fussy eater ideas

Firehorse

Firehorse

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my pony has decided to become a fussy eater over the last few months. he's always eaten his food no probs before. i thought it was his supplements putting him off, so i experimented by putting nothing in, or one or the other,then tried it dry, then dampened. i changed him onto hifi lite from original and the first few days he ate the lot, but now he's back to fussing again. i mix in carrots and apples. i put a tiny bit of sugar beet in today and he finished it up, but i really dont want to have to buy a bag of sugar beet just to give him a spoonful each day. he only gets half a scoop of hifi as it is.

has anyone tried spearmint?? i've just ordered some to try. altho i crushed some polos in his feed and he still wasnt bothered. any other ideas if the spearmint doesnt work?? i guess he's just not hungry. he only gets a feed to have his supplements in. this time last year he was on two scoops of hifi a day and was starving hungry, plus was in a mediumweight rug. it was his first year living out. this year, he's been in 40g rug except for when we had the snow, he's been clipped, where he wasnt last year. he loves his hay and is always ready for that everyday, but just not bothered about food. altho given half a chance, he will pinch other horse's feeds.

p.s his teeth were done in nov. and vet saw him tuesday for his jabs.
 
Did the vet check his teeth again when he did jabs? Is he grazing and eating hay normally?

I have a very fussy TB and he wont eat his food unless herbal gain powder is added to it, I get it on line
 
HiFi is not the most tempting feed - I think it is probably the horsey equivalent of Ryvita or rice-cakes! You could try another chaff - I know my old pony wouldn't eat HiFi but liked Spiller's Happy Hoof which is softer and seems more appetizing. Another alternative is to not give chaff at all, but just give the supplements in a bit of unmolassed beet.
 
Maybe he's just not hungry enough? Why not buy the Equimins vitamin treats and cut out the hard feed altogether?
 
vet didnt check his teeth as i said they'd been done. he's grazing and eating hay normally. he looks enthusiastic when i bring his bucket and will start eating it, but then leaves about half. sometimes he'll eat some more if i hand feed him (pampered pony or what!), but more is being wasted than eaten.
 
You'll probably find it a lot cheaper in the long run buying a bag of sugar beet / speedie beet (which will last forever feeding him a tiny bit a day!) than buying mints, carrots and other things to try to get him to eat his dinner otherwise :)
 
I would first consider changing to another feed. In my experience horses all have their preferences, for example some may prefer mix to cubes, and do not like certain types of feed such as high protein/barley nuts for condition gain, others hate vitamin/mineral supplements. If he needs chaff, I agree with the poster above that happy hoof seems very palatable, and unlike some chaffs it isn't full of sugar. However, your horse may be perfectly fine without chaff? I would try a good quality mix from a different brand (and if needed use a palatable supplement such as pink powder).

You may be able to get some samples from your feed merchants, or ask other people at your yard, so you can try a tiny amount and see if he likes it.

If another feed does not tempt him, I would consider getting a second opinion on the vet from the teeth and mouth/digestive system.

If he is in good condition, not depressed, his poo is normal etc. then it should not be a massive problem if the does not finish his food, but if his condition drops or you see any other signs that could suggest a health condition speak to your vet.
 
My horse is being really fussy recently and refusing to eat and has dropped a lot of weight already. In order to get him to eat I give him everything in different buckets. So he has a bucket of chaff & grass, a bucket of mix & sugarbeet and another one with soaked nuts and beet plus a feed ball of nuts.

sounds stupid I know but at least if he takes a dislike to something he will eat the rest. Once he is eating I will start mixing the feeds together
 
My lad can be a fussy eater. I tried loads of things, hiding the carrots at the bottom etc. Finally worked out he likes his feed wet, not soupy but just so and hates it dry. I make his beet wet and it flavours everything.

Glad to hear you've found something he likes and will eat.

FDC
 
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