likits

[charlieboy]

I'm thinking about getting my horse a a stable toy or something like a likit to provide some amusement when she's stabled more in the winter. Any recommendations greatly received. Are likits left in the stable until they are finished or are they 'rationed' as a special treat? How do other people use them?
thanks
charlieboy

[Fruit Loop]

I think the idea is to leave them in the stable until finished. But to be honest if you want them to last more than one night then I would ration it. But then my mare has perfected the art of likit by managing to wedge it against something and then bite it- hence why it doesn't last long. My mum gives her horse the snack a ball, he couldn't get the jist of the likit bless him.

[artemis]

Pur sugar - not good for the teeth :eek:

[charlieboy]

Think my problem is solved - introduced my mare Shelley to the likit last night and she nearly ran a mile!!! Don't know what she thought it was but even when i got her to just sniff it she backed off. Scarey things these likits!!!

Thanks for the warning Artemis - didn't realise they were full of sugar.

Charlieboy

[artemis]

Having laminitic & cshings pony I am inclined to check everything. :D

[Pudding]

LOL......my girl didn't like them at all.....I think she thought it was going to eat HER!!! I make a kebab string......put carrots, apples, swedes on it and a great big turnip on the end, then hang it from the roof.......she eats the easy ones like lightening but, the turnip keeps her amused for longer as she can't get her mouth wide enough to really get a grip and it swings around.........

X

PS.....having a brain storm moment......turnips are the great big round ones arn't they? LMAO

[Esther.D]

Just another warning, someone on another forum had a scary experience with a likit when the horse managed to get it out of the holder, bite it in half and then tried to swallow half and ended up choking on it :eek: He was fine, but not an experience to be repeated..

[ALP]

Hi Pudding

Turnips are the big round ones (I think their proper name is swedes, but I always call them turnips). That kebab sounds like a brilliant idea.

Alison xx :cool:

[sidesaddlelady1]

I'm thinking about getting my horse a a stable toy or something like a likit to provide some amusement when she's stabled more in the winter. Any recommendations greatly received. Are likits left in the stable until they are finished or are they 'rationed' as a special treat? How do other people use them?
thanks
charlieboy

It depends on how the horse uses them. The WH's record is 15 minutes for demolishing a normal sized likit so he doesn't have them anymore!

[Pink's lady]

Get a decohedron (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-Equine-Decahedron-Snack-Ball-PURPLE-Horse-Pony_W0QQitemZ7199636614QQcategoryZ90860QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)(20-sided horse ball feeder with a hole). They have to roll it around to get their dinner out. You can feed their entire dinner in it (if it's dry). With Brodie we gave him a big bucket of chaff, dampened with sugar beet, but put his hard feed into the decohydron, with a couple of chopped carrots to slow the release. He spent HOURS chasing it around the stable and kicking of the wall. He used to get excited even just at the sight of if. :rolleyes:

[iloveshearer]

again although the likits are a nice treat some ponies can finish them very quickly and for 4 pounds or whatever they are the kebab idea sounds a lot better!!

[Lindsay Likit]

Hi Charlieboy,

I work for the company that manufactures Likit products and thought that you might like some advice on what sort of stable toy might suit your horse best. Likit Products have become extremely popular over the last couple of years and we now sell these in many countries around the world and to date we have had very positive feedback on their effects on stabled horses.

There are a number of different products that suit a variety of different horses and ponies.

Firstly the Likit Holder, this toy is designed to be hung in the stable well away from any walls and is the entry level product. This product is a great starter product for horses that have never used Likits before. However, you may find that some horses consume Likits quickly from this once they get the idea (its the least challenging of all the toys). If you find that this is the case we normally recommend that you try the Boredom Breaker, which has inserts for both Little and Large Likits (the Little Likits are more challenging for horses to eat). We also have a product called the Tongue Twister which is designed to be fixed to the stall wall - ideal for those with smaller stalls where there is not room to hang either the Boredom Breaker or Likit Holder freely away from any walls.

Regarding the composition of Likits, yes they are made from Glucose, but this is to ensure that the product easily disolves in the gut, should a horse bite the product, rather than licking it (as they should). For horse owners whose horses require a low sugar diet due to conditions such as laminitis, the new Salt or Sport Likit is a good alternative.

