Owner tosses her horse a ball but never anticipated his crazy antics

Young horses often act like puppies, and this chestnut youngling is no exception. His owner tossed him a blue ball, and he took to it like a fish to water. His youthful exuberance is hilarious to watch as he races around the pasture with his prize held tightly in his teeth.
Merriam-Webster defines “horse play” as rough or boisterous play. Buster, the horse in the video below, is a living, breathing, ball-catching example of this definition.
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So do horses actually play? This one sure does. He loves to romp around, kicking the ball and snatching it up in his teeth, only to frolic away with his toy. Playing like this plainly gives him pure joy.
Buster’s pasture-buddies seem less interested in what he’s up to and much more interested in eating grass, but Buster knows how to let down his hair.
If you want to see your horse behave like Buster, then be patient when trying new toys. Playing like this may seem unnatural to your horse, but given time, many will explore the toy and eventually begin to play with it.
Your horse may like to kick and toss a ball in the air. Or he may prefer a smaller ball that he can pick up in his teeth and race around with like Buster does.
Some equine friends seem to enjoy pushing a larger ball around, such as a human exercise ball, for instance.
The important thing is to provide a sturdy ball that can put up with the abuse the horse will give it. If it deflates, get all the pieces out of the horse’s area so they don't accidentally swallow small ones.
Show this entertaining video to your horsey friends, and you can probably talk some of them into trying it with their own horses. Will you give your horse the chance to play with a toy?
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