Horse Care & ManagementBarn Management

15 Great Horse Stall Toys & DIY Stable Enrichment & Boredom Busters

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From Likit Starter Kits to Snak-a-Ball treat dispensers, learn about the various stall enrichment toys available for horses. Our comprehensive guide sheds light on each toy's features, how to use them and the reviews they've garnered online. Discover the best toys for your horse today.

Being in a stall is not the horse’s natural environment. It is most often stressful or boring to a horse and can also lead to stiffness and digestive issues from not moving around enough. 

Luckily stable toys can help alleviate these things. They can help relieve stress, engage the horse’s mind and get the horse moving around a little bit more (not as much as being outside and moving around though).

Some horse’s are lucky enough to live outside 24/7 with a shelter or have some stall time but be able to spend most of their time outside. 

This is not the case with most horses and probably not the case for your horse. The average horse is in a stall for 8 hours or more. 

  • You may not have much of a choice if you are boarding your horse, to have your horse turned out for longer periods of time. 
  • Or if your horse is on stall rest and needs to stay in a stall for a length of time maybe days, weeks or more. 
  • Or if there is not enough land for all the horses at your farm to go out at once, which in that case it sounds like too many horses.

So seeing that your horse is going to be spending a significant amount of time in the stall, this includes horses that get daily turnout. If your horse is in a stall for 8 hours or more. That is a significant amount of time.

Horses are intelligent beings and life in a stall can be pretty dull or nerve wracking. Bored and nervous horses are usually the ones that develop stable vices, such as pacing, weaving, cribbing, and chewing. 

brown, wooden, gate, Horse, Profile, Face, Animal, Stallion, head, farm

Getting some horse toys will enrich your horse’s life, bust boredom and this will improve your horse’s quality of life. And thankfully there are many toys for horses out in the market today.

Every horse is different. I will say that many times. So two horses may not like the same toys. It may take some experimentation to find the right toys for your horse.

I have tried many of these toys with horse’s I’ve owned in the past. I have seen horses at barns with some of these toys. And then some of these toys seem like a good idea. This list will include DIY horse toys and stall enrichment as well.

We want our ponies to be as comfortable and happy as we can make them!

So here are these toys and ideas for toys you can crate yourself to make your horse happier.

Likit Starter Kit

The Likit Starter Kit comes with:

  • Likit holder
  • 3 different flavored Likits
  • 2 small bags of horse treats

You want to hang the Likit away from the walls. You will find out why in a moment once you get to the next product which is another Likit product.

The Likit is meant to swing around as the horse tries to lick the treat, making it more of a challenge and something to do. All my horses loved this toy.

Normally when you buy a Likit. You have to buy the holder and the treat refills separately. The Likit holder doesn’t come with the treats that goes inside it.

This is why when you first get one you save a little bit of money by buying the kit, where you get several Likits with the holder.

Comments About The Likit Starter Kit From Around The Web:

Loved It:

My mare was not one I would’ve pegged as needing a “toy”, but after watching her play with water buckets on a couple different occasions recently, I thought she might enjoy a “treat” she can play with. Well, she LOVED it! The picture I have is after just 24 hours with the treat. She is stalled 19 hours out of the day, so I loved that she enjoyed this so much! She’s not one that has poor stall behavior or needed this as a means to stop unnecessary behaviors, I only bought it to see if she’d be interested. I will continue to buy the refills for the treat holder!

Kelly B.

We bought the Likit starter kit for one of our horses who gets bored in the stall and starts pawing on the door. It keeps him occupied and he enjoys the flavors. It is a good product and I would recommend it to horses that need to entertain themselves.

COREEN R. 

Have been looking for something where I can hang on the paddock over the winter and have come across this part and what can I say my horses love it and are busy for a long time. Thus, for me it fulfilled the purpose very well.


Katja Finkbeiner

Didn’t Work For Them:

I have a very playful and curious two year old filly. It took her less than 24 hours to figure out how to knock the candy out of the holder and demolish it somehow. The second lick was out the next day. Anyone want a used holder and a spare apple flavored lick? lol

Skyaweegirl

My horse is a very curious one and loves treats. But the Likit lost his interest quickly. Unless I hold it sideways he no longer has any try for it. Disappointed it’s not being used by him. Sorry but I can’t recommend this product.

David M.

Likit Boredom Buster

The Likit Boredom Breaker has the main Likit holder and then two areas for small Likits on the ball portion. This toy doesn”t come with the Likits you must buy the Likits separately.

