Fussy eater.........

[mandy4727]

Had a bit of a debate with myself on which section to put this in. Anyway I know more people seem to read this one. Would like advice on what to feed my very fussy gelding. I will give you a low down on him and the products I have used. Sorry if it is a bit boring
12.2 gelding
Aged 39
Wormed
Still has all his teeth and not loose.
Very very poor and ribby but shiney and alert if that makes sense.

The only things he will eat alfalfa, bran, some speedibeet but not much. Tried to use that as a hay replacer.

Have tried and he won't eat. Any feed that is like nuts - never has done even when he was 15 in coarse mixes he eats round them. Baileys no 1. And conditioning mix. Top Spec conditioning flakes has fads and will sometimes eat them and then other times won't.

He won't eat his hay. So I mix a bit massive bucket of chaff, alfalfa and speedibeet. Doesn't seem that keen but it is gone in the morning. Eats bits and bats of his haylage but not much.

He is out grazing every day for 4 - 5 hours.

And he has the squits all the time. Vet been out and just cos of his age his intestines have lost their elasticity.

Any products out there I haven't tried that your fussy feeder will eat or is good as a hay replacer.

Will eat carrots for ever and ever and ever by the way

 

[Zebedee]

How about Readi grass? (Spillers)

 

[mandy4727]

Think that is one I haven't tried yet. Can it be a hay replacer (the name suggests it) and do you just stick it in a bucket as i is as his hay?

 

[Skhosu]

what about horsehage?
or could you get him out grazing more?
What about a supplement. I feed a great one called equine complete but think some horses dont like it.
What about oils?
Blending chaff and carrots?
(sorry, just thinking of imaginative solutions!!)
what about...spillers senior conditioning mix?

 

[mandy4727]

I have tried most things. I hide sliced carrots in a bucket of chaff. Puts his nose in. Snorts to blow all the chaff out of the bucket to get to the carrots. Tips it over. Fishes all the carrots out and pees on the chaff. Thanks Tartan. Will eat chaff if mixed with speedibeet and bran!!!!!!!!!! And I know that isn't giving him all the nutrients he needs for such an old guy. Longer turnout not an option. I bring them in about 2 ish during my lunch hour as they have to be in before dark!!!!

 

[Zebedee]

Yes, it's basically dried grass, cut to chaff length & can be fed in a bucket as a hay replacer. Give it a try, because if he likes alfalfa he'll love this!

 

[piebaldsparkle]

You could try adding oil to his feed to increase the calories. Fenegreek (supplement) is supposed to be good for fussy eaters. Have you tried soaking fibre pencil or pasture nuts with your speedibeet, so it is mushed together. Adding a probiotic may also assist his digestion.

 

[Mistyrocks]

you could always get grass nuts or fibre pencils which you soak which could replace his hay, also you could try adding mint or apple/carrot juice to feeds to tempt the pony.

 

[Happytohack]

Have you tried simple system's feeds. You can get grass nuts & alfalfa which you can soak along with unmolassed sugarbeet and make into a big bucket feed which he can pick at overnight. Give Jane a ring - she is so helpful (I was left with an orphan foal to handrear and she was brilliant).
www.simplesystem.co.uk

 

[TGM]

I fed our old pony Spillers Happy Hoof as a hay replacer - a lot of ponies find it more palatable than things like HiFi etc.

If he won't eat nuts, will he eat them if you soak them into a mash?

If you can get some oil of some sort into him then it will help loads with his condition - but you would have to introduce it slowly as some horses aren't too keen on it.

 

[beaconhorse]

Try adding sugar free apple squash to make it taste really nice. My own horse is a fairly fussy eater but when I add it he will eat anything

Normally I too would recommend oil but be careful it can make them 'runny' and as he is already that way it may not be a good idea.

Whereas if he likes the apple squash you can add veteran mix. There is also a company that make special type bran mash with vit etc added pm me if you need the name and i will try and find it

 

[JessPickle]

A 34 year old at our yards very simular to that. To get him to eat more they greated carrots and put it into the feed then to get the carrot they have to eat all the rest as well

Or the other one we have done is put apple juice in it just to begin with. Or put apples/carrots in a blender to make a paste thing to stir into the feed

 

[Super_Kat]

At an old yard I was at we rescued an emaciated 34yo who's teeth were knackered so he couldn't eat hay or certain lenghts of grass.
In the middle of winter we got him fat feeding him:
Hi-fibre cubes (soaked in hot water so it went into a nice warm mush!)
Sugar beet
Molichaff
D&H 16+
Lot's of soya oil!

He had this 3 times a day and was looking amazing when I last saw him

 

[Pasha]

As he has a poor tummy I would highly recommend you get some NAF pink powder for him - it's basically prebiotics and probiotics. It's relatively cheap (about £15 I think which should last around 6 weeks) and it will give him bacteria in his gut to help him digest what he is eating and make him feel a whole lot better! Also, as you only put a small spoonful in the feed, they won't notice any difference, unlike with some balancers.

 

[johnsongreyhorse]

My friend uses "the brick" for her old pony who can be fussy at times

http://www.horsefair.co.uk/product.asp?cookiecheck=yes&P_ID=188

also I use barley rings for my old horse to help keep his weight on in winter plus if he gets bored with his feed I will add them as he really likes them, you can also make them into a mash with warm water:-

http://www.dodsonandhorrell.com/index.phtml?detailsMode=product-details&id=46

 

[EnduroGal]

Another vote for SS feeds - they also do big bags of dried mint. I use this for one of brood mares who always goes off her feed in the last three months (just when you don't want her to!!)

a nice big handful of mint in each feed and she wolfs it down - fab for the digestion too

and cheap!! LOL!

 

[mandy4727]

Pink Powder. Worked wonders when I tried it. Until he thought I was trying to poison him and won't touch it now!!! Any sort of fibre nuts or pasture nuts soaked. Doesn't like them. Will try the apple juice or even carrot juice and see how we go with that. Will get some supermarke own brand and try that. He will eat something to start off with and then gets bored with it. Soya oil or any sort of oil -won't eat any of his feeds with it in!!! I am going to put a peg on his nose so he can't smell anything in his fee. Thanks folks