Bored, confined horses may paw or chew on stable doors or ­fences, spill their water, or play with latches or ­anything else within their reach. Some ­confined horses will even ­develop stable vices, such as cribbing, ­weaving, or stable walking.

We seem to forget very easily that ­horses, like dogs and humans, need to play. The routine of being confined, can be the cause of many a frustration, and ultimately leads to boredom. If a horse can't tolerate confinement, give him something to play with. Horses need to expend their energy on a toy, rather than trying to destroy the stable or developing bad habits or compulsive behaviour.

Try one of these ideas, keeping in mind that if your horse gets bored with the toy, you can replace it with a different one.

• A traffic cone, durable rubber ball, worn-out tyre, rubber tub or even a squeaky dog toy, may divert him. He can chew it, paw it, pick it up in his teeth and throw it around, root it around with his nose, and entertain himself for hours.
• Hang well-washed old plastic jugs, such as ones that contained milk or bleach, from the ceiling. Fill some with small pebbles or rice to create rattling toys. You can also ­suspend several jugs on double baling twine from the ceiling or wall, giving your horse something to rub on.