All my horses liked this toy, basically because of the snacks.

One of my horses figured out how to push it up against the walk and bite the Likit. He ate it in one day.

So it’s important not to hang it right neck to the wall or a place that the horse can lean it against something.

The point of it is that it swings around as they try to get the treats and they are supposed to end up licking the treats.

Once I placed the toy hanging at the center of the stall hanging off a beam, the toy did it’s job correctly.

Comments About The Likit Boredom Buster From Around The Web:

Loved It:

I’ve had mine for over 2 years my horse bites it and plays with it and it’s held up to a beating and still great to use! The “little likits” are what you use to re fill this just use pliers to pull old empty one out and push/click new one in super easy! Horses love them! Definitely helps stall boredom!
I suggest hanging so that your horse doesn’t cheat and push against stall wall and eat all at once!! :p


Missy!

Once he discovered the carrot side, he was hooked. I put it in the place he goes to try to crib, and he hasn’t picked a new spot yet, so that’s good too. Got it mainly because he’s been on stall rest, but I plan on leaving up because it has deterred his cribbing attempts. The other side is apple, not sure why he’s not into it, but that’s okay. We just won’t go through that side as fast.


T-View

Keeps my young thoroughbred entertained !!!!Hung it by her mirror .she thinks its great that she has a friend playing with her likit toy as well!


donna

Wasn’t For Them:

They got bored!I have the jolly lik and they loved it but it took them 10 minutes to eat the treat, so i got this and they are bored of it! i have a bunch of treats for it but they dont seem to enjoy it at all.

Harleywood

This holds the apparently very tasty small Likit blocks and is supposed to be a hard difficulty level. I got it because my horse devours the large one within minutes, which can’t be good for him. He licked this one for less than a minute before he found he could bite the plastic part and break it open. Which is obviously not a good thing for many reasons. I think this item is cute and would be fine for a horse that is less food motivated. But I would not say the difficulty rating is high, which is why I cannot use them.


B. Jacobs

Likit Tongue Twister

Another horse treat toy from Likit. This toy spins around. I have not tried it myself but it is a toy that many horses seem to like.

It has a spot for two small Likits which must be bought separately. You screw it into a wall or board. You choose how you want to screw it in, so that it is spinning vertically or turn it so it is spinning horizontally.

I can’t say for certain because I haven’t tried it with my horses, but this might be something interesting to try with horses that crib since it spins. Has anyone tried this toy for a cribber, let me know in the comments!

Comments About The Likit Tongue Twister From Around The Web

Loved It:

Scarlet loves her new likit toy. It is weighted better with 2 flavor Inserts. I do have to limit Scarlet– nites shes inside she just “licks” away.
She is a cribber and while she tries to crib it the size ,the shape, makes that difficult. I love that!

P.Tracy A.

Rated 4 out of 5Worth the wait (mostly)This was backordered, so we had to wait a couple of weeks for it. But, it’s the first toy I’ve seen any of my horses enjoy. I got it for my 30 year old OTTB mare who was playing in the water tank in her paddock and kicking the metal tank all night (never mind the fact that she has 7 acres to explore, lol). She LOVES it and hasn’t been messing with the water tank since install. My only worries are that the treat inserts go SUPER quick (like, 2 days for each one) and I can already see teeth/ bite marks on the toy (after 2 weeks). Just a little nervous about durability. But, it’s doing the job so far!

LoveforRetiredTBs

My horse absolutely loves this stall toy! Super easy to attach to a stall wall (you will need a power drill to install), durable, and great to relieve boredom on rainy days stuck in a stall!

Lynn B.

Wasn’t For Them:

Bought this for my horses stall to keep her from being bored in the stall… She won’t use it at all”

PATRICIA G.

Likit Snak-a-Ball

Another toy from Likit. This toy fits grain or hay pellets. Hay cubes and most horse treats are too big for this ball.

However, it can be a great way to slow a horse down with their grain and make it more interesting.

You just need to make sure that there is space in the stall where the shavings or bedding is swept back.

So that the ball can be rolled around and the pellets will come out in a spot where the horse will be able to nibble them up.

Comments About The Likit Snack-A-Ball From Around The Web

Loved It:

My horsey on 12 weeks box rest loves his ball

Gr8toes

My horse loves this! He’s been on stall rest for months and was becoming destructive, but we bought this and he has focused all his attention on the treat ball. It’s durable and easy to fill. I highly recommend it!

