Budget Horse Toys: 5 DIY Ideas For When Money Is Tight

Budget ups and downs are a normal part of life for equestrians. We all want endless cash to spend on our horses, but real life involves budgeting. Outside events or unexpected health or stable issues can make money tight. Is it possible to provide your horse with the enrichment they need when you’re on an especially tight budget?  Absolutely! Here’s how to keep your horse happy through lean financial times with the best DIY budget horse toys that won’t break the bank. 

Horse Toys: Not Just Fun and Games

You may be asking yourself: When my budget is tight, why does my horse need toys? They’re just an add-on, not a must have. Right? 

That’s a fair question. After all, no one would think of food and water as optional, but it may seem reasonable to trim expenses by just not bothering with enrichment. Horse toys aren’t essential for life, so why not just cut them out of your spending entirely? 

Because toys for horses aren’t just for fun and games. What we think of as “horse toys” aren’t just for playing: they give your horse the opportunity to express natural behaviors.

That’s what enrichment for horses is all about: making it possible for your horse to use their minds and bodies in ultra-important, horse-specific ways. In some cases, stall and pasture add-ons like puzzle feeders and foraging devices can make the difference between a mentally and physically well horse and an equine who struggles with behavior problems. 

So if your horse spends significant time in a stall or an empty paddock, enrichment activities are a must have. 

Find more on creating enriched pastures and turnout spaces here.

Find more on creating enriched stalls here.

Buying Toys on a Budget?

Unfortunately, buying horse toys off the shelf is not always a great budget move. Every equestrian knows there’s often a huge markup on horse supplies, and it’s hard to stay within budget even for the basics. 

And since toys and enrichment for horses are seen as optional, they’re often priced more like a luxury than a must have. When you have the cash available for items like this fantastic hay ball, they’re great. But what if you don’t?

It’s still possible to provide your horse with good behavioral care even when you’re keeping a tight rein on your finances. For the best horse toys that are free or very low-cost, DIY horse enrichment is the way to go. 

DIY horse toys may not look fancy, but your horse won’t care! They’ll save you a ton of money while providing your horse with boredom relief and stimulation, letting you keep your cash flow in balance. 

Budget Horse Toys: Why DIY?

There are two main reasons you should consider DIY horse toys: they’re free, and they work just as well as commercially produced toys. 

The budget DIY horse toys we’ll cover below are free to make, using repurposed materials. You can’t beat free – and as an extra perk, most are recyclable when your horse has finished enjoying them! 

Second, a horse toy or equine enrichment item doesn’t have to be brand-name in order to be effective. The behavioral impact – how much engagement and natural behavior your horse gets out of it – is what matters. Low budget horse toys can be just as fun and beneficial for your equine friend as something that costs a lot of money.

Here are five ultra low budget DIY horse toys. I’ve chosen toys and puzzles that are accessible to as many equestrians as possible. They require minimal or no tools to create and most are made from easy to find materials. 

So here are the best budget DIY horse toys you can make today: 

DIY Budget Horse Toy 1: Cardboard Box Forager

A forage box packs maximum horse fun, natural behavior, and budget friendliness into a single horse toy.

A forage box is a bin filled with a combination of forage, treats, and inedible filler. Your horse uses their senses and problem solving skills to find the goodies inside. 

Some forage boxes are simple containers with a few carrots or horse treats hidden in bundles of hay. Others are more complicated puzzles that demand dexterity and give your horse a mental workout. 

Forage boxes can be made of any material, but cardboard is the best choice. It’s free, safe, and recyclable. To source a good cardboard box for your forage box toy, save your latest Amazon package or check the recycling area of your workplace or school.  

Then get busy adding hay, filler, and a scatter of treats for a fun and and engaging budget horse toy.  

2: Browse Board and Hanging Stall Toy

Elevate the foraging fun with a DIY hanging browse feeder. This DIY horse toy is versatile and  great for relieving nervous energy. 

Browsing is seeking food or forage above ground level, like eating leaves from bushes or trees. Browsing is an important activity for wild horses, and it’s enriching to give your horse the chance to practice the behavior. You’ll hang the browse board up in your horse’s stall or pasture so that it’s slightly above the height of their withers.

To make an ultra simple browsing toy, all you need is a DIY browse board and some hay, herbs, or other treats. 

If you have tools such as a drill, a bucket lid or piece of wood makes a great browse toy base. But you can also use cardboard for a no-tool option! 

For this budget DIY horse toy, use double-thickness corrugated cardboard. Appliance shipping boxes are often made from this, so check the cardboard recycling zone of your school or workplace. Cut it to size and add holes for the browse using a serrated knife. 

This tutorial on cardboard browse toys is holiday themed, but you can make one in any shape.

3: Hanging Jug Treat Toy

Hanging stall balls are great horse toys, but you can make a DIY version that’s just as much fun for your horse with a repurposed milk jug. Wedged full of treats, the lightweight jug swings wildly as your horse nibbles at it. It’s a fun and satisfying way for your horse to forage and problem-solve. 

The only thing you need is a clean, empty plastic jug, a clip or cord to attach it in your horse’s stall, and some treats. 

To make the toy, cut slits in the jug to grip treats or  make big holes from which the goodies will drop out when your horse moves the jug around. 

4: Cup Puzzle Foraging Activity

Budget friendly DIY horse toys are ideal for your horse’s paddock as well as their stall. This DIY “toy” is more of an activity session, getting your horse up and moving for some exercise and boredom relief in their pasture.

A flip-up cup session involves hiding treats or even handfuls of tasty forage like loose hay or pellets under cups. Space them at intervals throughout your horse’s pasture. Once your horse figures out how to turn over one cup to find the goodies (teaching them how is a great use of positive reinforcement training!) they’ll find the rest on their own. 

Save your used cups, yogurt containers, and other small food cups for this cute and budget-friendly activity.

DIY Budget Horse Toy 5: Snuffle Box

Snuffle mats are must-have enrichment items for horses. These toys offer an extended, natural feeding experience and are TON of fun. 

Creating a DIY snuffle mat didn’t make the cut for this article on ultra low budget DIY horse toys, because it requires the base materials plus some special tools and time. It’s important to build or buy a snuffle mat that’s safe for horse use.  

But a DIY snuffle box is an ideal horse toy project for equestrians on a budget. It uses the kind of decorative storage crate that you probably have in closet, plus an old fleece blanket. Using the crate as a frame, you’ll create a multitextured, soft puzzle container for hiding treats and food. 

The other toys in this article can be made as needed and recycled when your horse is finished, but the DIY snuffle box is a permanent addition to your horse’s toy box. Use it with different treats and forage options for endless variety. 

The snuffle box article has full instructions on making one of your own, so don’t miss it! 

DIY Low Budget Horse Toys for Behavior Success

These five low budget DIY horse toys are a great base for your horse’s stall enrichment strategy. Providing enrichment items like these on the daily can help your horse be happier and more engaged – while you stay within your budget! 

For more DIY horse enrichment, including DIY projects that aren’t toys – like pasture projects and lifestyle strategies – check out the DIY Horse Enrichment archives. 

Have you made your own DIY horse toys on a budget?  Share your ideas in the comments!