Is there such a thing as horse ball?

Answer 1

This has three meanings. First, there's the testicles of the male horse. Testicles are referred to colloquially as 'balls' in most English-speaking countries, no matter what kind of animal they belong to. Second, a stabled horse does not have much to do all day. It eats when it's fed, grazes when it's turned out, sleeps at night and is expected to be obedient and active when exercised. Many horses that are made to stand in a stable day and night turn to vices (such as weaving, cribbing, windsucking and excessive drinking) because they are bored and miserable. Others will become snappy and bite, kick, buck, rear, lug, or just act sulky and unwilling when ridden.

One way to prevent this from happening is to provide a horse with toys. Many of these are hung from the roof of the stable and are soft, sometimes scented balls. Occasionally a food reward falls from them if the horse plays with them long enough. The best way to prevent boredom, obviously, is to avoid keeping the horse in such unnatural conditions as a stable, but where this is the only option, toys can keep a horse occupied. I have heard such toys referred to as horse balls. Horse balls are also a way of giving a horse medicine. Correct me if I'm wrong about any of these. But I have heard of horse balls that are liquid medication mixed with bran or sugar beet pulp, powdered medicine mixed with water or molasses, etc. They are put in the horse's feed or dropped down its throat. A famous reference to horseballs is made in Black Beauty:

"Aye, sir, 'tis the Birtwick balls". These refer to horseballs made of petting, kindness, firmness and gentleness, mixed with commonsense.

Answer 2

Yes there really is such thing as a horse.

Answer 3

Yes they do