Maranda

 I love this toy and so does my horse! I got it because he gets bored and chews on the barn. It took him a bit to figure out how to get all the grain out since the other ball is much easier.(he doesn’t like to try for very long) This one keeps him occupied for a good while. Best one so far!

holly

I’ve had one of these for years and just bought two more for my other horses. They love them – the treat balls keep them amused for ages, I’d definitely recommend them

Julie Lennox

Wasn’t For Them:

Not found it very good. It’s difficult to open it up to get the nuts in and the ponies have hardly looked at it. It’s quite heavy, not great for Shetlands

Shetland pony

Don’t understand this product. It is supposed to be filled with grain and it spills it out a bit at time. But, since the stall is full of shavings, pee and manure, I think it isn’t a great idea to have the horse picking through all that. It might be better in a paddock, but if it has grass, horse doesn’t need to graze on grain, and if is a dirt paddock, you risk the horse eating dirt or sand.

James

Jolly Stall Snack Combo

This toy is similar to the Likit Boredom Buster.

There is the stall snack holder you can put a treat or a salt lick in and then the green ball attached is an apple scented jolly ball. You do have to buy the treats separately.

This may be a good option for horses that like to play with a jolly ball but also like Likit type snacks as well.

Comments About The Likit Snack-A-Ball From Around The Web

Loved it:

My young horse is in love with this and has stopped chewing on the wood in her stall.

Blm7

I recently got one of these miracle workers and my horse can’t get enough of it! He has a plain jolly ball but he just lost interest in it, & he also has a likit but has also lost interest in that also. But as soon as I hung this up he was crazy about it. Defiantly a great combination to put together. And I love the smell of the scented ball and the treat mixed together!

CHMD

So far, so good! I got this for my yearling stud colt who would get bored and play with things he shouldn’t. lol It didn’t take long for him to start playing with this instead. He hasn’t figured out the snack part but he definitely thinks it’s fun! 😉

Michelle1050

I have three horses aged 16, 16 and 18 and they all love the apple scented ball. I think it really helps keep them busy when they have to spend time in their stalls. They don’t even need a Likit in it to keep them happy. Easy to install and clean. Just wish it came with a Likit.

ewein12345

Wasn’t For Them:

It seemed like a cute toy that would keep my young horse busy at night (and I, for one, thought the apple-scent was pretty delicious!), but alas, she seems completely disinterested. I even tried replacing the default “snack” with the Himalayan salt option, but still no dice. She prefers the plain old mineral-block on the wall or stall floor and hasn’t touched this since I hung it up. Go figure. I guess it’s just not for everyone.

Foxy Filly

“This product seems to be made fairly well, but my horses could not be less interested in it. Even the treat part does not get their attention.”

anonymous

Uncle Jimmy’s Hanging Balls Sugar-Free

Yet another kind of treat you can hang in your horses stall.

My horses absolutely loved these Uncle Jimmy’s Hanging Balls. While doing barn work I have seen one of the past horses I owned lick this thing for over a half an hour with only short breaks.

If a horse pushed this treat ball against something they could get chunks out of it, but it is harder to do than with a Likit or a Jolly Snack.

This is a sugar free version of the Uncle Jimmy’s Hanging balls. You can get them with sugar as well. But there are many horses that need an alternative to the sugary treats.

Comments About Uncle Jimmy’s Hanging Ball From Around The Web

Loved It:

I bought this for my three horses and two of them loved it!!!! It lasted a week for both but I hanged it so they can pin it to the metal. My horses mood was definitely more happier With their uncle jimmy’s hanging ball!

Karolina

These are great, keeps my horse entertained for hours. I only leave it while supervised so he’s excited every time you bring it out. It lasts a while and yes they get sticky all over but totally worth it to keep them occupied when stuck inside for extended amounts of time

8264jumper

My horse can’t get enough of these. She prefers the peppermint one but will take any she can get! If I had to pick a con I would say that she finishes them too fast so it’d be nice if they were cheaper!

