I recently uploaded a video of my Shires Ball Feeder Review. If you have a horse on stall rest or if you’re just interested in equine enrichment, this is an AWESOME product. It’s affordable and offers hours and hours of mental stimulation for your horse. I found mine at a Tractor Supply, but you can also get them on Amazon. They come in three fun colors, so if you’re into matchy matchy stuff, you’re in luck!
What is The Shires Ball Feeder
The Shires Ball Feeder is a sturdy hard-plastic geometric ball with a small opening. You can put a variety of small treats in the ball, and the horse has to roll the ball around to get the treats to fall out. You can even put your horse’s grain ration in the ball and use it as a daily feeder. The ball feeder is designed to only let out a few pieces of treats at a time, so this is a good product if you have a horse that bolts feed or one that you want to keep busy.
What do Monk and Bamboozal Think of The Shires Ball Feeder
No Shires Ball Feeder review is complete without input from the actual horses! As you can see in the video, my horses are very engaged with the toy. This was their first time with it, and they figured it out pretty quickly. I put the ball feeder inside of a large feed tub, so that the treats would fall in there. If you’re in a really sandy area, this is a good idea to reduce the potential of your horse eating sand.
The Shires Ball Feeder is a Boredom Buster For Horses
The Shires Ball Feeder is a FANTASTIC boredom buster for horses. We don’t think about how bored horses must be in their stalls and paddocks, but we can certainly see the impact of that boredom in vices like weaving and cribbing. Jolly balls have been really popular over the years, but some horses could care less. The Shires Ball Feeder involves food, so even the most uninterested horses can’t resist.
A Kong Toy For Horses!
The Ball Feeder is essentially a Kong toy for horses. If you own a dog, you probably know what a kong toy is. It’s a very durable hollow toy, that you can put treats or peanut butter in. It can keep your dog busy for minutes or hours, depending upon skill level of the dog. Stuffing a ball feeder is essentially like stuffing a large Kong toy for your horse. Horses deserve to have fun enrichment toys just like dogs do.
Equine Enrichment
Environmental enrichment is just starting to build momentum in the equine world. For years, traditional horse husbandry has been content with putting horses in stalls and paddocks with little to no mental stimulation.Equine enrichment is basically providing stimulating toys and objects in a horse’s living space to keep them mentally stimulated and happy. Zoos and some hobby pet keepers have been practicing environmental enrichment with other animals, so why not do so for horses?
There are a ton of great DIY ideas for equine enrichment, and also some really great products coming to the market. The Shires Ball Feeder is one of the best I’ve seen so far. Horses have a VERY active seeking system, because they’re designed to look for forage all day. Pushing the Shires Ball Feeder around can help to satiate their seeking system. They’re able to push the ball around and delicious treats fall out. It’s a fun kind of grazing game for them.
Durability of The Shires Ball Feeder
My horses have only had the ball feeder for a couple of months, so I can’t comment on real longterm durability yet, but so far, so good. It’s made of very hard plastic, and has withstood being pushed around and even stomped on. I suppose it’s possible for a very determined horse to destroy or damage it, but I haven’t had that experience.
Pros of The Shires Ball Feeder
- Satiates the seeking/foraging urge
- Slows down the consumption of grain and treats
- Keeps horses busy
- Is a mentally stimulating toy
- Affordable
- Comes in three fun colors
Cons of The Shires Ball Feeder
- Difficult to use in a sandy area (solution: put it in a tub)
- May be difficult to get boarding stable to fill it daily
- Could potentially roll out of a pen
What Kind of Treats go in The Shires Ball Feeder
In my Shires Ball Feeder review, I used some of the horses’ grain, some oats and a few handfuls of chopped hay. The chopped hay was useless in the wind, as you can see it flying out in the video. On a less windy day, I’m sure it would be fine. You can put just about any small treat that fits into the hole in the ball feeder. Cut up carrots are a great idea.
I read that somebody poured water and cut up carrots in the ball feeder, froze it and then put more cut up carrots in it before giving it to their mule. That way, the mule had immediate results of getting carrots out, and a little while later, when the ice melted, more treats and fun! What a great idea for stretching out treats and enrichment during the hot summer months!
Keeping Horses Happy and Healthy With Equine Enrichment
Even if your horses live in a big pasture, they can benefit from equine enrichment. The Shires Ball Feeder is a great way to stimulate a horse’s mind and keep them busy. Standing around all day has been the status quo for so long, but when you see how much fun your horse has with engaging and enriching toys, you’ll know how important it is to provide a mentally stimulating environment for them.
Shires Ball Feeder for Horses on Stall Rest
The Shires Ball Feeder really SHINES as a toy for horses on stall rest. If your horse is recovering from an injury and is required to stay confined in a stall for part or all of the day, you know just how difficult that can be. Horses are meant to be outside and walking around, foraging and being curious, so stall rest can be absolute torture, especially for horses who are used to living outdoor.
Fill up one of these and watch your horse’s urge for foraging and seeking get satisfied. This is also a good way to keep your horse from bouncing off of the walls. She can channel that energy into shaking treats out of a fun toy. It’s mentally stimulating and satisfying for your horse.
How Does Your Horse Spend The Other 22-23 Hours of The Day?
Most of us get to the barn a couple times of week for a few hours at a time. Have you ever thought about what your horse is doing the rest of the time? Maybe, they live in a huge pasture with other horses and have a very fulfilling and engaging social life, but for many of us, in boarding situations, that’s just not possible. Whether they’re in smaller paddocks or spend part time in a stall or run, the Ball Feeder is a great way to improve their lives.
Horses aren’t motorcycles or bicycles that can just be parked when they’re not in use. They have lives outside of the few hours we spend with them a couple times a week. Providing equine enrichment items like the Shires Ball Feeder is a great way to show your horse you care about them during the other 22-23 hours a day.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, my Shires Ball Feeder review shows that this is a great affordable equine enrichment product that can seriously increase your horse’s quality of life, whether they’re on stall rest or out in a pasture or paddock. You can pick one up on Amazon and get it in a couple of days.
Do you already have equine enrichment items for your horses? What’s your favorite equine enrichment product or DIY project? I would love to hear about them!
Until next time, Happy Trails!