Just one step!
Please confirm your registration using the link we sent you by email.
New
Horse
rider
Care & stable & feed
Dog
Collections
Whether box rest, winter without a suitable pasture or paddock or simply a young horse - activity is important against boredom. Because bored horses can develop behavioral disorders such as bucking or weaving, which can damage their health in the long term. Of course it would be more species-appropriate to leave your horse in a herd in a pasture or paddock all year round. There it can deal with its conspecifics or the slow intake of food. In addition, contact with conspecifics is very important for a herd animal for mental health.
Since this is not possible in some cases for various reasons or only possible to a limited extent, equestrian sports offer some innovative and tried and tested products to prevent boredom. In addition to hay nets, salt licks or food balls, there are also various "cuddly toys" or other options that you can use, for example LikIt You can freely hang stones or treats.
Horses should have constant access to roughage. In nature, horses graze for up to 16 hours, slowly moving forward. Depending on the vegetation and climate, wild horses cover distances of up to 30 kilometers. Unfortunately, this is hardly possible for the riding horse in a conventional horse stable. When grazing or in an open stable, domestic horses still cover around 8 to 16 km a day, while at night they mainly doze and sometimes sleep deeply.
If you keep your horse in stalls, you should therefore provide your horse with enough roughage such as high-quality hay or haylage. Many horses also like to eat straw when there is no more hay available. Straw has about a third less energy than hay and contains less protein and sugar. However, you should make sure that your horse always has enough fresh water available if it likes to eat straw. In addition, the straw should be of good quality and neither smell bad nor feel clammy or damp. If it is contaminated with mould, mites or beetles, it is not suitable as feed or bedding.
Hay nets are one of the most popular ways to keep your horse from slinging and to provide roughage for a long period of time. If the hay net is full, your horse has to work a little to pluck the hay through the narrow mesh. In any case, you must fasten the hay net securely so that it does not become a tripping hazard. Your horse shouldn't be able to get its hoof or horseshoe caught in the mesh. To prevent this bad situation, hang it about a meter off the ground and take it out of the box when it's empty.
A sensible alternative for stables, pastures and paddocks is the fodder ball for hay. The Heuboy fodder ball holds up to 3 kg of hay and is made of stable, UV-resistant plastic. With 19 openings of 70 mm each, there is little risk of the horse getting stuck in them. The feed ball can also be hung on a rope or chain. As a small reward, you can also hide carrots or pieces of apple between the hay.
To keep your four-legged friend busy, you can also hang a toy ball in the box or put it on the paddock. The colorful balls offer a good variety. However, many horses have to get used to balls before they engage in them. But then they like to be twirled through the air or kicked over the paddock. You should ask your stable owner beforehand whether you can put a ball in the box or on the paddock, because such toys are not always welcome. High-spirited horses can overdo it once they get used to playing balls.
In addition to conventional feed and treats, many horse owners also like to use twigs. Horses like to nibble off the bark of twigs, sometimes even eating them whole. This distraction and occupation also takes place on the pasture if there are trees next to it or standing directly on the pasture. You can simply put or hang a thick branch in the stable. Your horse can nibble on this to its heart's content. Tree species such as birch, alder, hazelnut, fruit trees such as apples or pears, poplars, elms or willows are particularly suitable. Once your horse has nibbled off the bark, you should remove the branch from the horse box. Also make sure that you do not offer your horse any poisonous woods such as acacia, beech, conifers, horse chestnut or walnut. Please inform yourself in advance. As with any feed, you should also make sure that your horse does not have an allergic reaction.
