For a long time I felt all my horse really needs is a fence with which to contain her. After all, isn't "pasture board" just another way of saying I'm renting a fence for my horse? Indeed, gorging herself on grass all day probably is entertainment enough for Farletta and most other horses. I've seen Farletta choose grass over shelter, hay, coming in for supper, being brought in for a ride (duh!) and even companionship.
However, now I'm restricting her grass intake significantly for her own health and well-being. I also want to encourage movement and stimulate her mind. Do you know where most those annoying stall habits come from (pacing, pawing, circling, weaving, etc.)? I'll give you a hint: Bored, bored, bored, bored, BORED! Stress is also a major cause of bad stall habits.
Because Farletta's Paddock Paradise is not yet more than a "Fancy-pants dry lot" (no track yet), I'm adding interesting features as I am able.
As you may recall from earlier posts, the first thing I did was spread everything out so Farletta had to walk to get what she wanted. Next, I added a sand pit:
However, now I'm restricting her grass intake significantly for her own health and well-being. I also want to encourage movement and stimulate her mind. Do you know where most those annoying stall habits come from (pacing, pawing, circling, weaving, etc.)? I'll give you a hint: Bored, bored, bored, bored, BORED! Stress is also a major cause of bad stall habits.
Because Farletta's Paddock Paradise is not yet more than a "Fancy-pants dry lot" (no track yet), I'm adding interesting features as I am able.
As you may recall from earlier posts, the first thing I did was spread everything out so Farletta had to walk to get what she wanted. Next, I added a sand pit:
Weather permitting (not muddy) I give Farletta some of her hay on the ground in this hay net. The holes are very small (1 inch) making it challenging to get the hay out. She can spend hours working on just two flakes of hay and will roll/drag this thing all over her lot. I am careful to tie the bag shut close to the top and do not leave the strings in a loop shape so there is no risk of getting her leg caught up in the bag. |
Above is a diagram of what features the dry lot has as of January 2015. I plan to add more features as time and money permit.