Keeping the Stabled Horse Happy
At this time of year, many horses will be forced to spend more time in their stables as the nights draw in and we try to prevent our fields from becoming poached and muddy.
But how to we help them adjust to life in the stable and reduce the potential effects of boredom? Dr Derek Cuddeford BSc, MSc, PhD, from the Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies at Edinburgh University, offers some timely advice on the benefits of environmental enrichment. “Horses are frequently kept isolated in a loosebox, with little interaction with other animals and limited access to the outdoors.
As a result they don’t get the chance to perform normal horse-like behaviour, which may result in stress or boredom that leads to vices, such as crib-biting, box walking and wind-sucking. “It is important therefore, to remember that horses like to play.
This behaviour is more visually obvious young lambs, calves and foals, but adult equines like to play too. Nowadays, it is understood that play behaviour is of great importance to an animal’s well-being and, as a result, we are actively encouraged to enrich the stable environment.
Allowing stabled horses or ponies to play with ‘toys’ increases the diversity of their environment, thereby reducing the seeming monotony of life in the stable. “Likit Products are specially designed to relieve stable boredom by providing environmental enrichment. Alternating the different Likit products and flavours, as well as the position of the toys can further help to keep the horse stimulated.
Studies have shown that horses will spend quite a lot of time using flavoured Likit blocks and this oral behaviour may be regarded as a form of ingestive behaviour. Thus, the horse is extending the time it spends eating in the stable, thereby reducing the inactivity which can lead to abnormal behaviours.”