Feed for an old fussy pony

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chaps89

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12,2hh 26/27 year old gelding. In fine form and looking/doing very well. He gets a daily bute and a liver supplement so needs a bucket feed, else I wouldn't worry as he's a very good doer.
He's always had a plain chaff and that's been enough but he's got to the stage where he'll eat a feed for a few weeks then go off it. It doesn't help at the moment that there's enough grass that he's not really hungry.
I've tried dengie molasses free (he loved the alfalfa to start!), bran, speedibeet from a chaff/fibre perspective (started on honey hop lite & healthy), not a fan of mashes/grass nuts, also tried Allen & page L mix, Dodson & horrell slim down, Saracens re-leve, Dodson & horrell senior mix, spillers 16 plus, dodson & horrell pasture mix. What pony doesn't like pasture mix?!
I started with healthy options and have been slowly getting to the point of buying the sugary stuff in an attempt to get him to eat (on the basis he gets such a small amount it won't hurt him really and if it means he gets his meds that's fine)
I usually have 2 or 3 bags on the go at once and rotate through them but current choices are just getting a sniff then being left.
I've also tried peppermint oil, honey and the licquorice smelling cough syrup (for horses) and they do nothing. I've also tried feeds without Bute and feeds without liver supplement, there is no rhyme or reason as to what he will eat or when.
Edit - teeth done regularly by EDT and no issues whatsoever, she's always astounded by what good condition they're in, last done in July. Also on half a prascend tablet a day (which is also becoming tricky to get down him), levels last checked in May, and the fussy feed problem has been ongoing since last winter, so not that.

So wise ones of HHO, what next?!

(Ps, no idea why this is all in italics 🤯 )
 
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If you're feeding a couple of different things together, have you tried splitting it into separate buckets? Mine went off his pink mash, we took him off it for a few weeks and now he eats it if it's not mixed with anything else.

I've also recently started feeding D&H Cushcare Condition and it seems to be very palatable.
 
My oldie loved Rowan Barbary Soft and Soak and looked well on it.
All our oldies ate prascend wrapped in a scrap of bread, sometimes after one without prascend. Never had any reject it like that.
 
Our fussy oldie loved veteran vitality (equine junk food but needs must), and equijewel when he needed a bit extra. Beetroot powder was also good for tempting him when he was getting minerals.
 
My cushings mare started being fussy about her food so I contacted lots of feed suppliers and got samples to try., I ended up with fast fibre and baileys light chaff. The chaff smelt very minty and she loved it. She was on 4 prascend at the end and the only way she would take them was in a hollowed out carrot, I gave it to her before she had breakfast so she always ate it.. good luck
 
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Re Prascend I fed 1/4 tab twice daily for years by just slipping it in the corner of mouth whilst offering treats by hand. Too small/dissolved too quickly for easy spit out. Pony managed to eject it perhaps once a week in which case I just picked it up and stuffed it back in for second time lucky. By timing the pill popping with treat offering pony never objected, much to my astonishment as he would dance around on his back legs at a worming syringe!

Edited to say pony is currently happily eating it in a tiny feed of sugar beet, linseed and molichaff but if necessary I'd happily go back to my previous method.
 
Thunderbrook herbal chaff. Mine kills for it. 40 PPID mare. Very few teeth. She has a bucket of Thunderbrooks mixed with molassed SB am and a large bin of the same a night. None left ever.
I just syringe prascend in. Only half a tablet so very little to syringe. I would also syringe bute if needed.
 
Another vote for Rowen Barbary…do have a look at their website…and if by any chance you are going to Scone, they have a stand next to main arena, and usually do lots of samples!!!
Of course they will send you a sample if you ring them at the mill….
 
I haven't had one yet that didn't like the Bailey's Fibre Plus Nuggets. Our oldie is extremely fussy and she'll eat them. Especially with an Omega Rice garnish.
 
Spillers speedy mash is apple flavored and always works a treat for hiding nasty things.
Had to stop using it as a daily feed because fussy TB started climbing over the doors to speed up breakfast delivery 🙈
Apparently something can indeed be too tasty!

For context he won't touch mashes usually, chaff is a hard sell, mixes will be sifted through and mostly deposited on the floor, an attempt with mint and fenugreek was launched skyward in disgust. He doesn't eat apples and carrots may be picked at over the course of several hours if bored.
The only other big sucess was porridge!
It was more like overnight oats with Scots porridge oats, water and a spoonful of tablesalt but it did the trick 🙂
 
Thanks everyone, lots of options to try here.
Not sure if some of the mashes will be a waste of time but it feels worth exploring some of the ones known to be extra tasty.

Oh - and yesterday pasture mix was acceptable again. Who knows 🤷‍♀️
 
Highmileagecob said:
Think I would suspect fluctuating Cushings levels to be the culprit. Might be worth having an autumn check just to see if the prascend is still holding things stable.
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Yes, I was surprised when his spring checks came back ok, as the problems started over winter and I remember a friend's elderly pony having similar issues and it being his cushings. The other one must be due her vaccs soon so I might tie them in together, hadn't thought about autumn testing, thankyou
 
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