Let’s talk about... Boredom busters
Less exercise and turnout time may mean your horse spends longer in his stable during the winter, so how can you make sure he stays happy and contented? We put the question to our Facebook followers. Here are their tips…
CREATURE COMFORTS
My mare loves her stable and will pull any trick to stay in the warm and dry. Last winter she had four months’ box rest — I think she’s plotting something for this winter too…
Natalie Marsh
OUT AND ABOUT
Ours still go out every day and are then stabled at night with lots of hay and contact with their neighbours. We hack out in all weathers so they are always being ridden. Some will be clipped soon due to their workload.
Movana Sordet
TIMETABLE CHANGES
We don’t change our routine other than bringing our horses in slightly earlier and giving them tea a bit sooner. We also put extra hay in their stables. Because ecause of the dark nights we can’t hack out as much so we do more schooling. Other than that, it’s business as usual. On a dry day they play in the field; if it’s too wet and miserable they stay inside.
Leonie Chester-Lees
OUT 24/7
My two are out 24/7 all year round. They have a field shelter and I make up a thick straw bed so they can get cosy. I also avidly check my weather app so I know which rugs they’ll need.
Karen Jennings
GRUB’S UP
Radio on, lots of hay and a puzzle ball with treats in keeps my mare quiet. She just loves her grub!
Sue Nevins
BEST MATES
Two of my horses are inseparable. They come in at night and I modified my stables so they can still touch each other, or else they’d kick up a huge fuss.
Teresa Cooper
HEY HAY
I make sure mine have lots and lots of hay and that neighbours can see each other and touch noses. I also play the radio, leave lights on until 10pm, and I’m careful not to over-rug.
Denise Tross
QUIZ TIME
Our cob is halfway through 12 weeks of box rest following a knee injury. We set puzzles for him involving food, like apple bobbing in his water bucket, and slices of carrot around the ledges of his stable for him to find. We also gave him a swede hung on a string and poked greenery from the hedge, such as hawthorn, through the bars of his window. He’s s been amazing in his behaviour.
Sarah Thurnell
MAXIMUM TURNOUT
I give my mare as much turnout as possible, but if the weather’s really awful she stays in. At these times I make an effort to give her extra attention and even clean my tack outside her stable so she can watch me. It’s great for bonding.
Lisa Smith
HIDDEN TREATS
I tuck chopped up carrots and apples into my boy’s haynet for him to find as he forages, and I hang haynets in different places for variety too.
Alice Tanner
TORCHLIT HACKS
I work full time, so I have to hack out in the dark — luckily there’s no roadwork. We wear hi-vis and lights and I put on a headtorch so we don’t give dog walkers a fright!
Hazel Hill
MAMMA MIA!
I have Spotify linked up to a little speaker and I put it on in the stable while doing my jobs. My mare loves it — I’m sure she’s a Mamma Mia fan.
Hilda Bracket