Matina

I initially tried Uncle Jimmy’s Hangin ball about a year ago when my horse was on stall rest after colic surgery. He was bored out of his mind and this gave him something to do and entertain himself. I wanted to get something that hanged rather than sat on the floor of the stall for sanitary reasons. The hanging snack ball was perfect. All three of my horses love them. Each snack ball lasts about 2 to 3 weeks with my horses licking them.

hapa67

Wasn’t For Them:

I’ve been buying these while my horse is on long term stall rest. The first couple worked okay once I figured out how to properly hang them, away from any walls that my horse could hold the treat ball against to devour it. The latest one fell off the rope within 2 days. I don’t know if it’s the heat (mid to upper 80s) and humidity in Georgia, or the insufficient rope size, or a combination. This product could be made better by using a larger rope, with a significant size knot at the bottom. As it’s currently designed, it just falls off the rope and onto the ground.

LizS

Hanging Himalayan Rock Salt

If your horse needs more salt in their diet they might really like a Himalayan Salt Lick. You can hang it up in the horses stall as you would a Likit, so the horse can push it around and play with it.

This is also good for the horses that shouldn’t have sugary treats or if you just want to give your horse something other than horse treats with sugar.

Comments About Hanging Himilayan Salt Blocks From Around The Web

Loved It:

My horses love this product and go immediately to it after their apple treats in the AM and PM.

dobrocat1

“My 30 year old Arab mare just goes crazy for this !!! It’s so funny to hear her in her stall, just attacking it . Believe me, she doesn’t do that with a regular salt block.”

Jennifer Lawrence

“The horses LOVE them !!! Just tie them to your stall bars and watch them . Their eyes light up !”

Anonymous

“My horse loves these salt rocks! These are much more palatable than mineral salt bricks.”

LISA H.

“My horse would ignore the small salt or salt/mineral blocks…they would eventually disintegrate totally untouched. I finally bought one of these and he uses it all the time. I hung it from the middle rail of his pipe corral and it is disappearing and he is drinking more water which is essential in our hot summers. What a surprise! I recommend this product if you have a horse who usually ignores the salt licks/blocks available to him.”

Judyc135

Wasn’t For Them:

Shires Carrot Ball

This is a plastic ball you can hang in your horses stall. It has three holes for carrots to be put into. You can be creative and put other vegtables or treats in their, but it was specifically made for carrot lovers.

I have met horses that haven’t liked apples but I have not met a horse who doesn’t like carrots.

Comments About The Shires Carrot Ball From Around The Web

Loved It:

My horse enjoys trying to get the carrots out of this ball. Only thing I didn’t like is it does not come inflated which was a hassle I had to buy a pump to blow it up. Other than that horse loves it.

MunnyBoy

My gelding has been in more than he likes with the winter weather going from stormy to cold rains. I bought this Carrot Ball to help keep him entertained. He LOVES it. When I now walk into his stall with a carrot, he walks over to his ball and nudges it towards me. It have to inflate the ball every time I want to reload it, but it is great fun for him and takes a few hours for him to get all the snacks.

N from Cumming

Wasn’t For Them:

I have a busy mare, the more attention she gets and the more she has to do the happier she is. The ball takes really fat carrots, skinny carrots come out too easily. My mare cleans the carrots out in short order. She likes it, I wish it kept her busy longer.

gisellesmom

Scented Jolly Ball

The jolly ball is a rubber toy the horse and bite, pick up, throw and kick. Usually the horse either likes these balls or they don’t. It is usually the playful curious horses that really enjoy these balls. But I suppose you never know unless you let your horse try it,

I had a gelding that was on the mouthy side and had a “ball” with the Jolly Ball whereas a mare I owned couldn’t care less about her Jolly Ball. In fact she seemed to hate it.

So this is one that your horse may really like or decide it is not for them.

Comments About The Scented Jolly Ball From Around The Web

Loved It:

“She took to the toy right away.”

Rachael L.

“My horse loves it! Now if he would just leave it in the stall instead of carrying it out into the pasture!”

Kaye S.

My gelding is always getting into something so I thought ‘hey, maybe I should get him a toy’. Well, just like the cat it’s whatever you’re not expecting that makes the best ‘toy’. Light cords, hay string, you name it. He does play with it because I will come out and find it either squished or flung out of the stall. Hang it from the ceiling if you can, that made the most sense for us.

Andrea Duncan

Wasn’t For Them:

“Bought this for my blm gelding, he destroys the lick-it toys in less than a week every time. He has no interest in the ball. I tried hanging it in his stall & leaving it loose in the turn out.”

Mountain_rose

Horsemen’s Pride Horse Pas-a-Fier Stall Toy for Horses

I have not tried this one. It is supposed to entertain horses that are cribbers. The pieces on the toy are an apple scented polymer and are supposed to rotate if the horse tries to crib on it. The horse can also have fun spinning the pieces around.

