Help for the Bored Horse!

I have a horse recovering from colic surgery. It was his second in 3 months so the closing was difficult. He has been on stall rest for 16 weeks. He is a little stir crazy. I would love suggestions on things to keep him entertained.

He doesn't play with his Jolly Ball. He loves his daily grooming sessions. Anyone have any ideas?

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Permalink Reply by Dorothy McDonall on January 28, 2009 at 12:19am

How about a facial massage with lavender aromatherapy oil (for him, not you ;-) ) I do this for my boy after every ride and he loves it! I started using it on him when he first came home, as it has a calming effect and I wanted him to associate me with something pleasant while we were getting to know each other. Just a dab of oil rubbed into the palm of your hands and then all over his face (being careful to avoid the eyes, of course), and massaging around his ears should help to soothe him and make him feel comfortable. It offers a lovely bonding moment as well.

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Permalink Reply by Lyn on January 28, 2009 at 1:24am

Thanks! What a great idea. He loves lavender Aroma Therapy that I use in his nose, I never thought to do a massage on his face. He really is being a good sport maybe the massage will help.

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Permalink Reply by Hank on January 28, 2009 at 1:26am

It's hard to say without knowing your barn setup. I don't know if he can be hand walked or if he gets too excited or perhaps that's too much movement for him...but probably just getting out of his stall for a bit is the best thing. My horse won't play with a jolly ball but he likes plastic milk jugs tied up at about chest level around his stall. Also, I've heard that horses sometimes like having a mirror in their stalls. They can look at themselves and they think they have company. I've heard that it works well for horses that have developed bad habits like weaving and cribbing in their stalls.

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Permalink Reply by Lyn on January 28, 2009 at 11:54am

Thanks for your reply! I'll try the milk jugs and the mirror. Do you hang multiple milk jugs? He can't hand walk because he gets too excited. He could walk early in the recovery but now he is just too excited. We are getting close to the end though - he has one divot on the linea that is the size of a pencil eraser - the surgeon wants 4 more weeks to try to prevent it from becoming a hernia. So far the best thing has been lots of shavings - he loves a nice bed and seems to spend his spare time sleeping. No cribbing or weaving yet (yeah).

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Permalink Reply by Hank on January 28, 2009 at 1:29am

By the way...if you tie up milk jugs, make sure you remove the plastic tops. Also, if you put a mirror in, you want to make sure he's not going to be able to break it. You probably know that but I'm just saying...

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Permalink Reply by Barbara F. on January 28, 2009 at 9:04am

Can you do any slow hand-walking?

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Permalink Reply by Lyn on January 28, 2009 at 11:56am

Thanks for the reply. No hand walking. He could walk if he would walk but after 16 weeks it is a bit more like flying a kite! So his surgeon said NO!

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Permalink Reply by Shimmer E on January 28, 2009 at 12:05pm

My big boy is honestly as little A.D.D. In order to stimulate his mind and bomb-proof him at the same time, we took to feeding him treats and grain in unconventional ways: we stated with a paper bag. Safe for him to shread, makes noise, and make him think too. Now he just steps on a corner and tears it apart. We give him the boxes manderin oranges come in, put in crunchies and oates. He can knock that thing around and paw at it and he really has to work to get the treats to fall out. We also give him empty grain sacks with a big of grain still in. He'll pick them up and shake them all over. Even a rubber boot is fun. You can put carrots or apples, or whatever your guy likes in, as long as it smells good and will hold his attention.

I'll be checking back to see what other suggestions people leave for you, cause I could use some new ones too!!

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Permalink Reply by Lyn on January 28, 2009 at 1:21pm

Great ideas! We give him the plastic bags that the shavings come in (only when we are there) and he plays with them for a few minutes and then proceeds to beat his 23 year old barn mate with them. Thank goodness the 23 year old just looks at him and ignores him (I swear he rolls his eyes!)

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Permalink Reply by Lyn on January 28, 2009 at 9:17pm

News Flash- Carrots in a paper bag worked great! He smashed them into pulp with his hoof tryiing to open the bag. Then he figured out how to open the top of the bag, and suprise - carrot mush to be munched. It kept him busy for about an hour. He is even going back to investigate during his dinner. Thanks heaps for the suggestion.

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Permalink Reply by Rebecca Franklin on February 4, 2009 at 3:39pm

In Aus we have lick it balls. They can be hung from the roof and they have flavoured stuff inside. They are refillable. If you can't get them where you are. Maybe I could help out. My horses are very food orientated, licorice being their favourite.

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Permalink Reply by Lyn on March 10, 2009 at 11:43pm

Thanks so much - we have them here and my other horses love them. He can't have any food treats (except carrots) but the good news is he has been cleared to hand walk!