For horses who love
to think, choose and play
Premium enrichment puzzles designed to tap into horses’ natural curiosity, problem-solving abilities and love of exploration.
For curious horses & conscious owners
Why every horse needs enrichment
Most horses spend a large part of the day waiting.
Waiting for food.
Waiting to go outside.
Waiting for us.
But horses are naturally curious, intelligent animals. They are built to explore, forage, solve problems and interact with their environment.
Our science-backed enrichment puzzles are designed to give horses meaningful opportunities to think, choose and play — independently, at their own pace and in their own way.
Because mental stimulation isn’t a luxury.
It’s part of a fulfilling life.
Give your horse more opportunities
to show you what they’re capable of
A puzzle may look unnatural, but it can help fulfil some of the hardest natural needs to provide for in a domestic horse’s life.
Horses evolved to explore, forage, solve problems, make decisions and respond to a changing environment. In modern horse keeping, opportunities to use those abilities can be surprisingly limited.
A good puzzle creates a small world in which your horse can investigate, experiment, make choices and discover that their own actions can influence what happens next.
New or unfamiliar things can feel scary or not worth the risk
New things become something worth investigating
Doing little and waiting because most choices are made for them
Opportunities to act, explore and make things happen
At first, every new puzzle is simply a new challenge to solve
Each solved puzzle adds skills and strategies for the next one
We only see what horses have had the opportunity to show us
New opportunities can reveal entirely new abilities
We should be careful not to mistake a lack of opportunity for a lack of ability
For all horses.
- Young horses that want to explore the world.
- Senior horses who may not do as much physically anymore — but still enjoy having something meaningful to do
- Sport horses that benefit from focus and fine motor skills.
- Rehabilitation horses that deserve to stay mentally engaged.
- Quiet or hesitant horses that are gently encouraged to take initiative.
- Horses that already have a good life — but whose minds still crave a real challenge.
Start Your Horse’s Learning Journey in 3 Simple Steps
Meet the puzzles
The Spinner Puzzle
A playful first introduction to horse enrichment and problem solving.
- An errorless first introduction to horse puzzling.
- Builds confidence & curiosity
- A game your horse will love
The Crumble Tumble
A rewarding slowfeeder puzzle for horses that enjoy a real challenge.
- Keeps horses mentally engaged
- Encourages persistence & problem solving
- Slows down feeding naturally
Skills modular Puzzles
A puzzle system that keeps horses challenged, engaged and curious.
- Endless combinations
- Compact design - ideal for smaller spaces
- Different skill levels
The Power of Choice
Most horses don’t get the chance to make real choices in their daily lives. But horses are smart, social and curious — and when we give them tools to express themselves and solve problems, we see remarkable changes:
more confidence – less stress – deeper connection
Our enrichment puzzles and speech buttons are designed to:
Build motor and problem-solving skills
Encourage independent thinking and exploration
Support emotional well-being through autonomy
Strengthen the bond between horse and human
Want to know what your horse would choose if they could tell you?
Let’s find out — together.
Loved by horses. Trusted by humans.
“A reward after pasture time"
We have a 19-year-old Icelandic gelding (Gustur) and two 2-year-old ponies (Senna and Sunny). All three figured out how it works by themselves. My gelding is already used to clicker training and touching objects, and he has often played with balls before. The youngsters learned it from watching him. I now mainly use it as a “reward” when they come in from the pasture. It’s really something they look forward to. – Marieke
"Joep is happy to have his puzzle back"
Joep is happy that he can finally play with his Spinner puzzle again!
– paard & landschap
“The horses learned by watching each other”
We received this Spinner from Equithink_puzzles_for_horses. Moos already loves it, and the other horses are also gradually learning how to earn pellets with it. You can find more footage and information in my new vlog on YouTube or on Equithink’s social media channels. – HoefWijzer
"They play together"
Amigo is happy with his treat puzzle. Still a bit difficult. – Rosita
"First step is to understand the balls"
We recently got a puzzle from Equithink. The first step is to let Zen play with the ball so he understands what it’s about. – Paardoptimaal
"He figured it out quickly"
Got to know the puzzle from Equithink. This gentleman quickly figured out where the treats were coming from! – Diego and Eva
Want to see more reviews?