Supposedly it massages the horses gums when the horse is biting down on it.

Comments About The Horse Pas-a-fier Horse Toy From Around The Web

Loved It:

“For my horse the pacifier keeps her from cribbing on other things. She use to tear up a water bucket every week. Once we got her the pacifier she plays with it and the water bucket and feed tub are lasting much much longer.”

Chris Arens

Bought for a injured stall bound horse. He was playing with it within minutes after it was installed. This horse is very mouthy to begin with

Face

Wasn’t For Them:

“My horse was completely disinterested in this item and has never once used it. I tried smearing it with yummy flavors of all kinds. Shell lick them off then walk away. I know she doesnt like the sound it makes, kind of a grinding whirrr sound. This horse is a dressage horse and mouths everything else–the stall, her tack–yet is indifferent to this toy. Its gathering dust in the corner because I mounted it securely so the horse couldnt break it apart, and now I cant get it down. Its stall art now!”

Dee

It is as described. Kind of a pain to install. I put it in the horse cookie bag and let it “soak” for a week and off and on I took it to Bam the demolition horse and let him check it out while I held it. He’s the type that is always nuzzling and nibbling at anyone or anything f he can reach. He messed with it quite a bit when these opportunities arose. After installing it he didn’t care one bit about it. I put cookies and hay for him to eat off of it which he did but no desire to play with it. Was hoping it would give him something to do other than chewing the stall walls and causing trouble but it was a no go.

Sheena Rhoades

Jolly Mega Ball

This is a 40 inch ball made more durable for use by horses than your average yoga or exercise ball.

Many horses seem to have a blast with these balls. Although this is not a toy the horse should use in the stall. Sometimes horses may try to climb onto these balls and it could be a hazard if the horse got crazy with their mega ball.

So a stable enrichment toy that can be used out in the pasture or paddock. To help occupy your horses time.

Comments About The Mega Jolly Ball From Around The Web

Loved It:

“Horses absolutely love it now that they know how to play with it! Great quality & easy to inflate. Great product!! “

Anonymous

Great ball! Make sure to buy the coordinating cover

Elizabeth T.

We love our giant ball. It was great for horse camp were we played horse soccer with our polo ponies. Even our arabians are getting use to the ball!

Samantha S.

Our show horse doesn’t get out in the pasture with the others. His turn out time is in the round pen. This ball provides him with fun and exercise. He pushes it around the pen, stomps at it, jumps it, kicks it, and just has a great time with it. He often has to check out his ball before he worries about his hay. It’s provided him with both mental and physical fun.

Looker

Wasn’t For Them:

I’m giving it a four. It’s good and tough for horses but not our black angus heifer. She has head butted this thing clear across the pasture fence and into the woods lol It’s her favorite thing. I just wish they made one heavier for her to play with, kick and jump on. We’ve had to take it from her because she wants to try and lay across it. Poor thing won’t stand a chance against her. Ohh and my filly’s refuse to have anything to do with. Other then that it’s a great toy for, well whoever, actually plays with it. It would be nice if the covers came with the ball too.

Danielle P.

Horsemen’s Pride 14″ Jolly Tug Horse Toy

The jolly tuck is an inflatable jolly ball within the Jolly Tug nylon cover.

If your horse really likes the jolly ball but has trouble picking the jolly ball up, the Jolly Tug has easier handles for the horse to pick up than the Jolly Ball.

This is also a good option for horses that like to fling and swing things around.

If your horse loves to play halter tag out in the paddock. This can be a really fun toy for two horse buddies to play with. That means less broken halters or chew marks on your horses face… hopefully… one can wish.

Comments About The Jolly Tug Toy From Around The Web

Loved It:

“Ideal size, great design. My horses had started playing tug of war with their feed bowls, so I took the hint and found this wonderful ball on sale. The cover with handles is very durable. Only wish it had come with a patch kit because our dog decided to join the fun and her teeth punctured the rubber ball inside it in short order. Otherwise would have given it 5 stars.”

Anonymous

I initially thought that horses would not bother with the “toy” I bought them – I could not have been more wrong. It is great to see them out in the paddock playing with their balls and playing “tug of war” with each other. Great purchase – I will definitely look at buying more to keep them occupied. I had never thought horses might need some additional form of stimulation.

