Fussy/Crazy Horse - Your Thoughts Please

[lisab]

My horse has been on green HorseHage for 7 years because of respiratory issues. He was fine on it for all that time but he suddenly went crazy 3 months ago and I had to stop riding him and get the vet because he was putting me and himself in danger.

Blood tests were clear and I was advised that it must be feed-related. Which it clearly is because when I put him on blue HorseHage and replaced his comp mix with Calm n Condition, he went completely back to normal.

However.

Monsieur now refuses to eat the blue HH after eating it perfectly happily for 3 weeks. He comes in at 12.30 and spent all Christmas Day, Christmas night, Boxing day and boxing night eating nothing.

I tried him on soaked hay and hay steamed in a proper steamer and that made him huff and puff and cough and almost collapse at canter, so that lasted no more than 3 days.

I've resorted to putting him back on green HH but he has started being naughty again after only 2 days - spinning when ridden and gnashing at the tying up string.

Do you think he will eat the blue HH eventually if I tough it out? He's a bit fat at the moment so some weight loss wouldn't bother me but I'm a bit concerned about gut health if he is on hunger strike.

What do you think?

 

[lisab]

Any thoughts anyone please?

 

[Nari]

Mine won't eat the blue one but likes the purple (timothy). Or, if you've only tried one bag, you could try another as I do occassionally get a bag that, although it looks ok to me, doesn't pass muster with his lordship. You might need to introduce it over a few days, purple wasn't popular originally but now is (though blue was always rejected).

 

[starryeyed]

Ours are fussy when it comes to the blue horsehage as well, but we mix it with the purple when we can get it and the green when we can't. Try mixing (half/half)? They tend to eat all of it when there's a bit of nice stuff in there, could be worth a try! Then at least he wouldn't be eating as much of the green and hopefully wouldn't be so nutty, if that's successful then you could gradually increase the amount of blue and decrease the green.

 

[lisab]

Thank you. I will try and get hold of some Timothy HH and give that a go.

I've tried mixing the blue and green and he picks all the green out and leaves the blue, little sod. The blue smells much nicer to me too - I think the green smells vinegary but the blue smells lovely - like christmas pud.

If I can't get any Timothy, I will have to persevere with the blue.

He is so sensitive with his breathing, I can only feed him HH. I tried normal unbranded haylage and also Equilage and they both made him cough.

I think the HH must have a higher moisture content than anything else.

Thanks again.