Stall Boredom Driving ME NUTS??!

It is becoming that time of year again when the weather starts to turn on us and it's a little harder to go outside and "smell the roses." Thunder has always been a dopey kind of horse with little to medium energy. Well since moving to the new barn, he has been completely different...lets say a lot more SPIRITED. After being turned out 24/7 for the past month and a half he was brought in to his box. I call it a box because that's what it is....a 12 x 12 box. Granted it's warm and has nummy food and tasty fresh water, it's still doesn't compare to being able to gallop in the grass, chase bees , and eat acorns. With my natural motherly instincts I feel his anxiety about having to stand in one space for hours upon hours. Although it may not be as bad as I make it out to be, I still feel for him. And low and behold he had shown me how BORED he really was. Only being able to have 1 window open to stick his head out, he was grabbing at his halters and dropping them on the ground. What had happened with the other window? Well, there was some much to tasty stall door to chew on. So in loo of his new obssession with destruction of property, the window was closed shut and locked. Now it's even feeling more like a jail and I can feel my breaths shortening and my nerves being frayed to bits. I turn him out almost daily, he's under training twice a week, and he gets handfuls of treats and love a day. How does he show his appreciation? By reaching that big neck of his around and grabbing my new lounge whip, pulling it into his stall, and snapping it as well as chewing the rope. Yay. New solution. I decide to make him a lovely toy, made with love. Feeling pretty proud of myself, I hung that milk jug full of cookies in his stall. That was yesterday...and this was today.

He had managed to shake loose all of the cookies that were put inside. I am happy to say that it worked! However, I will probably have to start drinking a lot more milk.