Encouraging horse eat haylage and bucket feed

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emfen1305

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My horse is on box rest after surgery last Wednesday. The vet tells me he didn't really eat much hay at all there and didn't touch the bucket feed (he is a little on the podgy side so they weren't that worried) but since getting him home I am really struggling to get him to eat any haylage unless I hand feed it to him. I have tried lots of smaller haynets around the stable and over the door, as well as loose in the haybar but he is not showing any interest. I am loathe to feed him a hay replacer in his bucket but he is not interested in that either! I tried him with a treat ball and high fibre nuggets which has had the most success so far but he can't live on fibre nuggets for 4 weeks (can he?!)

I am going to buy some more ulcer medication (not insured now, shudder!) as the vet thinks if his stomach is sore he might not want to eat but if I can't get him to eat the ulcers will come back (if they haven't already) or get worse. Is there anything else I can try? I can't get a different haylage supplier and he wont eat the hay either. I was thinking of getting some of that horsehage haylage as it looks nice and might tempt him. He doesn't seem particularly stressed out, if he's not playing with the ball then he just stands there resting.

Many thanks!
 
If you have access to hay could you try steaming a slice? It smells beautiful and mine went mad for it when I steamed - even though it was only intended for the one with a cough.
 
DappleDown said:
How long has he been home?

Has he now started to eat his feed from the bucket ok? Is his feed soaked?

Maybe try some Fast Fibre in a seperate bucket. It's a wet feed (a quick soak fibre provider) so he might find that more palitable. If he isn't keen, grate some carrot or apple into it.

https://www.allenandpage.com/product/fast-fibre/
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We got him back on Saturday morning, he spent most of Saturday spinning around the stable and snorting but he is much calmer now! He is nibbling at his bucket feed, i have been trying to give him smaller meals but more often. I have just been giving him Speedibeet and a handful of healthy tummy (his normal feed minus the balancer and supplements). He did actually finish all of last nights and I managed to coerce him to eat the rest of breakfast by hiding treats in it - he usually really enjoys his bucket and I haven't changed anything. I might try the grated carrot/apple in his normal feed though!
 
Merlod said:
If you have access to hay could you try steaming a slice? It smells beautiful and mine went mad for it when I steamed - even though it was only intended for the one with a cough.
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I could get access to hay but I don't think it's that great on our yard and I am not too sure how I would steam it either! But thanks, something to keep in mind!
 
He could still have a sore throat from the tube, ask if he can have some bute for a few days and see if that helps, give everything well soaked to help it slip down easily and don't get yourself too stressed trying to get him eating, if it is due to a sore throat he will soon be back to normal.
 
be positive said:
He could still have a sore throat from the tube, ask if he can have some bute for a few days and see if that helps, give everything well soaked to help it slip down easily and don't get yourself too stressed trying to get him eating, if it is due to a sore throat he will soon be back to normal.
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Thank you, I didn't think about it like that. He's got bute until Wednesday so hopefully he will start feeling more himself!
 
I had a native that went on hunger strike after surgery and developed hyperlipaemia.
The situation turned very desperate. We eventually managed to get him nibbling on a bit of grass. He wouldn't touch hay or any type of feed/mash/slop. After a few days of tentative grass nibbling, his appetite started to return.
 
scats said:
I had a native that went on hunger strike after surgery and developed hyperlipaemia.
The situation turned very desperate. We eventually managed to get him nibbling on a bit of grass. He wouldn't touch hay or any type of feed/mash/slop. After a few days of tentative grass nibbling, his appetite started to return.
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Hopefully the situation won't get that bad! More just concerned what the lack of eating is doing to his stomach! I have had one of the yard cameras popped in the stable so I can keep an eye on him - quite fascinating really! He seems to do 5 mins of eating and then half an hour of standing around. He is not greedy at the best of times! I think I'll pick some grass for him tonight to mix in with his bucket feed!
 
emfen1305 said:
Hopefully the situation won't get that bad! More just concerned what the lack of eating is doing to his stomach! I have had one of the yard cameras popped in the stable so I can keep an eye on him - quite fascinating really! He seems to do 5 mins of eating and then half an hour of standing around. He is not greedy at the best of times! I think I'll pick some grass for him tonight to mix in with his bucket feed!
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5mins eating should be enough to keep the stomach from being empty, it suggests that he is finding eating hard work or tricky and that he is not stressed by this so the eating time should get longer, having a camera is ideal as you can see what he is doing without him being distracted.
 
Does he have close company i.e. something in the next stable? Mine will go into fussy diva mode if she doesn't have something she sees as competition for her food. She will eat almost anything if she thinks her cob companion wants it hence they get her overnight reject hay in the field in the day time and it always all goes.
 
be positive said:
5mins eating should be enough to keep the stomach from being empty, it suggests that he is finding eating hard work or tricky and that he is not stressed by this so the eating time should get longer, having a camera is ideal as you can see what he is doing without him being distracted.
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Thanks, I am hoping this is the case, I could make it easier by putting it in the haybar but he is just turfing it all out into the bed! I have even tried pulling chunks out of the holes for him to encourage him but he just seems disinterested unless he sees me walk over the bale, get a handful and bring it back and then he gets very excited and eats like he has never eaten. Unfortunately I work full time so I can't stand there all day feeding him, I am hoping he starts to eat a bit more, I have some left over Peptizole that I will start to give him from tomorrow to see if that helps!
 
pansymouse said:
Does he have close company i.e. something in the next stable? Mine will go into fussy diva mode if she doesn't have something she sees as competition for her food. She will eat almost anything if she thinks her cob companion wants it hence they get her overnight reject hay in the field in the day time and it always all goes.
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He's in on his own during the day unfortunately but they will start coming in around now and he is better once they are in, it's almost like normal routine as everyone else is in eating their nets he joins in a bit. He always wants any other haylage that isn't his, he especially likes taking it out his neighbours mouth (he's in a badly designed corner stable!)
 
ester said:
TBH I'd put it in the haybar and let him turf it out for a bit if that is what he wants to do.
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Yes suppose that would be the easiest for him. I just thought i could keep a better eye on it if I did it in nets but I have the camera now so can stalk him ;)
 
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