NikiB

It keeps the stallion and his opposite twin out of trouble and keeps my pasture fence safe. When he doesn’t have anything to play with he gets into lots of trouble. Now they take their jolly ball, shake it in the other ones face and play chase me chase me everyday. It’s such fun to see.

Happy

Wasn’t For Them:

“I purchased the jolly tug for our two young geldings to play with. I will say that it lasted longer than the jolly balls , but they had pulled one of the handles off within the first week, the second one the week after and the next day the balls cover was in shreds. I had high hopes that it would last a little longer than that. The day after the cover was gone, the ball popped. If you have horses that will gently kick it only, then this may be a good toy for them. Our guys really play with their toys and therefore they dont last long. For that price I would have liked it to last a little longer.”

Cheryl

I have 2 miniature donkeys who play together with a variety of toys. For the first month, they completely ignored this toy, but then began playing with it and to my dismay, they utterly destroyed it within 3 weeks! This product is not nearly as durable as advertised.

Cya 

Shires Ball Feeder

This is similar to the Likit Snack-a-Ball. Although it is slightly different. Instead of many small holes for pellets to come out, this has one hole that is bigger.

So you could fit horse treats, hay cubes or hay stretcher in this Ball Feeder, unlike the Snack-a-Ball.

If you wanted you could also feed your horse there grain meals in this. It will still slow down your horses eating.

A therapeutic barn called Rein In A Dream I used to work got a couple of these Shire Ball Feeders for two horses that were on diets from being overweight.

They didn’t put grain in there but some horse treats. So that when they finished their grain they would then move onto the ball.

They would work at getting there horse treats out while all the other horses were still eating their grain meal.

They seemed to go right at it once they knew the treats were in there.

Comments About The Shire Ball Feeder From Around The Web

Loved It:

Almost all of the horses in our barn have one these. They love them & it gives them something to do.

Hookedongin

At first I thought it might be a waste of money as it probably won’t get used, but I was very wrong ! My mini horse loves it, she sees me walking over to her with it and gets excited. It has stopped her pacing around as much which is a bonus.
Thanks.


SARAH

My very food motivated horse likes this. I put hay pellets in it and it takes him some time to get them all out, slow enough to keep him entertained a while and fast enough that he doesn’t lose interest. The price is still a bit high for a piece of plastic but since anything branded “horse” inflates pricing this is more reasonable than most horse toys and it does seem like it will hold up well.

Ody1

To be honest, my friend peer pressured me into buying this. I finally caved, and have no regrets. It took him an hour to figure it out but now he plays with it all day long. I fill it with alfalfa pellets.

Jules3400

Wasn’t For Them:

I purchased this busy ball and the amazing graze from horseman’s pride. Tried them both out with my horse. We both picked the amazing graze because the Ball Feeder doesn’t roll as well, doesn’t dispense the treats as well, you have to put very small treats inside of it because it is hard to clean out- it doesn’t have a removable lid and the mouth is small. Don’t put carrots or apples in it, because they can get stuck.

Katie

Horseman’s Pride Amazing Graze

This is another treat dispenser that is to get the horse thinking while they try to get the treat or grain out.

It’s also to slow the horse down from eating everything too fast or help them savor their food if they only get a small amount of grain.

The Amazing Graze is similar to the Shire Ball Feeder but is a different shape. This feeding rolls forward and back mostly while the Shire Ball Feeder can move easily in any direction.

Comments About The Amazing Graze Toy From Around The Web

Loved It:

My big mustang is a thinker and problem solver so he figured this out right away. He just kept rolling it forward and backward checking for things to be on the ground…so darn smart. He rolled it all over the yard and got everything out but one hay cube that was a little bigger and clogged with a little hay. I had initially put in broken in half hay cubes, chopped hay, a few peanuts in shell, some pieces of carrot and apple. I put more cubes in and he was happy to be playing with it again. He LOVES it!
The other guy is a big Percheron cross and he is very food motivated but wants instant gratification…I knew he would go for it but he would be a little frustrated at first and I was right. He knew the food was in there but wasn’t coming out fast enough for him…so he started pawing it and checking out the black screw top area to see if the could get it open. He could not and pawing it did not help. He even walked away for a few minutes but it was bugging and he soon returned and pushed it, flipped it over end to end and so on till he finally emptied it. All in all its a great toy and puzzle for them to figure out. Its interesting to watch the different personalities at work. All in all its well made..though they did TRY to chew where the treat hole is a few times but couldn’t really get the teeth around it! I think it will be entertaining them for sometime as there is no grass out there and they get bored.

