Feel silly asking this question :o

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mulledwhine

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I have changed my pony into high fibre cubes, as grass pellets were not always available at my feed store.

We got a new batch of hay, which he would not eat, so put it down to the quality, so today got him some hayledge ( he is stabled at night) , he normally loves this, but is refusing to eat this as well.

All he wants is his high fibre nuts!!!! He bangs the gate and shouts for hours, I refuse to give him any thing when he is behaving like that, this is not like him at all.

So my question is, can they become ' addicted ' not sure how else to put it, to a feed?

It is driving me mad.

Wine and cheese
 
Will becoming straight of those then :(

He was doing great in grass nuts, had lost a bit of weight, and his temperament under the saddle was great.

Can you recommend anything that behaves in the same way as grass nuts ?
 
Oooh wine and cheese, thanks!

No not addicted, but maybe he's full of grass and not that hungry :/ Most horses, if genuinely hungry will eat even nasty hay, that's why we all assess the quality before giving it to them.

Is there any possibility the haylage is on the turn? No punctures on the bag when you got it? It's been warm, so will maybe only last 3 days. I'd unwrap the whole bale if you get another, rather than just opening the bag at one end. The bag keeps the heat in and makes it go off quicker.

You can use the high fibre cubes as a hay replacement if you want. I used to feed a huge trug of high fibre cubes, sugar beet, straw chaff and bran if I couldn't get hold of decent hay.
 
Sugar and spice, thanks for the reply, he is not full of grass ( for a change LOL) I have not moved him to fresh grazing for over a month, so there is such little grass, that is why he has been getting a small hard feed.

Only got the bag of hayledge today , there were no holes, and I have completly opened it, only because I find it easier to get it out that way.

Looks like I will have to buy the grass pellets in bulk, the reason I like them is because he think he is getting a feed, when in actual fact he is not :D, I have to be tricky with him, and a bag lasts neary 2 months, the DH high fibre has gone to half in a week!!!!! Because he will not eat his hay I have been using as a hay replacer.

Thanks for the advice, looks like he will have to go cold turkey on the high fibre
 
Looks like he's effectively trained you into providing what he wants! After going hungry for a day or two I think he'd have eaten the hay, if there was nothing else. It's what I've done with the cheeky ones before. You feel dead mean doing it, but they learn they must eat what they're given.
 
But I can't bare him crying :(, actually I hate it, and it is driving me mad grrrrr.

I think mrs bad cop might be making an appearance :)

Ok yes you can have wine ad cheese , and those that asked ritz crackers are now available :D

Ps he is a professional trainer, does it before I even realise I have been trained LOL, I wish I had his success :)
 
Yes they can become addicted to a feedstuff. I had a mare who was addicted to cane sugar and cereals. We took her off them and it was like a heroin addict going 'cold turkey'. Prior to us removing them from her diet, her behaviour was becoming more and more dangerous. She almost ate the bucket when she was fed, she was so careful to not leave even a crumb.

Put him back on the grassnuts, get 2 bags at a time and buy the next lot when the first bag is finished, then you need never be without.
 
Pearl - that sounds like it, has only been on them 2 weeks, bit tonight ax I carried his bucket his was robbing it!!!! Made sure that stopped right away.

I am just amazed that he has been soo affected in such a short space of time, do high fibre products have a high sugar content ?
 
My regular supplier ran out of hay and got a load shipped in from Wales both my 'eat anything' horses would only nibble at it and though one was a slightly rounded cob and the other a 'built like the proverbial' arab they both lost so much weight we ended up using some as bedding and the rest we either gave away or burnt.
No-one was able to work out why they wouldn't eat it, smelt good lots of variety etc so it could be that he really doesn't like that hay.
 
Cortez, he is hungry .. OH has come in after not seeing him for a week, explained where he had got it from!!! ( hay)

My old boy would not eat it either!!! Does not explain why he won't eat the haylege, and I suspect ad others have said he just has me well trained :(

Although I do agree with you also, have wine cheese ad choc :)
 
Ah thanks! Could do with some choccie.......Suspect your horse is just guilting you out. Feed 'em when they start to get skinny (or just before), I say.....
 
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