Giving toys to stabled horses is a topic of debate among industry professionals. While toys give horses something to do, they may often become habituated to them and start to ignore them. As we take a closer look at the benefits of providing toys to horses, ensure your operation is backed by a Wright City Equine Insurance policy.
According to The Horse, what we’re really talking about when providing a “toy” is environmental enrichment. That’s a big issue in particular among zoo keepers and habitat designers for captive wild animal spaces and management. The objective of environmental enrichment is to increase the complexity and diversity of the animal’s environment to improve physical and behavioral well-being. Whether it is providing activities or mimicking a natural habitat, there are a few different approaches to enriching the horse’s environment.
Foraging toys that require the horse to move pellets and hay around to emit food are a great way to stimulate stabled horses. Try including more than one foraging toy to be even more beneficial. Or, if you have balls and other toys in the stables, consider rotating them every so often so that your horses don’t become bored.
In addition, you can implement tactile toys, as well. Substrates can be put in to allow the horse to rub and scratch on if they don’t prefer the toys. Or, allow the horses to see their neighbors or have a view to look out on. These types of environmental enrichment can provide various behavioral and health benefits for your horses.
At Sine Insurance Group, we are located on a horse ranch where we raise quality quarter horses. Therefore, our passion translates to the insurance products we provide our customers to ensure they are properly secured. For more information, contact us today at (855) 700-0889.