Linda Eskin's Personal Site

Linda Eskin's Toys and Scritchy Things for Your Horse

Toys:

In addition to all the wonderful things they sell at tack stores, here are some ideas about things your critters might like as toys.

Whatever you try, be sure there is nothing they could chew off and eat, or get wrapped around a leg (or their neck).

Tie short lengths of rope onto other toys, to make them easier to pick up, carry, and throw. Clementine especially loves to swing a small boat bumper around and around and around on a short rope. Tie a knot in the free end of the rope, so it doesn't fray. Do not use loops.

When you use rope as part of a toy, use sisal or hemp. At least those are made of plants, so if they eat a little of it, it's not like they are eating plastic.

Keep lengths of rope short enough that they can't get wrapped around a leg. If you need a longer piece for a particular toy, slip a piece of heavy hose or PVC pipe over it, so it stays relatively straight.

Boat bumpers and marine floats make great toys. They are designed to take tons (literally) of abuse. They are relatively cheap, and come in fun colors.

Sturdy plastic jugs can be fun. Be sure the handle isn't big enough to get a hoof though. Remove the caps. Tie a rope on, for better flinging. Try putting a handful of food pellets in them. Sabrina knows how to flip jugs end-over-end to get the pellets out.

My guys love those little plastic wading pools, with no water in them. They last about a month, but take an awful lot of stomping, dragging, and getting turned inside-out before they finally give up. Look for them on sale at the end of summer. I got a bunch at $3/each. Recycle them when you are done with them. Don't let them accumulate water where mosquitoes could breed.

Inner tubes - flat ones. Free from the local tire place, once you explain that you don't need them to hold air (they sell the good ones to "tubers"). Cut out the air filler piece, then cut across one side of the inner tube so it's a big "C" instead of an "O" (so a critter can't get it around their neck). My guys drag these around, play tug-of-war, paw and stomp on them...

Avoid things that could splinter, break, shatter, etc. Here, PVC pipe does OK most of the time. In colder climates it can break, leaving sharp edges. When you first try a new toy, watch the critters to be sure there isn't some hazard you hadn't thought of - 'cause they'll find it. Later, check the toys regularly to be sure there aren't any new holes, cracks, or other problems.

Things to scratch on:

Sabrina *loves* to scratch, and be scritched. My pipe corral and electric fence are lousy things on which to scratch one's self though. In addition to taking away things that could hurt your horse by scratching on them (nails, splintery wood, etc.), give your horse safe things to rub on.

I have not found that any of my critters rub their hair out. If your animal is rubbing their hair out, check for infection, fungus, sores, etc. (or maybe stress-induced behavior). Healthy animals can have things to scratch on, and not leave bald spots.

I use 1/2" sisal/hemp rope, wound around parts of the pipe corral - it's cheap, it won't kill them if they eat a little of it (which they don't), and it's good to scratch on.

Also wind some rope along the top of a handy gate, for scratching itcy chins and necks.

Also, a suggestion I got from a friend on Equine-L, I think - lash the head of a stiff push-broom to a convenient place. I use the natural-bristle kind. Sabrina goes through one every 4 months or so.

Towels, tied (securely) to pipe corrals or fences, make good places to rub itchy faces.

You could also attach a couple of curry combs to fence posts at convenient heights (these rot in the sun, but they last for a while, anyway). Screw them on, don't nail them - you don't want the nails coming out and getting stepped on.

Better yet, check the local home & garden store for sturdy rubber door mats. The best I've found has 1" holes throughout, and the back has nubby little points. They are to help it stay in place, but turn the mat inside-out, and lash it to a solid post or pipe corral panel. This makes a huge rubber curry comb thing for very little money.

Similarly, look for the natural fiber doormats - the bristly ones. Use them the same way - like a giant brush your horse can use any time they want.

Possibly bring in a yard or two of gravel/sand for the pen - it's great to roll in. Scratchy, but harmless.

Be sure your mare's udder is clean, and other nearby parts - since dirt can make them itchy there - it *looks* like they are trying to scratch their butt, but it might really be that the udder is itchy. Sabrina *loves* having her udder cleaned and scritched with a warm washcloth ($5/dozen at Walmart) - I hear some mares *do not* like it, so be careful.

Even with all this encouragement to scratch on things, Sabrina has never rubbed out any hair (other than shedding) - I think that's mostly a problem when they don't have anything safe to use, or have something wrong beyond just shedding out.

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