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Boredom in horses isn’t just about keeping them entertained. It can become a serious welfare issue, especially for horses that spend a lot of time stalled or have limited turnout.

Without enough mental stimulation and natural foraging opportunities, some horses develop repetitive behaviors like cribbing, weaving, and wood chewing… and once those habits become established, they can be difficult to break.

Thankfully enrichment doesn’t have to be complicated, and there are plenty of things that horse owners can do to help their horses.

Horses are naturally trickle feeders who have evolved to spend 12 to 20 hours a day grazing.

Modern horse keeping typically means that horses are kept in stalls, have limited turnout, and are fed scheduled hay portions—all of which cuts down the amount of time a horse gets to spend grazing and foraging.

That can leave long stretches of the day with very little to do… especially for horses that spend most of their time stalled.

That’s where enrichment comes in and it can make a huge difference. The best tools don’t just keep your horse entertained—they also stretch out feeding time and encourage the slow, steady foraging behavior horses are naturally wired for.

This is a foraging based enrichment toy that slows down feeding time while giving your horse something to work for. Instead of gobbling their food in a few seconds, your horse has to move the ball around to get the food to fall out. You can fill it up with hay, treats, grain, or anything else your horse loves.

My mare absolutely loves this one and will spend hours nudging it around to get the hay pellets and carrot pieces I hide inside. It keeps her busy, gives her a mental challenge, and turns treat time into something much more engaging.

Best for: Stalled horses or any horse that tends to finish their food too quickly and then spends the rest of the day standing around bored (or developing unwanted habits like cribbing).

This mega ball is a large toy specifically made for horses to push, nose, and toss around in their stall or paddock. It provides curious and high energy horses with a safe physical outlet, helping to prevent boredom and reducing destructive behavior toward fencing, stall walls, and turnout buddies.

Best for: Horses with excess energy, especially those on stall rest or limited turnout who need a safe and engaging way to move, play, and stay occupied.

The Likit Holder attaches securely to a stall wall or fence and holds a Likit refill at a comfortable height for your horse to lick and nuzzle. It’s a tried and true boredom relief option that works with a horse’s natural licking behavior, similar to the instinct behind a horse’s salt block use.

Best for: Stalled horses, cribbers, wood chewers, and anxious horses who would benefit from a safe engaging oral outlet.

A multigrain and molasses Likit refill designed to keep horses interested and engaged. They come in several different flavors (like apple and peppermint), and my mare especially loved the mixed berry when we tried out a few of the flavors.

If you want to help keep enrichment from becoming routine, rotating flavors gives your horse something new to look forward to and helps prevent them from losing interest in the same treat over time.

Best for: Pairing it with a Likit Holder, or offering it as a standalone treat based enrichment option.

Another Likit Holder refill option, this one with a flavor profile closer to a traditional horse treat. Keeping 2 or 3 refill flavors in rotation—this one along with the Granola flavors above—helps prevent the “bored with my toys” problem that can happen when horses get too used to a single one.

Best for: Owners who want to keep their horses enrichment fresh and engaging by switching up flavors.

With a rotating ball that spins when your horse noses, nudges, or licks it, this horse toy is designed to attach to a stall or fence. The movement and texture create a more interactive, hands-on experience than a stationary toy, giving horses something to actively work at and explore.

Pair it with a Likit Refill, and you’ve got an interactive treat and toy combo that adds both movement and flavor to your horse’s enrichment.

Best for: Horses that need more stimulation than a fixed toy provides—especially when they’re paired with a Likit Holder for a 2 toy enrichment setup.

Horses that enjoy picking things up, pushing, and tossing objects—especially playful or food motivated horses—tend to really enjoy this one.

Jolly balls are tough, buoyant, chew resistant, and it gives your horse something that they can actively interact with rather than simply lick.

Best for: Play driven horses who want an object to push, pick up, and toss—this toy is a great complement to a Likit setup rather than a replacement.

A slow feed tube designed to encourage horses to “graze” the way they naturally would, rather than eating their entire meal in a few minutes.

This stretches out feeding time, which can help with boredom and support healthier digestion by keeping your horse’s food intake more consistent throughout the day.

I’ve filled this feeder with carrots, grain, and hay pellets, and my horse had a blast figuring out how to get the food out. It turns mealtime into more of an activity, giving them something to work on while they eat.

Best for: Every single horse, including stalled horses, horses who eat too quickly, get bored between meals, or enjoy a little challenge at feeding time

Horses naturally groom each other and love to rub against trees, fence posts, and stall walls. Scratching isn’t just about relieving an itch—it’s a satisfying behavior they genuinely enjoy.

A dedicated scratcher gives your horse a safe place to rub and groom themselves instead of using your fencing, blankets, or even their buddies.

Best for: Honestly, any horse. This is less of an optional extra and more of a simple way to give your horse the opportunity to engage in a natural satisfying behavior whenever they want.

While it’s not technically a toy, it’s arguably the single most impactful item on this list. A slow feeder slows down how quickly your horse can eat their hay, turning a 20 to 30 minute eating session into hours of stead low intensity grazing.

For horses that “hoover” their hay and then stand around bored (or start cribbing afterward) a slow feeder can make one of the biggest noticeable differences. It helps keep your horse occupied while also supporting more consistent forage intake, gut health, and weight management.

It also keeps hay off the ground, which can help reduce waste and prevent your horse from dragging it all over their stall.

Best for: Every horse living in a stall or dry lot. If you only add one thing from this list, make it a slow feeder!

Not every horse is going to love the same kind of enrichment, so it helps to match the toy to what’s actually driving your horse’s boredom.

• Oral fixation vs. physical play: If your horse cribs or chews on wood, lick based toys like a Likit Holder with refills or a Tongue Twister may be a better fit. While horses with lots of extra energy may get more out of physical toys like a Jolly Ball or Mega Ball.

• Forage driven boredom: If your horse starts getting restless as soon as the hay is gone, a slow feeder like the Amazing Graze or Slow Feeder Saver is probably going to be more useful than a traditional stall toy.

• Switch things up: Horses can get used to the same enrichment just like we get tired of doing the same thing every day. Rotating 2 or 3 toys every week can help keep them interested instead of leaving the same toy in the stall indefinitely.

• Safety comes first: Make sure anything you buy is specifically designed for horses, not just marketed for generic livestock or dogs. And don’t forget to check toys regularly for cracks, loose pieces, or other signs of wear.