hay/haylage alternative for older boy

lynspop

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scotland
www.trainingtails.moonfruit.com
My IDxTB is 21 this year and I think is starting to struggle a little bit with eating large amounts of hay/haylage and am looking for an alternative I may be able to give him over the winter when hes stabled over night.
Bit of background for you- when I got him (7 years ago) he had never had his teeth done, so dental care was a new thing. He has them done every year by our local horse dentist and up until last year there had been no problems with them. In November last year (about the same time his dental check up was due) he suffered a bout of choke, for the first time in all the years I've had him. The vet came out and we got it all sorted and then the vet returned and did his teeth- which again were not awful but he did say were starting to show signs of age and wear and tear.
Over the winter when stabled I noticed from time to time that he was starting to get a blockage in his neck when eating hay, but it never led to another bout of choke. I spoke to the vet about it too and we agreed to keep an eye on it.
I used fast fibre last year which at first he gobbled up and I hoped it could be a partial haylage replacer....until he decided he didnt like it anymore!
So Im looking this year for a similar type of feed which could be a partial or full haylage replacer for him. I'll probably try the fast fibre again but wanted to see if there was anything similar on the market worth trying?
 
Soaked grass nuts are good and usually fairly cheap (which is important if you are feeding in large quantities as a hay replacer) and more calorific than Fast Fibre, which can help if the horse is prone to losing weight.
 
Simple System are very good, and the can come unmollassed.

Though instead of substituting my hay/haylage, I bulk up his breakfast with grass seed and soak maybe half a haynet. As my boy will only eat soaked hay as it's softer on the throat and gets rid of any excess dust that may cause a problem

Hope I've helped and not just rambled!!
 
We just ask for the cheapest grass nuts our supplier has rather than going for big names as the prices obviously shoot up with the name. We soak ours with equibeet as it tends to stay softer/moister without being too slushy. You will be amazed at just how much the grass nuts swell and they go a long way!
 
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