Benny vs. the slow feeder hay net

In an ongoing effort to keep Benny sane while on stall rest, I have been brainstorming all manner of ways to keep him entertained besides offering the sweet release of sedatives. The lik-it was barely given one lick, never mind several, and quickly collected dust. A jolly ball just seemed like tempting the fate of the injury-driven horse gods. I will let you know now that this horse has even injured himself in a padded room - he scratched his cornea coming out of the anaesthetic after having a tooth removed surgically. Nowhere is safe. He is an absolute injury evil genius. The only thing that really seemed to keep him happy, for short periods at least, was to leave his mineral block in a black feed tub. He loves the block, and also loves to throw around the tub, so that helped. But that still didn't offer a long-term solution.

So I decided to spend a ridiculous amount of money on a webbed nylon vet-issue slow feeder hay net. Because the vet's office only has regular working hours, I trekked out from my job at lunch time to pick it up and take it to the farm. Benny did the horse equivalent of my dog's happy dinner dance while I filled it up (wearing my work clothes, of course), and watched it come into his pen with saucer eyes of delight.

Then came the disappointment.

He was able to squeak out about three pieces of hay, then gave me the horse equivalent of crossed arms and a look that clearly said "This. Is. Bulls***." He punched the bag with his nose, picked it up with his teeth and pouted. Eventually, his resolve to eat things triumphed, and he returned to the painful hay picking process. It was kind of like watching someone type on a computer keyboard with only their two index fingers. Hilarious, yet frustrating.

Mission accomplished I suppose given it seems to be helping him pass the time, but I can't help thinking this experienced is being banked somewhere in his brain, and I'm going to pay for it later.



The offensive hay net.




Bentley giving said hay net the cold shoulder. Hay net took no notice of the attitude coming its way.


Bentley also got a pony buddy to keep him company. He loves all manner of tiny horse folk, so he was pretty stoked by this development. Until, that is, I took him out to graze. Then pony no longer existed.



Lurking pony in the background.




Bite-y pony trying to get Benny's attention. It didn't work.