Keeping horse entertained in stable?

[littlepony]

Any ideas?

My horse has been in for a week now due to the whole yard becoming one big ice sheet. Our stables are on the top of a bank, the fields at the bottom and they are seperated by a thick layer of compacted ice which is impossible to walk on. It has been gritted but still isnt safe to walk on and the fields are also horrendus. I cant walk him out of the stable block without risking him looking like bambi and breaking a leg.

My horse hates being in and is starting to get pretty stressed, does anyone have any ideas how to keep him interested or make this easier for him?

He already has lickits and haynets.

[Deleted]

I found my old horse loved his feed ball. I put all of his nuts in it instead of in his breakfast/ dinner so he had to push it around to get the food out, that kept him busy for quite a while.

[portiabuzz]

yes they can be good...and hiding apples/carrots etc around the stable, & ad-lib hay

Hope the weather gets better for you soon!! xx

[cavallocolorato]

I've had the same problem over the last week with my boy being in for 5 consecutive days. I have found that Rescue Remedy has really seemed to help with keeping him calm. Offer 4 drops in a handful of feed/on an apple/whatever he likes....and he can choose to take it if he feels like it.

I've also been scattering the odd handful of feed in amongst his hay (I feed the hay from the floor) to keep his attention on the hay as he's been threatening to eat the clean straw I've been putting in.

Lots of scratches interspersed with some Equine Touch sessions also seem to have helped keep him chilled.

Good luck.