Jolly Balls

[MountainMeadows]

Hi folks

I have seen photos of some of your horses playing with extra large balls --- I can only seem to find 10" and smaller Jolly Balls and I am looking for something quite a bit larger - mainly because I want to throw it into the paddock with my colts but I am pretty sure that my dog will steal it if it is only 10" or smaller!

Any suggestions?

Stacy

 

[rubyviewminis]

I bought a Gold's gym exercise ball for my colts last winter at Wal Mart. It was very inexpensive. I wanted to try that first to see if they would actually play with it before investing a lot in an actual horse ball. They still have it. It was so hot here most of this summer without trees in their dry lot that I put it up until this month when it is cooler. They loved it and I haven't had any problems, still using the same one.

 

[ruffian]

I found the big bright colored balls at Walmart also. Like $3 bucks.

 

[MountainMeadows]

Thanks Guys! Do you suggest trying to find the ones with the handle or are they just as happy with just a big round ball?

 

[LAminiatures]

I bought an Equi-Spirit horse ball. Mine is about 24" and is very durable. I bought the ones at walmart and they popped it with in an hour. My stallion and gelding still have fun with it, very fun to watch them.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Ditto, my boys kill the Walmart exercise balls in less than a day but my EquiSpirit Horse Ball is only just now beginning to wilt after three years. Turbo ripped the fabric cover off it so I'll be buying a new one of those but they sure love it!

Leia

 

[Echo Acres]

We use the larger Wal-mart ones as well. Our horses really like them. They are very light and easy for them to push around but yet I have not lost any that fly out of the fence. We have cattle panels and live in a very windy area. I wouldn't bother with a handle, most of ours don't use them much. Our big horses did more but not the minis. We have used these cheep balls for 2 years and only had 1 pop. Our foal from this year did that. I think the air got a little low and he bit it. As long as they stay pumped up they can't sink their teeth into it. He plays pretty rough with it. Best of all they are 2.50 or 3.00. Pretty cheap for entertainment.

 

[Barbie]

I have the big ones from Wal-Mart in all my stalls - the horses love them and they seem to last well. Only time they don't last is if my Foxy (pom) gets in the stall and knocks one out. Then it ends up in the pasture and ultimately if I don't get it away from her, she'll bounce it into the fence and find a way to pop it.

Barbie

 

[Connie P]

My horses pop the Wal-mart large plastic balls also. They last about 1/2 hour and then POP!

14" Jolly Ball

 

[chandab]

I was going through catalogs yesterday looking for something else and came across a large pasture ball for a good price, its from Stacy Westfall. I just looked it up, its in the Valley Vet Supply catalog, there are 3 sizes (80-130") and priced from $26.95 to $52.95. I think the small might just be ideal for a mini. [Oh, and they are inflatable.]

 

[Ann knight]

I ordered one of these and it lasted 10 minutes

( or at least it seemed that way ) . The ones from Natural Horse are well worth the money . My minis will knock them around , pick them up and toss them and jump on them ...a real work out . The one from Stacy they took a bite out of it and couldn't be fixed ...an expensive mistake for me . I've learned my lesson

Ann

p.s I had inflated it according to directions

 

[disneyhorse]

My stallion is the king of toys. If it can be destroyed though... he will destroy it. I haven't uploaded it to YouTube but we did a test one day of how long non-jolly balls would last.

The Gold's Gym regular ball from Wal-Mart lasted 4.5 minutes. The "extra durable" one from Wal-Mart which is a few dollars more lasted 2 minutes. My colt can pop them fully inflated. If he can't pop them within a few minutes, he seeks the little plastic plug and pulls it out. Therefore, no regular inflatable balls.

The "horse balls" that have the outer fabric cover last longer, but are very expensive. Also, the non-fabric covered ones will not last long if exposed to the sun (I live in so Cal, which we get a LOT of sun). They still pop

So far, only the 10" jolly ball can withstand my stallion... I don't know how rough your horse is though.

Here he is with the Gold's Gym ball, this isn't the destruction video but you can see once it deflates, it's a goner:



He still tears holes in the jolly balls, but they really hold up to his daily torture. I have NEVER seen a durable larger jolly ball, but I will be watching this post as my guy would LOVE LOVE LOVE something big. He does love to mount and roll around on the Gold's Gym balls during their brief lifetime. I would be interested in any type of toys, as my guy has TONS of toys. He prefers the jolly balls (in the video you can probably see the remains of flat Gold Gym balls, soccer balls with the soft outer coating shredded off, and the hard apple toy that he will play with by grabbing the tiny loop on but it hurts when he bashes it around so he prefers the jolly ball)...

Andrea

 

[rubyviewminis]

LOL you crack me up! My colt did finally pull out the plug on the gym ball. I still have his second ball, I put it up to keep it out of our intense never ending sun and they got bored as soon as the summer heat came. I have a video too of my Gem and Kamaole' mounting the balls and rolling around on them lol!