I adore snuffle mats for horse enrichment and have written about them before. After playing around with the basic snuffle mat concept, I wanted to try my hand at a DIY horse snuffle mat that would solve a couple minor issues that I have with snuffle mats made for dogs.
The result is this:
It’s a total DIY and if it looks like a bunch of material stitched to a doormat, that’s because it is. But is that much different than a cloth snuffle mat? I don’t think so! Here is how I put this mat together and what issues I was attempting to solve. It turned out pretty well for a prototype, even if it’s a little ugly. It does its job wonderfully from a behavioral standpoint.
So what is the behavioral purpose of a snuffle mat, anyway? I cover this in depth in The Beginner’s Guide to Snuffle Mats for Horses, so start there if you are a little confused. I wanted something that would encourage the snuffling and lipping behavior in the same way that a dog snuffle mat does, but with a few modifications.
This post does use affiliate links to the specific items that were used to create the mat.
First, I wanted something non-absorbent. Snuffle mats for dogs are almost all made of fleece or felt. While these are not the most absorbent of fabrics, since they are non-woven, they do absorb liquid to some degree. This means that when using them, especially with damp or moist enrichment foods, they suck up a little of the moisture from treats. Add in horse saliva and you’ve got a pretty soiled mat within a couple of uses. This fabric construction also makes them difficult to clean while at the barn. While I don’t mind laundering a snuffle mat, I wanted something that could be hosed off and dried quickly, and that I could use vegetables, fruit, or even soaked grain with – without it soaking into the fabric.
So instead of fleece or felt, I chose this medium thick vinyl sold as a shelf liner. It’s not absorbent but is very durable (I can’t pull apart or stretch the “grass” even though they’re only half an inch wide) but still easy to cut, pin, and sew. This length is enough to make one mat – I got a larger roll and have some left over for more experimenting.
Next, I wanted a backing that had the same properties but was also somewhat heavy. I picked up an inexpensive doormat from the local dollar store for the prototype. One thing I really like about it is the non-skid rubber backing, so it doesn’t want to scoot around the cement floor of the barn or the rubber mats in the stalls. It was also really easy to stitch, but the downside is that it isn’t quite as heavy duty as I imagined the base would be. I would like something with a lot less flexibility, and would trade the ease of stitching for increased thickness of the base.
To make the snuffle mat, I started by cutting the vinyl to length. The width of vinyl cut determines the height of the “grass.”
Stitching the vinyl lengths close to one another is what keeps them upright. The strips force each other to stick straight up instead of lying flat. For added body, I stitched some as double layers, especially in the center of the mat.
My stainless steel darning needles made this process much easier, powering through the vinyl and rubber backing of the base mat. These were a great buy – I wasn’t totally sure they’d be useful when I bought them, but it turns out they make a lot of DIY enrichment projects much easier!
When the snuffle strips were snugly stitched, I made cuts about half an inch apart down the length of each piece, alternating so that the “grass” was arranged more randomly.
I kept the edges of the mat free of vinyl so that treats snuffled out of the vinyl wouldn’t immediately end up on the ground or lost in the grass of the pasture.
When it was finished, the weather decided to really give me a concept test…by starting to rain as soon as I packed the mat with apple sticks and some pelleted feed.
But the DIY better snuffle mat didn’t care that it was dreary outside and neither did the horse:
Overall I’m really pleased with the prototype. The mat was a cinch to load and clean up afterwards as it didn’t hold onto mud, apple juice, or rain water. The vinyl “grass” sections are soft but strong, really flexible but didn’t promote any curious nibbling. And the doormat base stayed put while Allan worked on it. It gave several solid minutes of lipping, shuffling, snorting and snuffling.
All in all, I’m really pleased with this prototype snuffle mat. I like how heavy duty it is and I particularly enjoy that the grass portion is waterproof and pretty much indestructible. with spring mud, something that is easy to clean is a requirement and this definitely fits the bill.
The next one I make will be round, and on a heavier non-skid rubber backing. I’m also looking into creating more shapes, thickness, and height variation in the grass so that I can have a whole arsenal of snuffle mats for subtly different behaviors.
Have you built your own snuffle mat? Share the results! This fun enrichment is worth doing with any horse.