Enrichment

Jessey

Jessey

Well-Known Member
Dec 20, 2004
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Suffolk, UK
I hate that word but its the best my old brain can come up with just now :p

I am trying to come up with ideas for the new field of things to keep the neddies amused, moving and interested, but my two are only interested in 2 things, eating and finding a nice spot to snooze and if they can't so that they squabble :rolleyes:

I have come up with a concept of making a some kind of T post and the top of the T will either spin on the axis of the upright (think whorly gig washing line) or be like a seesaw with haynets on either end, so either way it moves and they can't just stand there and stuff :p

I'm also going to hollow out a log to wedge a mineral block in.

And sink a post to screw some old brushes to it for a scratchy spot.

Any other ideas?

I'd love to put a pool in but that's a bit of a bigger project :D I did put logs out in the current field but after the initial interest they just ignored them.

This new field is nice because it has a good hedge down one side and 2 big willows that they will enjoy eating and hiding under :) but I want it to be as interesting as possible.
 
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No help from me I'm afraid - I've never thought about it like you do...although mine live in herds of 6-10 so they jut horse around all day doing there own thing and theres plenty of grazing, hedges trees to keep them doing there thing. Interested to see what goes on elsewhere though, i like you're idea of the brooms for scratching on :cool:
 
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I'm not sure LU would be amused by anything that made him work harder for his hay, I know Jim would have walked away in disgust. Love the idea of a scratching post if there aren't bushes or trees they can use for that. Depending on how big your field is would a small sandpit be possible to provide a good rolling area? If you were really lucky it might keep them out of the mud and cleaner!
 
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Hedges and willows are great, lucky horses.

They would love a sandpit I am sure. If you have any higher ground in your field, your sandy soil should do the trick!
 
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carthorse said:
I'm not sure LU would be amused by anything that made him work harder for his hay, I know Jim would have walked away in disgust. Love the idea of a scratching post if there aren't bushes or trees they can use for that. Depending on how big your field is would a small sandpit be possible to provide a good rolling area? If you were really lucky it might keep them out of the mud and cleaner!
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Jane&Ziggy said:
They would love a sandpit I am sure. If you have any higher ground in your field, your sandy soil should do the trick!
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I was just going to reply to say that :) with our sandy soil where ever they pick to be their lounging area will end up a sand pit in no time at all :p it also means we don't really get mud :D

Jess won't tolerate working too hard for her food, the tiny holed nets she just get the hump with and stomps off, but she will tolerate small holed nets and working a little bit for her food :)
 
My next door livery.uses haynes tied into rugby balls and full of hay. Her two (an Irish Connie x TB and a Shetland cross) have a hoot flinging them about and kicking them in between eating the hay.

I'd also suggest you plant some gorse bushes as at this time of year Ziggy will stand for HOURS nibbling off the sweet growing tips and they're very good for horses. In fact more trees would be good too if you can protect them at the sapling stage. Willows are favourite for quick growth and tasty leafage!
 
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What about a play ball. One of the horses in the yard next door was running around with one in its mouth the other day. Later on in the day it was playing with it again. Chunky would not play, but I'm sure Billy would if he had one. In fact I was poo picking the other day and took my jumper off as I was hot. Put it on the floor, next thing I look over to see Billy had gone and picked it up a was nibbling it. I yelled at him across the field to put it down so he decided to go one step further and ran up the field with it in his mouth.
 
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We have these. They are definately robust enough when the cob leans in and knocks the crap out of them with an itch!
Ideal for schooling around / focal point.
 

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Bodshi said:
I believe they also contain aspirin and I'm told horses will seek them out to eat for medicinal purposes. Maybe it will help Jess?
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They do, jess has been going crazy for it when ever I get the chance to cut some branches for her so hopefully it will help.

I got them a ball before but after some vague interest they never went near it again :rolleyes: unless its a treat ball of course :p
 
I have a concept but not sure what to use to make it work, so ideas please :D

I want to make something the horses can walk through to get the bugs off them, so either a gallows type frame with dangly things or 2 posts with 'fingers' sticking out towards each other.
If I go with the gallows type the dangly bits will need to be heavy enough to drag over their bodies but gentle enough to not cause injury and be made of something that won't get tangled in knots and subsequently get caught around their neck.....?
The fingers type would need to be something ridged enough to stick out horizontally but flexible enough to bend as they walk through.....?
 
Are the willows weeping willows? If they are they should do the job for you. Otherwise for the gallows type could you cut plastic feed sacks into wide strips? Just be careful you don't put it where it'll spook other horses - a woman at my yard was worried her cob wouldn't respect electric fencing so tied carrier bags to it. Unfortunately it was next to the walkway to the other paddocks &it nearly caused a very nasty accident when horses were being turned out & got spooked.
 
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Yes, I imagine Jess has a big pruning capacity :)

I think feed bag strips are a good idea - something like a soft version of the things people use to close off parts of warehouses so the wind doesn't blow through. If the bags aren't strong enough you could buy something like heavy duty landscape fabric.

Best would surely be low hanging trees. Horses don't like to eat elder trees (as in elderberries) - perhaps you could plant one or two if you haven't got them http://www.trees-online.co.uk/Elder.html? As long as you have a long lease on the field!
 
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