horse/pony help

[cyberunicorn]

Well more like ideas please,

I work on a hunt yard looking after 1 horse and 2 ponies. Currently the poor things are stuck in their stables because of the weather. They get ridden at least four times a week and walked everyday if not. (as soon as the ground improves they are going to be chucked back out and worked from grass) But my actual question I really do not want them to get bored and develop bad habits each of them is very different which makes things a bit tougher to work out.

The horse and one of the ponies already have a likit holder each (with the correct difficulty level for them) the other pony will not even entertain the idea he likes the likit but cannot be bothered to work for it.

we have also got apple on a string and haynets suspended from the ceiling.  (not at the same time.) but everything involves food I could do with something that does not     but is also horse proof.

I have put some pics below if you are interested in what they look like:

Tommy:(the middle horse) is about 14 and some variation of welsh d and maybe comamara and stands about 15hh. up for anything but can find thing very scary at first.
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Barney: 19. another welsh and is only 12hh, 
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Biscuit: 18, 13hh unknown origins. poor bics has been hit round the head in the past making him very untrusting of people he does not know and even alot of who he does know. though some of us have the problem he is to confident around them. but out of the lot he is the bravest just does not really like things that hurt his head when they are flying around.

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 (he is scratching his bottom in the picture. it has been asked in the past what is wrong with him)

Any ideas are welcome no matter how silly they seem they normally turn out the best ones.

[Eviecorn]

I'm not a horse expert but I know a few are around.  Lovely guys, though. 

[kiwimlp]

What beautiful horses.  I live in New Zealand and we are lucky enough to keep our horses outside all year round, so I'm afraid I'm not much help to you!  I am interested to see what others come up with though

[Kiwi]

I don't have anything to offer, our horse was pretty well behaved, and his quirks were pretty mild (like chewing on his stall) so we just left it.

I do have to say, I love this picture!!! His expression is just priceless, reminds me a bit of Merrylegs in Black Beauty.

Barney: 19. another welsh and is only 12hh, 
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[TwistedWindSox]

Have you tried a jolly ball? I think that's what they're called. They're a big ball with a handle on it for the horse to grab and swing around. They're also scented in different ways. The stable where my horses are boarded have some, and the horses that get them seem to enjoy them.
Hope you can find something!

[kaoskat]

So cute! I'm afraid I have no clue though. But they are just lovely!

[celticowgirl88]

It does my heart good to see all that GREEN!
Tommy has such a lovely neck set and head.
As to boredom reducers......


Hay net (make them work for it a bit) or a metal grate if u hay them in a bin. The grate will lower as the hay is eaten and slows them down.

Jolly ball (though they may not be able to do much with it in the limited space)

They make a roller that mounts on the wall that they can mouth

Use some form of creep feeding to slow down their feed consumption

Scented (safe) oils on play items

If possible, switch up toys so they don't get bored with them

I don't know what they are called, but they make a toy that the horse rolls around and food falls out (might be better for the pony that won't use the lickit)

I've seen people put up mirrors (The soft kind, not the ones that shatter) or a piece of rough cloth like a dormat that they can rub and investigate. usually those are just nailed to the stall wall...


Hope one of these helped!

[cyberunicorn]

thanks for the ideas. sadly things that screw in to the wall or similar are not allowed as they "damage" the stables (and I am lucky that they are still standing) but I have bought a ball that can be suspended from one of the beams and also whilst food shopping I have bought 3  suede's supposedly horses like to eat them. so am thinking as a foot ball for barney and from the ceiling for the others.

ummm my boss is going to think i have gotten even more crazy
 

[joce]

 Since its good to have hay in front of them all the time and they certainly don't look underfed, you can try doubling up the hay nets. My horses are not interested in toys at all. I have tried buckets(laundry detergent containers work well) filled with rocks and bells with the lids glued on and hanging down with a rope through the rafters but they may hit it once or twice and not interested. Same with the lickits.  But hay keeps them from being destructive and bored.

 My dogs have stolen the Jolly balls!

