea. And of course, make sure it’s safely attached and non-breakable, like this plastic safety mirror on Amazon.
You might also be interested in:
16 toys to help horses beat their boredom
11 small-holed haynets and slow feeders to extend eating time and reduce wastage
How to keep stabled horses happy and healthy
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