Check out the reviews on our instagram account!
Always wanted to know what your horse is telling you?
So do we. That’s why we’re working on something truly exciting: A communication system for horses.
Using custom-designed speech buttons and symbols, we’re exploring whether horses can learn to refer to people, places, objects, activities and experiences — and use those shared references to express choices and preferences. Want to know if your horse would like his fly mask on? Wants a scratch? Or simply wants to refer to something in his environment?
We believe that, with the right tools and training, horses and humans can gradually develop shared references to the things that matter in a horse’s daily life—and use those shared references to communicate.
It starts with puzzles and enrichment that develop cognitive skills like memory, decision-making and cause and effect. Then, step by step, we introduce speech buttons and symbols, modelling their meaning through everyday interactions and gradually expanding the shared symbolic world.
The results so far? Remarkable. Our horses are already choosing music, asking for scratches and engaging with the systems in ways that make us even more curious about what may be possible.
This isn’t just enrichment.
This is the future of interspecies communication.
And your horse could be part of it.
Inspiration, updates and science-based horse enrichment
– straight to your inbox:
FAQ
Mental stimulation & Enrichment
1. Why do horses need enrichment?
Horses are intelligent, curious animals that are naturally wired to explore, learn and make decisions throughout the day. In many modern housing systems, their physical needs may be met, but their cognitive needs are often overlooked.
Without mental stimulation, horses can become bored or frustrated, which may lead to stress-related behaviors or a lack of engagement. Providing mental challenges like puzzels allows horses to use their natural intelligence, supports emotional wellbeing and helps them feel more balanced and confident.
2. Why is my horse bored?
Many horses are bored even when their basic needs are met. Food, turnout and companionship are essential, but they don’t automatically provide mental challenge.
Horses are natural problem-solvers. In the wild, they spend much of their day making decisions — where to go, what to eat, who to follow and when to rest or move. When daily life offers little variety, choice or opportunity to influence their environment, curiosity and motivation fade. What we call “boredom” is often a lack of meaningful engagement.
The solution lies in giving horses opportunities to think and make sense of their world. Mental enrichment that is clear and predictable allows horses to explore, discover cause and effect, and experience that their actions matter. This builds confidence, restores curiosity and makes daily life more meaningful again. On our website, you’ll find ideas and carefully designed tools that help give horses more meaningful mental challenges and opportunities to learn.
3. Is boredom really a problem for horses?
Yes. Boredom doesn’t just mean “having nothing to do.” It affects emotional wellbeing.
A bored horse may become restless, tense, withdrawn or unusually passive. Over time, lack of mental engagement can contribute to stress-related behaviors or reduced resilience.
Mental enrichment helps keep the brain active and supports a calmer, more confident horse.
4. My horse gets plenty of exercise — how can he be bored?
Exercise is essential for a horse’s physical health, but it doesn’t automatically meet their mental needs. A horse can move for hours and still experience mental monotony if every day follows the same pattern and nothing they do has a meaningful effect.
In the wild, movement is combined with constant decision-making: where to go, what to eat, when to stop, when to engage. That mental layer is often missing in domestic life.
What helps is adding mental challenge alongside physical activity. Opportunities to think, explore and experience clear cause and effect give horses something to understand, not just something to do. This keeps the mind active, supports emotional balance and makes everyday life more engaging — even for horses that get plenty of exercise. Throughout our website, we share ideas and tools that help bring this kind of mental challenge into a horse’s daily life.
5. How do you enrich your horse’s stable or paddock?
You can enrich a stable or paddock by turning it into a place where your horse can do more than wait. This means creating opportunities that allow your horse to explore, try things out and figure out how something works — give him (multi) possiblities to influence what happens around him.
In practice, this often includes enrichment objects, puzzles or systems that stay in place and can be used independently. Think of challenges where a horse has to work out how to release food, to turn on a fan or the ligth, to operate on the radio or to discover which action leads to a result. These kinds of opportunities fulfil a horse’s natural need to solve problems and influence.
