Some of you may remember the rather brilliant DIY scratching post I came up with a few years ago. Unfortunately, in my sodden climate, it only lasted a year before the horses had pushed the post (machine-pounded 3′ deep) right out of the ground, during the first wet spring.
So after watching them wreck – I mean scratch – almost every structure in barn and paddock, I had another idea! A friend of mine, Mariann Taubensee, is a brilliant artist who specializes in Recycled Sculpture – sold in her Salvation Art Gallery (get it?). AND she happens to also have her welding license. I used to visit her studio at university to see her blazing away on some 6′ steel structure or another.
I called her up and told her my idea: That she come out to my barn and create a massive, super heavy steel sculpture (so the horses can’t push it over or destroy it) with all the scratching surfaces, prongs, angles, etc at all the heights and positions they love AND make it a piece of art! I shot this video for her so she can see all the ways the horses are currently itching themselves – to get some ideas:
Will this actually work? Will Mariann be able to come up with a structure the horses would rather scratch on, than the barn and shelters? And although I’d be happy if it were just functional, will Marian be able to take all these requirements and actually turn them into a piece of ART? Watch this space…
And of course, if you have any ideas, please share them!
Jini Patel Thompson is a natural health writer and Lazer Tapping instructor. She began riding at age 2 in Kenya, and got her first horse at age 8 in Alberta, and so continues a life-long journey and love affair with these amazing creatures.
Not that this solves the problem of the stability of the scratching posts, but to protect my horses from scratching on posts that might injure them, I have wrapped posts in their pasture with these pads I ordered from Amazon and they have worked out well. They need to be replaced about every 2 years: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N0TPTFO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
I bought that exact same product for my scratching post! Only lasted 1 year for me though – might be the climate, or the fact that Belgians just put a whole lot more wear and tear on things. They sell a much heavier-duty version of these specifically for horses though – since you already know they work for your herd, you might want to invest more and replace less (less waste too). Link and video are here: https://listentoyourhorse.com/affordable-diy-equine-scratching-post-solutions/
Hi Jini, love the idea, look forward to seeing the result. I’m lucky enough to have a brick
barn which they love to scratch on, but you have reminded me to add more brush heads
to the wall higher up for bum scratching, I put one low down a few years back which
half the bristle have now gone from, so clearly used, I need to come up with something
they can get under to rub on, at our old place we had a fallen but alive ash tree they loved.
Love and appreciate your posts
Lorraine
Ooooh yes, brick would be perfect! I can’t imagine how you’d attach the brush heads to brick though… post a pic if you can 🙂
You guys took the words right out of my mouth…please use the trees! This land we have the privilege to call home has so many old growth oaks…and don’t get me wrong Big Pa Pa Oak is one of there favorite trees to use! With all his very super thick branches low and high and at all different levels…but if they are not able to get to him which is often…unfortunately…they use there structures and fencing and gates just like this video shows yours doing! My husband is the handiest most creative guy so we are going to make them something that can hopefully handle there strength and satisfy there different itch soots at all levels! I have seen a few cool ideas with large push broom heads on the web so we are going to try some of them and add our own flare and ideas! I’ll post back when we get it accomplished…hoping sooner then later but so many projects …not enough hours in the day to get them all done! ✌🏼❤️🐴
Yes! Definitely post back with pics of whatever you come up with – would LOVE to see them!