There are many box rest ideas for horses, some of which you might not be aware of. This article hopes to give you new ideas.
Having to keep your horse on box rest is never ideal. Firstly it means that your horse has a problem to be overcome. Secondly, your horse may become bored and develop stable vices which can become regular behaviour. There are things you can do to to engage with your horse even though they may not be able to enjoy their freedom for a while.
If your horse spends 24/7 recuperating from illness or trying to stay safe from laminitis in a small space, they are likely to become bored. Read on to find out 20+ ideas of how to keep your horse occupied whilst on box rest.
- Mirrors – Horses are social animals who evolved to roam freely. Being shut up in a small space removes both of these freedoms. With no company your horse may feel less lonely if you hang up a stable mirror so they feel that they have an equine friend close by.
- Radio – Some possible distress can be removed by putting a radio in your horse’s stable. Plus it’s quite fun to find out if you horse is more relaxed with classical tunes, or whether they’re a frustrated punk rocker!
- Treat Ball – Continued confinement can lead to boredom. Using a treat ball to get your horse’s mind working can take the edge off as they can spend a few hours working out how to get the treats out of the holes. Make sure you choose a very robust type as some horses can get frustrated with treat balls and work out that simply stamping on them will have the desired effect more quickly.
- Company – If you’re able to have a companion in the stable/stall (if it’s large enough and your horse is friendly) then this allows mutual grooming and social interaction. This can lessen the distress that being cooped up can cause.
- Talk grills – Sometimes a companion in the stable isn’t possible. If you’re able to remove the internal wall and install a talk grill instead, this can allow your horse not only to see and ‘talk’ to another horse, but will also provide mental stimulation as your horse will have more to look at.
- Plenty of forage – Although your vet or nutritionist can give advise on diet, reducing the amount of hard feed and increasing forage is likely to be advised. Feeding ad lib hay in small holed nets will keep your horse active for longer. Horses continually graze whilst in the field, so giving the horse’s gut something to work on throughout the box rest will help to keep stress and gut problems at bay.
- Hide & Seek – Hiding treats around the stable will keep your horse’s brain ticking over and make the time go quicker. Hiding carrots and apples, swedes etc. around so that your horse has to hunt for treats (with vet consent) will help pass the time.
hunt the apple - Grass cubes – Grass cubes are solid and will take your horse longer to get through, and take more effort that simply putting hay in a net or on the floor.
- Hanging Treats – Hanging swedes or carrots from the ceiling can make it more difficult for your horse to wolf them down within seconds. Keep an eye on your horse though if you hide or hand treats. Some horses become more anxious when they have to hunt or work for their food too hard. You can also hang hay away from the corner of the table so that the haynet moves, making it a longer task to empty.
- Try to visit more often/have others visit – Mental stimulation is even more important if your horse is on box rest. If you can, try spending more time with your horse, and ask friends and family to pop up and say hello. This will keep your horse more interested and the interaction with others can reduce stress.
- Double netted hay – Double netting your hay can make it last longer and help keep your horse occupied whilst they are in the stable for days or months.
- Add a branch to chew on – If your field is surrounded by hedges you’ll have probably seen that your horse likes to nibble on the hedge occasionally. Recreate this in the stable by bringing in a few branches/maybe hanging them up, so that your horse still has the option to chew on the hedge if they so desire.
- Give your horse a massage/learn Reiki – When your horse is on enforced box rest, this is the time to improve your bond. Spend the time that you would have ridden to groom and massage your horse. Maybe learn reiki so that you can increase your bond and help them put up with being confined more happily.
- Read a book to your horse – Your voice can be soothing to your horse as they often see you as a ‘safe’ place.
- Make sure there’s enough ventilation – Your horse is unlikely to be on box rest/confined to the stable if they are healthy. As such it’s important not to compound any issues by giving them respiratory problems too by not having suitable ventilation. Having a window in the back of the stable will also mean that they have more areas to look at.
- Choose your bedding – Ensure that your bedding is dust and mite free. For laminitics an deep, soft bed is the norm so that they can dig their feet in and the bedding provides soft support. Other ailments mean that a sparse bed is needed. Just make sure that there is enough covering for your horse to lie down comfortably. Horses don’t like to be splashed when urinating, so try to make a small section of bedding deeper (if bedding is limited) so that they are not discouraged from passing water.
- Frozen treats in hot weather – Not only for field kept horses, all horses enjoy frozen treats when the temperature is high. The benefit to stabled horses is that it can help to get enough fluid into your horse, and it takes longer for your horse to finish the treat.
- Free choice of herbs and nettles etc. – Give your horse something to look forward to by bringing in fresh herbs and nettles to snack on and provide natures healthy rewards. Hiding these around the stable can also bring positives as it takes the horse longer to finish eating and mimics the natural foraging instinct of the horse.
- Trick training – If your vet gives you the go-ahead, try teaching your horse tricks whilst they can’t get out into the paddock. Teaching your horse to bow, say thank you, lie down upon request can be fun for both you and your horse, and can be very rewarding in itself.
- Carrot stretches – Keeping your horse limber can be achieved by using carrot stretches. You may already have used carrot stretches before your horse went on box rest, or you may just be starting. Anything that gets your horse to use his body and keep suppleness will help your horse when they are allowed to start coming out of the stable for short periods. Many horses are treat-orientated, so carrot stretches will not only endear you to your horse, but help keep muscles in good order.
- Busy or quiet yard? – Keep an eye on your horse. Whilst most horses prefer to see what’s going on around them whilst stood in a stable, some get even more upset if they see a busy yard with people and horses back and forth. Not being able to join in can itself be damaging to your horses mental health and cause stable vices to occur. If your horse shows signs of stress and your yard is busy, try moving them to a box where fewer people and horses pass. If you feel your horse needs a busier outlook, then try the reverse.
Conclusion
If your horse is unlucky enough to need to be confined to a stable for a long period of time, then boredom can creep in. This can lead to all manner of stable vices in the future. Therefore, the best thing to do is to find ways to keep your horse interested and involved with things as much as you can.
Not all treats/tricks will work for all horses. But spending extra time with your horse will be beneficial for both of you, and it can be fun trying to work out whether your horse’s heart lies in Dixie, or whether they’re a rock and roller, or a fan of classical!.
Whatever you try, don’t be disheartened. Eventually your horse will hopefully get the all clear to leave the stall, but in the meantime, use the time to get to know one another better as this can only be a good thing for both you and your horse.
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