feeding my git of a horse

[fizz-tally]

right, things he cant/will not eat now include
build up mix/nuts
pasture mix
oats[soaked]
alpha a
alpha a oil
alpha a lite
mollichop
basically any mix etc

he goes mental on them or just plain refuses to eat them.

we know he will eat pasture nuts/hifi/speedi beet & is fizzy but not ott.

how much should i feed of this if i cant get him to eat anything else? he needs to build up condition, has adlib hay in the paddock & the stable

has been suggested i try maize as a straight?

 

[_daisy_]

have you tried blue chip?

 

[Tia]

I really wouldn't use maize whatever you do.

Have you tried giving him some Black Oil Sunflower Seeds in his feed? Or monkey nuts - similar properties.

 

[PapaFrita]

Blimey he IS awkward!

Don't think maize should ever be fed as a straight; it's FAR too starchy and if oats make your horse hyper, I'm positive maize will send him into the stratosphere. Mairi gave a very thorough explanation of why maize was not a good feed to be given straight. Is there anything you CAN feed that you could add oil to?
Sorry I can't be any more help though!

 

[KatB]

Have you tried adding apple juice, or an appetite stimulant to his feed? Topspec Dr. Green is meant to be very good....

 

[fizz-tally]

he doesnt eat it, just pushes it about

 

[fizz-tally]

[ QUOTE ]
I really wouldn't use maize whatever you do.

Have you tried giving him some Black Oil Sunflower Seeds in his feed? Or monkey nuts - similar properties.

[/ QUOTE ]

no, not tried that, do you feed them whole/soaked????

 

[teapot]

Isn't Maize meant to be fed as a maximum of 1/4 / 25% of the entire feed due to its high starch content - it is used to put condition on though

Doesnt Linseed also help with condition - then you've got to prepare it properly.

Have you thought about ringing baileys feed line etc?

 

[fizz-tally]

if i put oil of any type in his feed he will not eat it, the oats didnt do anything cos daft sod wouldnt touch them

 

[fizz-tally]

tried apple juice etc, will only eat it if its a feed he likes.

borrowed a bit of topspec from a friend & he wouldnt eat the feed it was in

 

[Tia]

Just feed black sunflowers whole and dry with their shells on and the monkey nuts are fed in their little 3-nut casing. Buy a small people bag of either of them first to see whether he likes them.

 

[fizz-tally]

called feed lines,they suggest all the normal feeds which he doesnt eat or make him loopy.

not much i can do other than feed him the feed i know he eats & wait for summer grass i guess

 

[fizz-tally]

thanks,got nuts in the kitchen in shells & passing a health food shop tomorrow so will look for sunflower seeds then,how much do i feed him?

 

[teapot]

Awww man - he's not making it easy for you is he?

What about simple systems?

 

[fizz-tally]

i know,love him to bits but he is trying me

looking into ss, just trying to find out if my local feed store will stock it, last time i asked for a feed they didnt have they wanted me to buy a pallet load

 

[lucemoose]

if he eats pasture/grass nuts hav u tried ringing simple systems? theyre v helpful and they have two "grass nuts " -red and blue..essentially the same except harvested at diff times of year so one is more of a conditioning nut the other is more of a baseline ration..
just a thought?

 

[_daisy_]

hes seriously testing you. Have you tried barley?

 

[fizz-tally]

looking into it thanks

 

[sleepingdragon10]

Would he eat something like Fibrebeet?That's a conditioning feed...although it does contain alfalfa and it looks like he's not a fan

Either that or try Baileys Outshine added to whatever he will eat...that has a high oil content and would help build him up if he'll eat it!

Bethxx

 

[fizz-tally]

going to borrow a scoop of rings at the weekend from a friend.
i cant afford to keep buying different feeds for him to not eat it or he goes loopy,have given 6 bags of feed to the SSPCA last week

 

[fizz-tally]

fibrebeet was a no,didnt like it either

out shine he did pick at to start with,but after a few feeds with a couple of handfuls in it he stopped eating it

thing is last year he would eat anything & everything & held weight well,but he was off work for the entire year,just seems since he came back into work he has gone fussy

 

[lucemoose]

write down a list of everything you havent tried..maybe HHoers could send u jiffy bags with samples in!

 

[fizz-tally]

lol good idea

maybe i should send him round ,he could do a spring tour

 

[_daisy_]

no I bet its getting like youre the feed shop! mine really looked well on barley - either soaked or just dry whichever she wasnt bothered.
have you thought or seeing if you can get some free samples of fibrebeet? my feed merchant has them.
or could you ask your feed merchants for a few feed samples to see if he will eat the feed before youwaste your money on a sack full. I know my feed merchants are quite aimiable with that.

 

[Tia]

I feed around a cupful of seeds per feed, per horse, so mine get about 2 cups per day. Lots of oil in sunflower seeds and plenty of fibre and tonnes of vitamins etc.

There is a little post further down asking about them and all the blurb is there.

 

[fizz-tally]

just read it thanks

could i stick them in when i soak my speedi beet or are they ok dry?

 

[fizz-tally]

i have been lucky with a few things,but the stuff that heats him up i have bought bags off, atleast my local SSPCA which is 5 mins away have a fair bit of feed to use

 

[Tia]

They are generally fed dry but I soak my oats when the temperatures aren't too low and when I do this, I soak the seeds in with the oats. They don't seem to lose their crunch and the horses still love them. I wouldn't think that any of the structure is damaged by soaking them to be honest.....so I'd say you'll be fine soaking in with your speedi beet.

 

[_daisy_]

at least your thinking of the charities - bet theyre so happy with you dropping bags of feed off for them.
have you tried grass nuts?

 

[Sags_Deer]

have you had teeth checked by a beva qualified dentist. also try adding mint/garlic to disguise the feed. like someone else said apple juice.