Should you wish a different type of product completely, the Snak-a-Ball is a good alternative, simply fill with your horses normal ration of dry feed and as the horse rolls the ball around the feed will slowly fall out, increasing the duration of time your horse spends eating.

If you have any further questions, please contact me directly at office@likit.co.uk.

Lindsay

[albilusitano]

I would def reccomend Likit's they are brilliant !

Albie is trying out the raspberry and vanilla flavour at the moment...he's seems to like the raspberry better as that's been licked clean and the vanilla's left ! the mint laster 2 day's !

My mini's well.....they last 15 minutes with them !! I hang it from the rafters in the stable and they take it in turn's one will stand the why the other rest's the likit on his/her side and lick and bite like mad and the alternate !! very funny...they crave the banana one !!!

They are a fab product ! i even own the snack ball and that's alot of fun !!!

Well Done Likit !!!

[mogadoga]

Mine gets 2-3 lick-its a year, he has a jolly ball/hanging apple and dodecohederan. Which rarley gets treats as he just mangles them in his bed.... And sometimes gets a molasus lick. He still gets extremly bored!

[GOBBY]

Gave up on them, some hate them whatever the flavour, then you get the greedy git who knocks it back in 10 mins,might try snack ball thing, has anyone else found these any good?

[CMR]

Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't want to give my horse his actual meal from the snack ball because it just seems he wouldn't get all of it as some would be left on the ground. It's also supposed to be a very big No-No to feed from the ground.

[iloveshearer]

you dont have to put the whole feed in there, even if you just put a little bit in it, it would still last quite a while

[*Sez*]

Mine gets the Snakaball infrequently as a treat. I put in a small handful of mix, a couple of dry treats and a chopped carrot (lengthways, not in circles which are a choking hazard).

Both my horses adore likits, but have perfected the art of getting the whole thing in their mouths, biting the plastic ends and mashing the likit into pieces. Then they hoover the bits out of the holder :rolleyes: . Jake has a boredom breaker that he adores, and he's getting a tongue twister for Xmas. Sal will get one if I have some spare cash!

[crazystevie]

Ours love their snak - a -balls.

If feeding likits, get a boredom breaker or a tongue twister, as they last much longer, as the horse can;t just bite them in half, and so has to eat them properly.

The best treats are kebab strings as said earlier- much healthier, last longer, and much cheaper, and horses lurve them. Even just a suede ina bucket works.

APple bobbing is fun too

[mogadoga]

APple bobbing is fun too

Ive never thought of that!:D Going to try it tonight!!!!

[Slambid2004]

why is feeding from the floor a big no no this is what the horse would do in the wild the snack balls incourage the horses natural forraging instincts so is fab for trying to stimulate natural life style only problem i have with likits is the sugar content horses are designed to live of grass and plants they arnt suposed to eat sugar and their teeth dont technicaly grow continualy as ppl say so it is causing teeth to rot they havent really been aound long enough to know the long term effects but not sure that much sugar is a good idea. i like carots turnips parsnips and apples on strings (make sure your horse cant eat the string) and apple bobbing is fun as is hiding bits of carrot etc in the hay net or pile and under the bedding (can get messy)

[iloveshearer]

you can get new likit sports now with less sugar i think????

[ponylover88]

feeding off the ground is meant to be dangerous, as the dust etc in the hay can get up the horses nostrils which will obviously cause obstructions etc and could cause quite abit of damage.

[cosmic_angel_12]

I feed my pony hay from the floor shes fine. If I use the hay rack she stretches her neck and back. Peps more of a natural pony, she doesnt like haynets :rolleyes: !

[iloveshearer]

my old pony used to get really frustrated with haynets, becuase he wanted to eat quickly and the haynet slowed him down too much!!!! shearer and all the others in our field have their hay in piles on the floor, otherwise if we had a rack then they wouldnt all get too eat!

[crazystevie]

I soak my hay, chuck some on the floor, and some in a haynet. The stuff in the haynet goes first, but murphy likes to lie down and eat, so thats whats thats for.

Coco always has soaked hay on the floor, because im trying to help her build up some topline as it's none-existant, and by eating on the floor, they re stretching in a natural position.

[iloveshearer]

doesnt the bedding get all wet though, even if the hay is dry it still mixes in with the bedding and goes all manky. do you not find this a problem??

[Horseswillrule1]

There are so many threads about toys for horses. I will see if I can find them.