Hay/forage replacer for good doer

Bernster

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Bit lost with all the choices out there so looking for some help. I’m after a lo cal forage replacer that’s good for encouraging loose sloppy poo, so I think I’d need to avoid anything too long-stem/indigestible or which has a very low water content. It would be fed instead of hay, so not looking for a small amount to give as a bucket feed or a complete feed.

Does such a thing exist?

Horse is currently on pretty much 24/7 grass turnout whilst he’s recovering from melanoma surgery inc on his bum. Has sloppy pink mash for his supplements and medication. We need his poo to stay really sloppy and loose. As he recovers and we move him back onto normal turnout (out day/in night) I’d like to try something that’s a mid way point before putting him fully back onto soaked hay. Vet said he could be on small amounts of soaked hay but after an emergency visit to the vet with colic/impaction, I’d like to try something else to help the transition! We’ll do the change gradually, and I’ll keep him on the pink mash, but after a traumatic few weeks and lots of vets visits, I want to be really careful and not just put him straight onto soaked hay alone. I’ll speak to the vets, and a few feed companies, but interested to hear hho recommendations too please.
 

ester

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the main low cal soaked grass/hay cobs are:
emerald green meadow magic
agrobs weisencobs
(the thunderbrooks equivalent).

none are the cheapest though if using as hay replacer but suspect that's not your main concern atm! we used the weisencobs with F as a hay replacer but only because mum liked them better than the MM.
 

Sossigpoker

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Allen and Page Fast Fibre is very low cal and can be used as a hay replacer. Most horses really like it so you can make it into a soup if need be.
 

ester

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You do have to be aware of the selenium content if using as a complete replacer though unless they've changed that.
 

Bernster

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They didn’t have the meadow magic so I’ve got a bag of chopped grass (readigrass) and oat straw (honey chop lite) -dampened down- to give as well as a bit of soaked hay and he’ll come in during the day for short periods to monitor him. We’re all a bit paranoid as he’s given us a few scares so doing things very slowly and carefully.

I’ve since read that readi grass can send them a bit loopy but it’ll be mixed with chopped straw, so hopefully will be ok!
 

fidleyspromise

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I was using fast fibre but you can only use it as a partial hay replacer so I could ony feed about 5kg for my horses weight and needed 8kg a day.
I moved onto grass nuts as they're weight for weight with hay.
(My horse can't have short chop).
 

Bernster

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Thx for the recommendations. As it may be a few weeks to transition I will look into these if he munches through the 2 bags I have of chopped grass and oat straw. Vet has ok’d the plan so we’ll spend the next few weeks moving him back to a more normal routine.

Apparently the 1 element that’s a no go is use of the walker to get him moving, as he stands still and stops it from working. ? He’s such a little bugger!
 
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