50 ways to keep your horse occupied whilst on Box Rest.....
- Small hole haynets
- Big hole haynets
- Double netted haynets
- Multiple haynets around the stable
- Change they hay up – soaked, dry, chop, hayledge
- ‘Hay Play’ – the hay cube game
- Radio
- Bobbing apples – bucket of water (not main drinking), add a couple apples
- Stable treat ball with low calorie pony nuts
- Frozen Vegetable Ice Lollies
- Whole Swede on the floor
- Whole swede on a string
- Vegetable kebab – string together carrots, parsnip, turnip, apples, swede
- Whole turnip on the floor
- Whole turnip on a string
- Carrots in the haynet hidden with the hay
- Parsnips in the haynet hidden with the hay
- Apple in the haynet hidden with the hay
- Hide treats around the stable
- Gorse on a string
- Rock salt on a string
- Polos on a string
- Brussel Sprouts on a string
- Mineral lick
- Chain or plastic milk bottles to play with attached in stable (great for mouthy youngsters)
- Companion horse
- Companion goat
- Companion llama
- Companion sheep
- Stable mirror
- Swivel treat lick
- Hanging treat lick
- Bucket fresh picked grass
- Grass block
- Stretches and flexions/ ‘carrot games’
- Massage pad
- Massage glove
- Daily grooming
- Equine massage therapist visits
- Little and often feeds
- Giant cuddly toy
- Horse ball
- Horse walker (if allowed)
- Long reining (if allowed)
- Walking inhand (if allowed)
- Walking inhand over poles (if allowed)
- Inhand grazing (if allowed)
- ‘Being towed around’ inhand (if allowed) ;-)
- Keeping everything to a strict routine
- And finally, put your feet up and enjoy a huge glass of wine. It’s tough but horses are remarkably adaptable creatures. We get more stressed than them in situations like this.