DIY Stable Toys for less than £5!

Hello!

As it has reached that time of year when many of us bring our horses in at night, I've decided to do a post on some quick and simple 'toys' to help keep your horses happy whilst confined to their 4 walls! There are various stable toys available on the market, however these can be expensive - especially if your horse doesn't get on with them! 

#1: A Swede
These are really good as they take a while for horses to get through and can also be hung or left to roll around on the ground (however, be aware that if you are going to hang them, it takes a lot of effort to make a hole in!). 

#2: Carrots & Apples
These can be hidden in haynets, in the bedding, in water buckets - anywhere that involves your horse having to do a bit of digging and investigating in order for them to get the reward! Putting them in water buckets also encourages them to drink, so perfect if your horse is a bit reluctant or you want to see if they are getting water. 

#3: A Football
This can be a hit or miss one as some horses may like it, whilst others may not! They can act as a 'Jolly Ball' or you could also make a DIY 'Distraction Aid'  by placing the ball in a carrot net and then adding the carrots round the edge and using some string/baling twine to hang it up! 

#4: Licks
This is a slight cheat but you can get some licks for less than £5 such as a salt lick or 'Uncle Jimmy's Licky Thing' and then as a means of making it cheaper, instead of forking out for a lick holder, just use some string/baling twine, through the middle and hang where you desire :)

There are also other ideas which I found such as traffic cones, old plastic containers with holes put in and used as a treat trickle feeder or stuffing a paper bag with hay/carrots/various other edible items!

Let me know if you've ever tried any DIY stable toys! Or even ones you've bought! Pea has a likit snak-a-ball but he never worked out how to use it properly!

Thanks for reading,
Laura xx