How to Make a Homemade Busy Ball for Horses

Horses have toys they prefer over others just as their human counterparts do. Many horses enjoy playing with a ball--they can carry it and throw it with their mouths or kick it with their hooves. Design a busy ball that is simple and straightforward, or add features that entice horses to engage in certain tasks and activities. Your horse can get some exercise while staying busy, relieving boredom and lessening its chances of finding some other activity that might cause injury.

Things You'll Need

  • Plastic milk jugs
  • Grain and horse treats
  • Food coloring
  • Duct tape
  • Knife
  • Large pumpkin
  • Baling twine or other dispensable rope
  • Burlap or similar bags
  • Large old sweatshirts or jackets
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Instructions

    • 1
      Rinse and reuse the versatile plastic milk jug.

      Rinse plastic milk jugs and toss them into your horse's pasture or tie securely to fence posts, letting them hang. Horses can pick them up by the handles and toss and kick them around. You can fill them with colored water or fill with treats such as grain and then re-seal with duct tape, or even cut small holes throughout the jugs so they have to work at getting the grain out.

    • 2
      Large pumpkins filled with treats make great horse busy balls.

      Cut the top off a large pumpkin and clean it out. Refill with treats, fruits, vegetables, grain or oats. Place the lid back on tightly and throw it into your horse's turn-out area. Some horses attack the pumpkin vigorously, even jumping on it, while others are more judicious in figuring out how to get the goodies inside. When they are done eating, see if they still have the pumpkin to roll around -- or step on!

    • 3
      Re-use baling twine from haybales to roll into balls.

      Make a rope ball out of excess baling twine or other rope. Roll the twine into balls of any size--make sure to roll them tight and tuck in each end. Place the ball in a "gunny" sack or burlap bag. Tie the bag shut and throw in your horse's pasture or hang.

    • 4

      Tie old sweatshirts and jackets into a ball. If you can secure each clothing item tightly, you can throw it into the pasture "as is," or put in a burlap bag and secure the bag. If you don't place it in a bag, your horse can stay busy and entertained by trying to get the knots out.