[DaffyDilly]

Daffy had one of these:

http://www.rideaway.co.uk/distraction-aid

Admittedly he's destroyed it in a fit of rage with his neighbour, but he enjoyed it when I used to put chopped veg in it.

Try using a vegetable peeler on carrots, parsnips, suedes, apples, anything like that, and mixing the peelings into hay.

One of Daffy's favourite toys is a leadrope - I took the clip off and then fixed it to one of the bars on his stable, or to a tie ring. I put knots (quick release) in it, then he pulls them out. It was a habit he already had but not a good one to teach unless you're careful when tying up.

To be honest, the best thing for them will be more time outside of the stable, not least for their physical well being with them all being older. I know it's hard with the ground being so wet, is there not an arena that they can have a leg stretch in?

[Galactica]

My sister's horses like their "Jolly balls" http://www.doversaddlery.com/jolly-ball%C2%AE-horse-toy/p/X1-2793/?tid=froogle&eid=X1814001&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PLA&zmam=1460880&zmas=1&zmac=114&zmap=0002793206000X1-2793&gclid=COPz8PHcvbQCFYw-MgoddVoAOQ

She also leaves tree trimmings- they like to munch constantly

[cyberunicorn]

Daffy had one of these:

http://www.rideaway.co.uk/distraction-aid

Admittedly he's destroyed it in a fit of rage with his neighbour, but he enjoyed it when I used to put chopped veg in it.

Try using a vegetable peeler on carrots, parsnips, suedes, apples, anything like that, and mixing the peelings into hay.

One of Daffy's favourite toys is a leadrope - I took the clip off and then fixed it to one of the bars on his stable, or to a tie ring. I put knots (quick release) in it, then he pulls them out. It was a habit he already had but not a good one to teach unless you're careful when tying up.

To be honest, the best thing for them will be more time outside of the stable, not least for their physical well being with them all being older. I know it's hard with the ground being so wet, is there not an arena that they can have a leg stretch in?

that toy is kinda cool but I think that I would have the same problem with the destruction I might try to rig something up for a similar effect.

I love the rope idea as we have lots of broken ones after a disastrous clipping session with two of our old residence (one decides hes board of being clipped, head back snaps rope and walks off to field mate next door decides to follow. twice it was so funny I could not shout at the. and the "what" look in their faces as I walk up the drive after them covered in hair was priceless) but they are a little clever and would be untying everything in sight

I really do wish that I could put them out more and I know that the second I do all of the manners will be gone once the ropes come off and the bucking and farting will ensue.  And also sadly no arena. (grumble grumble working on that at the moment
[/quote]other wise I would have them live in that. I wish summer was here or at least it would stop raining. (stupid Yorkshire)

Since its good to have hay in front of them all the time and they certainly don't look underfed, you can try doubling up the hay nets. My horses are not interested in toys at all. I have tried buckets(laundry detergent containers work well) filled with rocks and bells with the lids glued on and hanging down with a rope through the rafters but they may hit it once or twice and not interested. Same with the lickits.  But hay keeps them from being destructive and bored.

 My dogs have stolen the Jolly balls!

they were abit porky when the pictures were taken  and that is in full work I have just had to drop a stone so I was able to ride the smaller ones more often. but I will give them one thing they are definitely good doers and are still porky but can do a good five hours hunting with out stopping some how I die after two


I have already suspended their hey nets from the rafters so they have to work abit harder for them to get and they seem to like it. likits just get expensive after a while and the net kinda mimics that similar effect for them.  I wonder if a good foot ball would double as a jolly ball

[pinkkittywinks]

i think everything has been suggested

the mirror is great (not a glass one you can use silver sticky back plastic) as horse does not feel alone. it is very helpful for horses who can hear, but not see other horses on a yard.

have you tried a radio? some horses love music you might have to try a few different radio channels, but classical music or pop music seem popular

also you can buy haynets with different sized holes, if you buy one with small holes it slows down their eating so a haynet lasts longer

love pkw xxx