Lila M. Bett

My horse figured this out in seconds thanks to some slices apples. The opening is a bit large allowing most treats to be quickly dispensed. This is great at first as it trains and reinforced the horse to play. However I’m going to try alfalfa cubes or larger snacks to make it more challenging for long term play once my horse is 100% confident with the toy. I really recommend this for any horse from laid back to destructive & bored.

Tedra Bates

“My horse loves this toy and completely empties it of treats. A wonderful toy for a horse that is rehabilitating and needs controlled turnout but enrichment.”

Graycedee

Wasn’t For Them:

I have to return this. It is so big and the hole is also large. I was hoping to put pellets in it but it needs much larger pieces of food. Way too big for an in and out stall. But probably great for a pasture.

Kat Winters

Parallax Plastic Hay Play

This is another type of feeder except it is meant for hay. This is similar to a slow feeding hay next.

But instead of a hay net your horse has a ball that they can play with and move around as they try to get the hay out.

This is great for horses that only get a limited amount of hay or if they eat their hay to fast.

May be a good option if your horse still eats the hay too fast out of their hay net.

Comments About The Hay Play Feeder Ball From Around The Web

Loved It:

“OMG! I wish I had bought these for my 2 Paint horses long ago! No more yellin’ at me for more FOOD every time they see me outside! This Horse Feed Toy has them entertained for hours in between their Flakes of breakfast & dinner! Not bored, they push around while gettin’ that Hay out & so they’re walkin’ around as well. They’re Happy! I’m Happy! They love this Feed Toy & so do I! Although alittle bit expensive, Valley Vet was the BEST price I could locate online. I appreciate that! Very QUICK delivery! Goin’ out right now to stuff these Horse Feed Toys for my 2 boys as they ‘paw (hoof:) the ground’ IMPATIENTLY waiting for me to give to’m…that’s how much THEY LOVE THESE FEED TOYS! 🙂 I give “5” Stars! Oh heck, I’ll give’m the PERFECT “10”! 😉 Peace To All & Keep SAFE! <3”

Shirley W.

“Horses love it. It took them -2 seconds to figure out how to use it. It does work better with chopped hay, because they can just roll it around and hay will fall out. Regular hay has to be pulled out of the holes and then if there is some left in the ball, they can’t get their noses in to pull anymore out. But the chopped hay works really well. I’m buying another one so we can have 2 hay balls split between 4 horses!”

Mary Z. 

Wasn’t For Them:

Holes too small, hay doesn’t come out. Paid twice as much as a similar product sold locally as the wife wanted a different color for our donkeys.
Holes are 1/3 the size as pictured and the hay doesn’t come out. Just pi**ses the donkeys off. Now they just have to go back to sharing with the horse.

Tim. P

DIY Hay Net Treat Ball

DIY Horse Feeder Toy Using A Bottle

DIY Veggie & Fruit Shish Kabob With A Rope

Other DIY Horse Toys & Treats

DIY Healthy Horse Popsicles by Insightful Equine

DIY Broom Scratcher by Pets DIY

Banana Pony Pop DIY Likit by Sandy Mcpadden

Hanging Treats For Horses by Festina Lente Farm

Homemade Horse Toy Ideas by Horse And Man

As you can see there are many toys that you can choose from to buy and there are also many toys you can make yourself to save money.

It may be some trial and error before you figure out what kind of toys your horse likes. I am saying it again. Every horse is different.

So don’t be surprised if your horse ends of liking a toy you least expected or hating a toy you thought they would love.

If you have any DIY toy ideas let everyone know in the comments.

May horses keep you smiling.

Cheers, Kacey

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Disclaimer Notice: Please be aware that horseback riding and related equestrian activities carry inherent risks. The advice and experiences shared on this blog are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional training or advice. Ensure your safety and that of your horse by wearing appropriate gear, practicing safe horse handling, and consulting with certified equestrian professionals. Remember, each horse is unique, and techniques may vary accordingly. Always prioritize safety, respect, and patience in your equestrian endeavors.

Kacey Cleary Administrator
Kacey has been an equestrian since 1998. She was a working student at several eventing and dressage barns. She has owned horses, leased horses, and trained horses. Kacey received an A.S. in Equine Industries from UMass Amherst, where she rode on the dressage team. She was certified with the ARIA and is licensed to teach riding in MA. She has been a barn manager and has run her own horse farm.
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