In the different areas of animal management there are trends that suddenly become popular. Enrichment is the word that refers to enriching the environment of the animal so that the animal is physically, mentally, and emotionally occupied. Although some people want to break the term down into environmental and behavioral enrichment, I prefer not to mask or categorize the effort. Animals that lead a well-rounded and enriched life will be the ones more likely to have a good temperament, be more reliable, be curious, and be less likely to pick up bad habits.
Every animal needs some basics.
If you have read my article, Equine Essentials , you will already have a good idea of what your animal needs to have a good quality life. Mental activity is actually triggered by problem solving, play, and training. All of those require mental processing and learning. Toys and food puzzles are good items to help in this process. An odd shaped ball that dispenses a few pellets here and there or a net filled with a mix of grass hay with your regular hay that you feed can also be good.