Tip 1: Prune!

Many bushes and trees are very healthy and tasty for horses. Go out and prune the trees and bushes in your garden or at friends/family. Weave these branches through the bars of your horse's stall or hang them in the box in a different way. Your horse can then enjoy eating the leaves and gnawing on the branches. A healthy, time-consuming treat for your horse.

Healthy bushes and trees include:

• Willow
• Black/White Alder
• Birch
• Beech
• Rosehip
• Blackberries
• Raspberry

Tip 2: Hide food

A few carrots in your hay net, a feed ball with healthy snacks, or bits of apple or other treats hidden in the box. Nowadays there are also very small hay nets for sale. Fill those with dried nettle or another herb and hang them throughout the box. You can also make a kind of garland and hang it up. For example, with an old long lead rope. Hang the rope straight down so your horse really has to make an effort to get the herbs and vegetables out. Vary with different vegetables, fruits, and herbs so your horse recognizes these healthy snacks.

Tip 3: A slice of barley straw

Many horses are kept on flax or sawdust. These horses often miss the "scratching" in straw. This can be solved by, for example, offering a slice of barley straw. Barley straw is eaten by many horses because it is softer in texture than wheat straw. But due to its low energy value, it is very suitable for overweight horses or just as an extra pastime. If this is not possible at your pension stable, maybe you can put some bales at home and take some with you daily.

Tip 4: Hang hay nets at different heights

Horses don't just eat grass from the ground, they also eat from branches at higher heights. For something tasty, they are happy to make an effort to reach a difficult place. Of course, this is difficult in a limited space, but you can also work on this in the stall. Hang hay nets at different heights. This way, the horse stretches and works to reach its food. You are also training your horse while it is in the stall (passive physio). Hanging a hay net that can move freely is a challenge for the horse!

Tip 5: Hang a grooming brush

Many horses love to cuddle with other horses. Unfortunately, this is often difficult in most stables. To prevent horses from rubbing against walls and bars, you can hang up grooming brushes. The horse can rub itself and in this way, you prevent the horse from rubbing itself raw. Of course, keep an eye on why the horse is rubbing and address any possible cause!

Tip 6: Make a mini mineral water bar

Horses often have an automatic water drinker in a box and space is limited. But you can easily place or hang buckets with different flavors. The liquid nettle tincture is very suitable to add to the drinking water, but liquid minerals from the Bering Sea are a healthy addition as well. This way you create a private mini bar for your horse in the stall, how luxurious!

Tip 7: Hang a licking stone with a tree trunk

Most horses have a lick stone in the stall. But you can also combine it with a piece of sawn wood. For example, from the Willow tree. Here the horses can gnaw on it. This also has a positive effect on, for example, digestion.

Tip 8: Limit stall time as much as possible

At a pension stable, you cannot always determine when your horse goes into the stall and when it goes out in the morning. But for example, in the evening, take your horse out of the stall, go for a walk, groom, or work with it. Or maybe let it loose in the paddock/arena for a while. Every hour less in the stall is an enrichment for your horse! And consult with stablemates to do this for each other's horses as well!