Some horses are very playful. I’ve known one who liked to get piggyback rides (even when he didn’t realize he had grown way too big for them). My aunt’s horses enjoy running around with the dogs. And then there are the ones who have the best time playing with a big, green, therapy ball. Cruz is one such colt.
In the video posted on YouTube by angelbryant96 back in 2010, 4-month-old Cruz, a Lusitano and Lakota mix, plays with what is described as “his new friend.” Cruz pounces on it, tries to hold it down, attempts to bite it (perhaps he wants to pick it up and toss it to another horse?), rolls on it and just has the best time playing with the green ball. The ball, of course, seems to have a mind of its own and Cruz falls right off it (who of us hasn’t the first few times we tried to balance on a therapy ball?). Even though the ball seems to win this round, the video description states, Cruz “did not get hurt and did come back after the ‘pounce off’ and play more until the ball went flat.”
Has your horse ever played like this?
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Aww so cute :)
Very entertaining; but this particular situation is also very DANGEROUS! I worked with animals for 40 years and regarding environmental enrichment this ball is perfect! However anything given to an animal needs to be monitored for safety. This ball has a hole. I watched in horror as Cruz missed getting his leg caught inside over and over again. All ended well but our animal's well being is in our hands and we must anticipate likely mishaps or worse. I always said, "Eliminate the possibility!". I would not ever think of "taping" the hole either. The ball is no longer safe for this purpose. How about throwing it into the pool?