This cute toy is versatile and entertaining for all horses! The JW Pet Hol-ee Bone isn’t made for horses, but makes a great horse toy with a little DIY setup from you. Let’s see how it performed as an equine boredom buster, and how to make your own horse enrichment toy with the Hol-ee Bone.
Intro to the JW Pet Hol-ee Bone Toy
First up: JW Pet makes dog toys. The Hol-ee Dogbone IS a dog toy – not a horse toy!
But we’re all about repurposing and reusing items to make great horse enrichment, because there’s just not a lot of commercially made equine toys on the market. Enrichment is just as important for horses as for dogs for keeping your friend occupied and mentally stimulated.
Toys made just for horses are awesome, but usually have to be purchased online and usually have a high price tag. While you should definitely budget for some purpose-made equine enrichment products, it’s nice to add more options to your horse’s toybox without breaking the bank.
That’s where the JW Pet Holee Dogbone comes in. This cute little dogbone-shaped toy is versatile, flexible, and very budget friendly.
Dog Toys for Horses?
Enrichment is all about encouraging natural behaviors. Horses don’t use toys the same way dogs do, but some dog toys are really versatile. With a little creativity, you can repurpose them into great treat puzzles or play toys for your equine friend.
Dog toys from good brands are also designed with durability and safety in mind. That’s important for horse toys, because horses play hard and a durable toy is usually a safer toy.
I’ve enjoyed using and writing about several other JW Pets products and how to turn them into awesome equine enrichment (no, they didn’t sponsor this post, but they probably should!). The Hol-ee Roller has become pretty popular as a horse toy because it’s squashy, round, and really versatile. When I saw that the same material and design is available in a dogbone shape, I knew it was going on the review list!
How to Use the JW Pets Hol-ee Bone Toy for Horses
The Hol-ee Bone gets its name because it’s pretty holey: it’s made of flexible but firm rubber in the shape of a dogbone, but full of hexagon-shaped holes.
Like the Hol-ee Roller, you’ll use this toy as a treat puzzle or browse toy for your equine friend. This toy is a great choice as part of a stall enrichment program, or just to provide interest and stimulation to horses during turnout.
Because some edges of this toy are small enough to fit in your horse’s mouth, it’s best to use this item hanging off the ground, and under supervision.
The dogbone pictured here is the Large size. You can get it on Amazon for a fantastically budget-friendly five dollars. Do make sure you buy the largest size – the Small or Medium options are too small to be safe for most horses.
Snip away any packaging and product tags, and make sure to get the little plastic ties holding the label on.
Now the fun part: stuffing the toy with edible goodies!
The Hol-ee Dogbone is best used as a treat toy for your horse. Its unique squashy honeycomb design means you can insert a variety of foods. They’ll stick out of the holes, and when you hang up the toy your horse will have to figure out how to snag the treats.
It’s best to add some bulk using hay so that your fruit and veggie treats will stick firmly into the dogbone:
What Treats?
I found that sticks or batons were the best option for this toy. It’s similar to other webby items or the Megalast Ball: just cut edible fruit or veggie into wedges or sticks, and insert them all over the toy.
Any equine-safe fruit or vegetable is OK to use in this dogbone toy for horses, so you should be able to find some great options even for horses who need very low sugar diets. Try any of these:
- Carrots
- Apples
- Celery
- Squash
- Pumpkin
- Jumbo pretzel sticks
- Veggie noodles
Use as much or as little as you prefer. Change up the treats each time you use the toy for maximum interest and variety. You can also add in herbs or different types of hay for even more options – I really like that this toy is a blank slate and has so much room for versatility.
Where to Use the Hol-ee Bone for Horses?
You can use this toy in your horse’s stall or pasture. But for safety, you must hang it or tie it up. Adding a clip makes this part easy:
This encourages your horse to only grab the treats or hay with their lips and teeth rather than trying to fit the whole dogbone into their mouth.
Safety is paramount when using equine enrichment and toys. The JW Pet Hol-ee Dogbone is thin enough to fit in your horse’s mouth on its lower edge. Most horses won’t try to chew and swallow a foreign object this way, and the toy is made of flexible but sturdy rubber. Still, it’s an item I recommend only for supervised use.
If it seems that your horse doesn’t understand how to pull the treats out without chewing on the toy, or is frustrated and trying to bite the rubber of the Hol-ee Bone itself, swap it out for a different option like the Hol-ee Roller or swinging browse bucket.
The Results: The Hol-ee Bone is a Versatile Horse Toy with Lots of Options
Overall, this toy was a great buy for five bucks. It packs versatility and ease of use into one package.
I wouldn’t recommend the Hol-ee Bone for mouthy horses who like to gnaw on objects, because even though the rubber is sturdy, it’s not made to be chomped on by horses! This toy does offer plenty of boredom busting value for horses who will use it appropriately.
The Hol-ee Bone can hold a surprisingly large amount of forage and treats. It’s pretty easy for those treats to come out because the honeycomb design is large and open, making this toy a fairly frustration-free design. It’s a good choice for horses who are new to enrichment, since it’s fairly easy to solve and enjoy the treats.
And since this toy is so budget friendly, you could easily get more than one for extended use – perfect for multiple horses or occupying a horse during stall confinement.
Overall, the JW Pet Hol-ee Bone makes a great addition to your horse’s enrichment toybox!
Related Enrichment
The Hol-ee Bone is a great treat toy for horses. Try these similar enrichment ideas for more inspiration:
The JW Pet Hol-ee Roller – the same material, but in a fabulous ball shape