Safe toys for minis

[Rockysticksfeatherfarm]

I was wondering if there are things we should avoid or some creative things we can use for toys for our boy? He has really learned to like the big exercise ball and its so fun to watch him play! Today he was having a blast with a chicken feed bag tossing it in the air. I plan on getting him a joy ball soon. He has even stepped on and pawed at out little trampoline (it's the small exercise kind) I thought it might be cute to teach him to stand on it. But first I need to make a safe kind of platform so he doesn't step on the edges, there are no springs just elastic. Is this a terrible idea? I am so happy with him he seems willing to try just about anything, I think he will be great to train for halter in a show!

 

[targetsmom]

Favorite toys here are hula hoops and black rubber feed dishes. They can flip the bigger dishes over and safely stand on them, because even if they collapse, I don't see how they can get hurt. No handy pics of playing with feed dishes but here are things they do with hula hoops. The foals even dug a buried hula hoop out of several inches of snow recently!

 

[littlenicker]

lol thats awesome!

 

[Boss Mare]

Entertaining / Cheap Ideas:

-Milk Jug with grain (no cap) or 2 Ltr. Soda Bottle

-Rubber feed pan - molasses on the bottom and sprinkle with grain or hay

-Kiddie Pool with shallow water when it's hotter outside.

-Exercise / kid balls, under supervision

-Take a few flakes of hay, lay on a stall mat or place in a hay rack/net.. Hide gain, treats.. Or carrots.

I taught my stallion to bow, count and stand on a platform. I started with a feed pan turned upside down and progressed to a tree stump, then a wooden self made box.

 

[Boss Mare]

Favorite toys here are hula hoops and black rubber feed dishes. They can flip the bigger dishes over and safely stand on them, because even if they collapse, I don't see how they can get hurt. No handy pics of playing with feed dishes but here are things they do with hula hoops. The foals even dug a buried hula hoop out of several inches of snow recently!

Too precious!

 

[Hosscrazy]

Hula hoops - now that's a great idea!!! Tupperware is pretty popular over here...but I like the idea of hula hoops!

 

[targetsmom]

I forgot about the milk jugs! We put a few pebbles in them (or not) and tie to stall dividers with baling string for them to play with. When I used a foal buzzer and baby monitor during foaling season I quickly learned how often they play with those in the middle of the night. They smash them and still play with them. Bunny loves to pass one through the stall divider into her sister's stall.

 

[Rockysticksfeatherfarm]

I am so getting a hula hoop! And there are trees in his paddock I love the milk jug idea

 

[misty'smom]

Wow the hula hoop looks like FUN!! I think my little dwarf Josie would love playing with a hula hoop, she is always clowning around and acting silly!

 

[Helicopter]

My donkeys seem to enjoy the big orange traffic cones. They carry it around by the top, sometimes two of them carry it together. They also enjoy dragging around a big heavy rubber hose, sometimes for quite long distances.

My ponies don't seem interested in playing with anything but I might give the hula hoop a try.

 

[Lil Eowyn]

I bought Éowyn a horse play ball for $12 at my local feed supply, but she never really touched it since! This is what it looks like; (the pink soccer ball--but the one I got was only 12 dollars) http://www.doversaddlery.com/millers-horseplay-ball/p/X1-27121/

So I bought one of those cheapo $2 balls at walmart (you know those ones you find in the big stretchy cage thingy) and she loves it! Has popped yet either

 

[Sandee]

I have milk jugs with rocks in them hanging from wind chimes in each stall. Don't think they use them. Each of mine has a horse ball. I think it only gets moved when then accidentally kick it while moving around the stall.

However, they all take their feed buckets off hangers that are supposed to keep that from happening and throw them around the stall. When I used feed pans, they were my mare's favorite toy throw them stand on them.

As to playing with hoola hoops, if you do obstacle class I'd be worried that the habit of "playing" with one might be overwhelming to them when asked to stand inside one for a ground tie and there goes the class. Just saying think ahead. What is "cute" at home may not be so cute in the arena.

 

[targetsmom]

I do obstacle with our minis and I think just the opposite - they are used to the hula hoops so unlikely to spook when one is drawn over their body, which I have had to do in an obstacle class. Also, I have seen other horses not want to step inside one when asked to do a pivot. So I think using the hula hoops for play is a positive all the way around.

 

[AngC]

I can recommend one NOT to try. It’s a Nordic Track exercise ball designed for humans. It’s a little large for minis and isn’t outrageously sturdy, but it does have a couple pounds of sand inside which makes the ball bobble around nicely. The two adult horses ignored the ball; Baby loved it. Then her mom came over to investigate. Luckily we never do toys without my supervision; the mare took a couple sniffs and then ripped the plastic inflator valve out; I pried it out of her mouth before she could swallow it. That toy has been retired.

 

[K.C. Lunde]

Human workout exercise balls.. Buy them second hand for cheap at a garage sale..

 

[Rockysticksfeatherfarm]

Yes : ) Stoney loves the exercise ball, I had it for a birthing ball and was done with it and it was just in the way. He pushes it around with his head and puts his legs over it, then he kind of gets stuck on top of it and sits there like "what now?" Lol!

 

[AngC]

Sorry but I disagree regarding exercise balls designed for humans, IF a ball is inflatable.

It took my mare less than a minute to get her teeth on the inflator valve and rip it out. Not a chance I want to take again.

I got a jolly ball; much sturdier with nothing that can be removed and eaten.

 

[Scooter]

What size is the Jolly Ball you got AngC?

Do you think this one would be safe for a mini to use unsupervised:

http://www.ebay.co.u...=item27ce96b449

 

[Jade10]

I have an inflatable ball but it has a cover over the top, but i still dont let them play with it unsupervised



Amigo loves it

 

[AngC]

Scooter: http://www.horsemens...roducts/#tour-5

The 10 inch Jolly Ball at the top of the page. The one you're considering is further down on the same page.

I haven't tried an inflatable designed by horse folks, but would hope there were no easily removed parts. I was commenting strictly on exercise balls for humans.

The one at the top of the page in the link is hard and rubbbery, but has "give" because there's a small hole on the side. I can perch on it and if I bounce up and down, it gives a little. To me that seemed like it would be sturdy and last longer than an inflatable. I don't leave anything out there unsupervised; as soon as I think I know what they'll do, they do something else. I'm a worry-wart and fear that Baby might get a hoof caught in the handle.

The only other thought I have is that 30 inches is kinda' big, depending on the size of your size of your horse?