Feed intolerance to alfalfa, soya or molasses

[Huckleberryslp]

I'm suspecting my mare to have been having a sensitivity to her feed! Recently cut out her baileys lo-cal balancer for a few days and am trying to clean up her diet by adding a different chaff. Since the balancer has been out of her diet she has been a completely different pony in a matter of days! Almost considering a vet appointment! She seems happy but she's gone from forward going, opinionated youngster who doesn't really want to leave her friends (she's 3) to total chilled out angel not in a rush to do anything, not a peep walking away from her friends etc.

How common is a feed reaction like this?? Can it really happen this quick? She seems fine every other way, not lame or tight in anyway, can't find anything else that could be upsetting her, just extremely chilled.

Interested in other experiences like this!

 

[meleeka]

I have one that’s very sensitive to feed. She can indeed turn from a devil to an angel overnight. I didn’t find this out until I fed Calm and Condition and it sent her loopy!

 

[zandp]

One of mine can't take alfalfa at all and the other is horrific with molasses, she becomes really dangerous to be around.

Agrobs / Thunderbrook chaff / hay cobs etc or if I can't get them Dengie grass nuts / Baileys Ultra Grass / Dengie Meadow Mix all do at a pinch.

 

[YorksG]

We have had three with food intolerance, one was sugar and any cereal but she could cope with alfalfa. Both Appy mares it was/ is alfalfa and extra sugars, and one could not tolerate carrots, both much more relaxed and happier without the feed they can't cope with. The first mare had such behavioural problems from food that she was days away from pts!

 

[ycbm]

I have one that goes loopy fruitcake on alfalfa and one who loses weight and starts behaving badly on soya. The soya takes longer to show. I only have two, so I'd say intolerances are common.

 

[zandp]

We have had three with food intolerance, one was sugar and any cereal but she could cope with alfalfa. Both Appy mares it was/ is alfalfa and extra sugars, and one could not tolerate carrots, both much more relaxed and happier without the feed they can't cope with. The first mare had such behavioural problems from food that she was days away from pts!

That's interesting - the one who was horrific with molasses / high sugar feed is Appy.

 

[SmartieBean09]

Baileys have changed the main ingredient for their Lo Cal from grass to Alafalfa. My horse is very intolerant to Alfalfa and turns into a bolshy, rearing nightmare. Off of it, she is polite, calm and her usual wonderful self! We usually see changes in her behaviour in around 10 days on Alfalfa and then a change back to her usual behaviour around 3 days after removing it. She is coping very well on Honey Chop Lite and Healthy and a vit/min supplement.

 

[ycbm]

That's interesting - the one who was horrific with molasses / high sugar feed is Appy.

I'm not testing it again, but I'm pretty sure my half Appy gets a neck rash with one carrot, and as well as alfalfa that caused him to rear up and quite deliberately stove my hat in with his foot, he seems intolerant, to a lesser extent, to all cereals and linseed. I wouldn't dare put molasses near him!

.

 

[YorksG]

I'm not testing it again, but I'm pretty sure my half Appy gets a neck rash with one carrot, and as well as alfalfa that caused him to rear up and quite deliberately stove my hat in with his foot, he seems intolerant, to a lesser extent, to all cereals and linseed. I wouldn't dare put molasses near him!

.

We think our current Appy started itching with a combination of the grass starting and linseed oil in her tea! I haven't even considered molasses! A step too far!

 

[zandp]

We moved to my then instructor's yard (she managed it) some years ago, a mistake from the start to be honest but it got worse when she swopped the feed she was providing originally - as discussed and agreed with me to molichaff as she didn't believe me that my horses couldn't eat molasses / alfalfa.

About 2 weeks after the change she was telling me my horse was dangerous and the yard owner wanted me thrown off the yard because of her behaviour. I then got daily complaints about everything she was doing but the YM wouldn't change the feed or let me buy my own - I left shortly after.