The goal isn’t to fill the space with random objects, but to create a few clear opportunities your horse can choose to engage with — in his own time and at his own pace. When a horse can try different behaviors and discover outcomes for himself, the environment becomes more interesting and meaningful.
To see what kinds of puzzles work well in a stable or paddock, and how they can build toward more advanced challenges, you can explore our Puzzle Overview.
6. What is enrichment?
Enrichment means giving your horse a living space where he has options.
A place where his behavior can influence what happens around him.
Horses like to explore, try things out and figure out how something works. Enrichment gives them chances to do that. A horse might work out how to get food, how an object reacts when he touches it, or how a small challenge changes when he tries different actions.
The horse decides when to engage, how often, and in what way — or whether to walk away. The goal is not that everything is easy or immediately clear, but that the horse can explore and discover what works.
When a horse lives in an environment like this, he stays curious and confident, because his actions matter.
At Equithink, we help horses live in environments where they can think, choose and influence their world.
7. What kind of enrichment do horses actually need?
Horses need enrichment that gives them something to figure out, not just something to bite in or push or knock around.
This means activities or objects where the horse has to try things and discover what works. For example, instead of feeding in a bowl, give the horse a puzzel where he can learn how to release it himself. Or give him a touch button in his stable to turn on a fan or a radio.
The important part is that the horse is not told what to do. He can choose when to engage, how long to keep trying and whether to walk away and come back later. Over time, he learns which actions lead to a result.
Enrichment like this keeps horses curious and confident, because their actions actually make a difference. That is the kind of enrichment horses really need. Take a look at our website for more ideas and puzzels for horses.
8. What is the best toy for a bored horse?
The best toy for a bored horse is one that engages his mind. A toy where he can figure things out, experience success and gradually learn new skills.
It’s best to start with an easy toy that helps your horse understand the basics: when I do this, something happens. From there, you can slowly offer more challenging toys that build on those skills. This step-by-step approach keeps learning positive and prevents frustration.
Choosing enrichment based on errorless learning helps your horse stay relaxed and confident while exploring. The goal is not to keep him busy, but to give him meaningful things to do — in his own time, at his own pace.
9. Do horses really play with toys?
Yes, horses really do play with toys — but only with the right kind of toys.
Many common horse toys don’t work very well. A ball on a rope or a hanging puppet might interest a horse for a moment, but most horses lose interest quickly. Some toys only work when a human is holding them, which means the horse can’t use them independently.
Food toys can be fun, but they’re often impractical. Food balls tend to roll away, end up in the mud, or disappear into the neighbor’s paddock. That makes them frustrating rather than enriching.
Toys designed specifically for horses work very differently. Puzzles like the Spinner and Crumble Tumble stay in place, are easy to access, and give clear feedback when the horse interacts with them. For most horses, these puzzles are an instant hit because they make sense and are rewarding to use.
From there, the SKILLS puzzles take things a step further. They help horses develop specific skills and gradually work toward more advanced challenges and concepts.
If you’re curious about the different types of puzzles and where they can take your horse, take a look at our Puzzle Overview.
10. Do horses really need toys?
Yes — horses need the right kind of toys.
Horses are intelligent and curious animals. They naturally want to explore, try things out and understand how their actions affect the world around them. Toys can support this, but only when they offer more than simple movement or distraction.
Toys that work well for horses allow them to interact, experiment and solve small problems. They respond to the horse’s behavior and make it possible to discover cause and effect. This gives the horse something meaningful to do, rather than something that is quickly ignored.
Research has shown that this kind of enrichment has a positive effect on horse welfare, including reduced stress, more relaxed behavior and increased engagement with their environment.
When a toy gives a horse the chance to think, choose and influence what happens, it becomes enrichment. And that kind of enrichment supports curiosity, confidence and wellbeing.
To see what kinds of toys and puzzles are possible — and how they can support different skills and learning steps — take a look at our Puzzle Overview.