Getting your horse to eat supplements that taste bad!

[ellerslie83]

I've given my boys each a biotin and seaweed supplement but they really turn their noses up to them - and then when they do reluctantly eat them, they blow the powder about with their noses! Have tried to mix it with water to solve the blowing it like powder issue, but it doesn't take away the issue of the dodgy taste!! Anything else I can mix it with which won't make them put on weight as they're already both on a diet and are extremely good-doers!

 

[Mike007]

Why is it that people so often go on about horses knowing what is good for them yet the moment they turn their noses up at somthing we offer them.....

 

[Max123]

Stir in some Cranberry or Apple Juice. It binds the powder together and they like it.

 

[philamena]

After extensive (extensive!) testing, I have found most successful to be Dodson and Horrell mint or cheapo apple squash (as opposed to juice) because it has a stronger fake apple smell it seems to disguise all sorts...

 

[dancingkris]

Peppermint cordial - my fussy tb will eat anything with a dash of that in.

 

[LOZHUG]

Apple squash or juice or even Ribena

 

[spotty_pony]

Does it come in liquid form? I had this problem with the Global Herbs PollenX Supplement. My boy hated the powder and although he gave in and ate it in the end, he never finished all of his feed and was really enjoying it as much as he used to! Then I discovered the same supplement also came in liquid form - it smells a lot nicer, so I'm guessing it must taste a lot nicer too as he is a lot happier now and is enjoying his feed more again.

 

[TigerTail]

Fast fibre by Allen and Page is what the barefooters use to hide their minerals - unless youve had forage analysis done you shouldnt feed seaweed as it may cause iodine over dose

 

[StarcatcherWilliam]

Start them with a tiny amount of the supplement and gradually increase.

Or... a small spoon of treacle works wonders - they will be licking the bucket clean!!

 

[AmyMay]

Sugar beat.

 

[chestnut cob]

Are you *only* feeding them the biotin and seaweed powers?! If so then just put a bit of chaff in and mix it up really well.

My big horse gets seaweed, magox, brewers yeast, linseed and a joint supplement mixed into D&H Safe & Sound. As long as there's a bit of water in, enough chaff and it's mixed well, he'll lick the bowl clean (he can be a fussy eater too).

 

[NOISYGIRL]

I use feel good 30 garlic and parsley oil, I've tried various things this seems to work but he won't eat any extra sunflower oil in it which is what I need him to eat as he's lost a little too much weight after being on box rest with tendon injury, has now been able to go out but he's muzzled as he had lami few years back, so his daily forage intake has gone down so has lost weight, he's such a fuss arse, I've tried giving him sum speedy beet as an extra feed as I don't want his existing am and pm feed to be any larger in volume than it is, sorry went off on a bit of a waffle then lol

 

[NOISYGIRL]

Does it come in liquid form? I had this problem with the Global Herbs PollenX Supplement. My boy hated the powder and although he gave in and ate it in the end, he never finished all of his feed and was really enjoying it as much as he used to! Then I discovered the same supplement also came in liquid form - it smells a lot nicer, so I'm guessing it must taste a lot nicer too as he is a lot happier now and is enjoying his feed more again.

Yes I try and do that if I can, otherwise there's too much powder in his food and he won't eat it, I recently had to put mine on Naf Magic, luckily they do it in liquid, after he'd eaten the feed with the liquid I thought now his system is loaded I'll try him on the powder, so saved money getting the powder, WRONG he wouldn't eat it so had to get the garlic and parsley oil (Feelgood 30) to disguise the taste ha ha at least I know if he turns his nose up I can get it in liquid form

 

[chestnut cob]

I use feel good 30 garlic and parsley oil, I've tried various things this seems to work but he won't eat any extra sunflower oil in it which is what I need him to eat as he's lost a little too much weight after being on box rest with tendon injury, has now been able to go out but he's muzzled as he had lami few years back, so his daily forage intake has gone down so has lost weight, he's such a fuss arse, I've tried giving him sum speedy beet as an extra feed as I don't want his existing am and pm feed to be any larger in volume than it is, sorry went off on a bit of a waffle then lol

Try switching the sunflower oil (mine won't eat liquid oil at all) for linseed meal, I get it from Charnwood Milling. My horse seems to really like that and it makes the feed a lot more palatable because it isn't swimming in oil. He gets a big mug of it linseed meal. Linseed also much better for horses than veg oil.