Have you come out to your horse and found them chewing on the fence or their stall? Is there a spot in the pen or pasture your horse uses to pace? If your answer is yes to either of those questions, then there is a possibility that your horse is bored. Saving your horse from boredom will prevent them from developing unsavory pasture behaviors. Preventing bad pasture behavior while keeping their mind engaged is one of the best tools to keep your fence from being chewed on or broken and their friends from getting bullied.

Boredom is an easy fix. It’s the bad behaviors that accompany a lack of activity that are not so easily adjusted.

Do horses really get bored in their pasture?

Think of your horse as having the same attention span as a kid. As we all know, if there isn’t a constant stream of activity, kids get bored. The same can be said for your horse. If they don’t have amusement provided for them then they will find something to entertain themselves. At times that activity is not conducive to a healthy relationship with your horse.

Providing things to do for your horse will help prevent unwanted pasture behavior. Activities to keep their brains working don’t have to be big. It can be something as simple as taking a book out to their pasture and hanging out with them. Or as time-consuming as jumping on and going for a ride. It is important to recognize when your horse is bored so that you can prevent bad pasture behavior.

How do I know if my horse is bored?

Horses are, by nature, herd animals. When they are living by themselves there is a chance that they will start to develop some unhealthy behavioral patterns. There are a few things you can keep an eye out for indicating your horse may be bored, such as:

• Chewing, cribbing or windsucking on fences or trees
• Pacing
• Weaving
• Pushing on fences to get at what is on the other side
• Becoming an escape artist
• Changes in personality (an increase in aggression or anxiety)

How do I stop my horse from being bored?

Horses enjoy activities that keep their brain and body engaged. Even grazing can be considered a form of entertainment. Make sure that all the obstacles that are placed high enough that they wouldn’t be able to get a leg stuck and are safe enough that they could play as rough as they do with their friends. You wouldn’t want your horse to get hurt.

It is easy to keep your horse entertained and not break the bank. Here are five fun things you can do to save your horse from boredom:

1) Bobbing for treats

Did you ever play bobbing for apples at a party as a kid? It was so much fun and provided a good chunk of entertainment. This is also a good thing for them to play in the hotter months, especially if your horse has a problem staying hydrated. Apples or watermelon rinds would be the best options for this game. Both treats will float in your horse’s water. If you choose to provide this activity for your horse, make sure that your treat of choice doesn’t stay in the water so long that it becomes moldy.

2) Space out their food and water

When your horse is grazing, they don’t stay in one place all day. They move to different spots. The same should be said for when they are eating their hay. Spacing out their hay piles gives them a chance to move just like they would if they were grazing. You could also put their water at one end of their pasture and their feed at the other end so that they must walk back and forth. If you don’t ride very often or if you have an elderly horse, place their feed at the top of a hill and their water at the bottom, or vice-versa, so that they are still working their muscles.

3) Make a mud puddle

Have you ever had your horse stop in the middle of a creek or in a body of water and start pawing? When your horse does this, they are testing to see how deep the water is before they roll. Horses don’t have the best depth perception, so they use their nose and feet to check to see how deep, far, or dangerous something is. During the spring horses will roll to help remove their shedding hair, and in the hot summer, they roll to keep cool and to help keep the flies off. If you make a mud puddle in their pasture it can help keep them cool and provide an obstacle to desensitize them with.

4) Groom them regularly

Grooming your horse is an important task that should never be skipped. It’s a chance to check them over for any injuries plus, it’s like having a spa day. Brushing out your horse without the expectation of work is a great way to bond with your horse, even if you only have 5 minutes to spend with them. Grab your brush when you grab their breakfast and give them a good rub down while they’re eating.

5) Make sure they’re getting enough exercise

Just like us humans, horses need exercise to stay healthy. While some horses, mostly the youngsters, have so much energy that they need a job in order to prevent them from getting into some form of mischief. It is important to make sure that your horse has enough exercise. If your horse does not, they can develop nasty behaviors that will affect your relationship with them. They could run when you go in the pasture to see them, bite, pin their ears, or have a lack of respect for you under saddle. 

Exercising horses is what keeps them from developing health issues, and their attitudes leaning towards a positive manner. Plus, it’s a lot more fun to ride down a trail than it is to chase your horseback to the barn. If you have an elderly horse, going on short in-hand walks will still allow them to feel useful, while also giving them the opportunity to stretch their legs outside of the pasture.

The number one thing that you want as a horse owner is for them to be living their best life. Horses are not usually happy just standing in the pasture doing nothing. They are herd animals that need to roam, exercise, and lead an active lifestyle. Providing the best care for your horse even if you have a shoe-string budget is the number one thing that you should be doing. You don’t have to have a lot of money to entertain your horse, you just have to make the time. Life can come with all sorts of distractions that can lead to feeling like there are never enough hours in a day. There are 1,140 minutes in a day. Taking five of those minutes to spend with your horse means the world to them.

If your horse is a mischief maker, you can shop our Rhino Hexstop Turnout in Autumn to keep them comfortable, warm and safe while at play.