I’m Sooo Bored!
Horses were not meant to stay confined. Nature made them to range over a wide area and graze. Equine behaviorists have long recognized the negative effects of stable stress on horses. Boredom in the stall can cause a horse to develop many bad habits and vices, such as weaving, cribbing, and a generally bad attitude.
Stalling a horse is sometimes necessary. Whether it is for show, injury, or other reasons, keeping your horse in a stall for an extended period of time may happen. It is important to keep your horse from developing vices from this confinement.
So, in order to avoid your horse’s confinement damaging his mental health, it will be necessary to give him some distractions. This article will give you some tips on how to avoid stall boredom.
There are many commercially available stall toys you can purchase from local tack and feed stores to entertain your horse! From “Jolly Balls” to “Lickits,” the diverse selection from manufacturers is plentiful and many are excellent choices. However, it is not necessary to spend a lot of money on ready-made items when you can make your own!
- Empty out heavy-duty milk jugs and fill with large smooth rocks. Tie two or three jugs on a rope and hang vertically from overhead rafters, or diagonally to cross a corner, making it possible to slide the jugs back and forth. The noise they make when rattled can be entertaining and satisfying to a bored horse!
- Traffic cones also make excellent stall toys. Your horse will love to sling them around and throw them, so don’t be surprised when you hear a lot of noise coming from the barn once he’s discovered the fun!
- Burlap feed sacks are another suitable container to harness an afternoon of entertainment. Simply fill with milk jugs or aluminum cans and securely tie the opening with baling twine.
- Cheap balls (basketball, soccer type) from your local superstore work well in your horse’s stall for hours of play!
- Soft rubber feed pans (not buckets) also make great toys for distraction time as they are easy to toss about a stall.
- A piece of thick cotton rope approximately 2′ long with knots in each end makes a twirling toy for those who like to sink teeth into their fun!
As with any “toy” you give an animal, routinely inspect for safety. Replace milk jugs often and discard frayed sacks and ropes as needed.
