6 Tips to Help Your Horse’s Boredom
machinery operating near the barn—if that’s the case, then turning on the barn radio can help muffle the sounds (at least partially) and provide your horse with a “everything is normal” atmosphere, especially if you normally play music while cleaning stalls or feeding.
Another case would be if a horse’s best equine buddy needs to leave the barn for a time; the music can be a distraction, or at least keep the barn from sounding completely quiet. You might also have success playing music during farrier or vet work.
5. Grooming
You can also help break up your horse’s day and introduce a diversion to his indoor time with regular grooming sessions.
Many horses enjoy this, and the time it takes to fully groom your horse’s coat, tidy his mane, clean all his feet, and comb his tail are all times that he’s being occupied and engaged, with less time to stand around thinking about which portion of the wall to chew on next.
6. Games and tricks
Finally, if you have a bit of extra time but don’t need
to ride, you can enjoy some one-on-one time and keep your horse occupied by teaching him some simple games and tricks. Horses can easily be taught to bow, smile, paw, come, and to fetch toys on command. It’s mentally engaging for them, and can be useful for breaking up long blocks of time.
Stall time doesn’t have to be boring for your horse, and hopefully some of these ideas will help keep him occupied—and help keep the stalls and fencing intact!