(horse last chance thread) I'm failing already :( help

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thatsmygirl

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Iv spoke to a trimmer who's booked in to come out and take shoes off and fit boots and pads but I can't get him to eat any food he should.
He won't eat fast fibre, speedibeet or coolstance copra and iv brought 2 bags off that!! And even a tiny bit off salt in his diet he tells me where to go.
What do I do? I wanted to get his diet right for the best possable chance but also have to be careful because he will drop weight easy.
What can I feed him? Needs weight gain feed? He's happy eating baileys topline cubes mixed with equimins complete and linseed and clears this.
HELP
also his x rays showed his navicular bones were ok just a slight wing on one but it's his pedal bones that have rotated due to his flat feet. I could go down the route off gel pads/half shoes but at around £200 every 6 weeks I can't do it so wanted to try bare foot but if I can't get his diet right what can I do? :(
and iv got bags off feed mounting up that I can't use.
 
Oh and the coolstance copra smells horrid and I left it for over a hour when I first made it and used the correct amounts off water and it wasn't a mash, more like slop it's horrid stuff. I had to thicken it up with fast fibre.
 
Righyho dont panic!

Food wise micronised linseed usually goes down ok if hes a weight loser. Also try mixing his food with apple juice rather than water. Try adding dried mint/oregano to it - dont try all at once btw.

Dont stand over him fussing about either just plonk it down and walk away, he'l know somethings up if you're stood there getting all fussy!
 
Try not to panic! It's early days yet and if he has had lovely (in his view) molassed feeds then the new feed will tast quite bland initially.

I'd try mixing your new feed with the old to start with and gradually wean him onto the food you want him to eat. :)
 
Firstly dont panic. Just mix a little of the new food with his Baily's. Keep increasing the new product and decreasing the old product until he's on 100% new food. It might take a month or more to get to this stage.
 
Agree with micro linseed; 500g per day piled the weight on my fussy TB. Iirc, Topspec cool condition cubes have combined <10% NSCs, so they're worth a try if you're struggling.
 
Oh I'm panicking ok :)
I mixed a bit off coolstance with his nuts but all he does is pick every single nut out and that's it.
I will buy some dried mint tomoz.
That coolstance though is horrid
 
I did wonder if the topspec cubes would be ok? I know he will eat those. Coolstance on the bag states the NCSs is 12% which is higher than I though.
 
''Wheatfeed, Unmolassed beet pulp, high fibre oat by-product, full fat soya, grass meal, linseed expeller, cane molasses, calcium carbonate, sodium chloride, magnesium oxide'' Topspec CC ingredients.

Not something Id waste my money on personally.All by products and sugar. Not suitable for BF
 
The ingredients for spillers hi fibre cubes aren't all that different, but most people have no problems with them... You can't always have a perfect diet, sometimes you have to settle for adequate.
 
thatsmygirl said:
but it's his pedal bones that have rotated due to his flat feet. I could go down the route off gel pads/half shoes but at around £200 every 6 weeks I can't do it so wanted to try bare foot but if I can't get his diet right what can I do? :(
and iv got bags off feed mounting up that I can't use.
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His pedal bones have rotated and the soles are flat BECAUSE OF THE DIET HE WAS GETTING.

Try the feeds separately and see if there is one he will eat. It has been the first couple of days. He won't starve to death as long as he is eating forage.

If you need to, add a couple of doom nuts (aka the prev feed) to tempt him to eat the minerals and healthy stuff.

But if you don't change the diet he was on, you might as well give up now.
 
Oberon it can't just be diet, I know horses on real bad diets but their feet seem ok not like mine but he's spent 8 yrs racing on firm ground with a not so great farrier.
 
Thoroughly recommend micronised liseed mixed with fast fibre and geass nuts ...kept weight on my very!!!! stomach sensitive arab all winter. Anything that says conditioning or has molasses,soya makes her lose weight !
 
thatsmygirl said:
Oberon it can't just be diet, I know horses on real bad diets but their feet seem ok not like mine but he's spent 8 yrs racing on firm ground with a not so great farrier.
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No, you are right, it isn't all diet, but 99.99999% is! A horse can only grow a hoof with the nutrients it is given, should that be less than what the horse needs, or in unbalanced amounts, then given time the weakness and damage will show.

The horses with awful diets might be getting away with it now, sadly it won't last forever though and it will catch up with their feet and metabolic system as a whole. Should they have MRIs now then you might find they aren't even getting away with it at the moment, it might just appear that way as the damage isn't severe enough to show as lameness. Unless you put those horses on a 'perfect' diet though you can't really know if the diet they are on is fine as you don't have the comparison.
 
TMG... Don't question Oberon, O is a flipping god on this stuff, fibre fibre fibre your horse will eat it when he's hungry, it took a couple of weeks on copra before my horses ate it without question, do stick with it, it will take time, but it's worth it for the horse
 
Oh Oberon as helped me loads and I was hoping she would pop up. I'm not questioning her just trying to get as much info as poss. I need barefoot to work for my lad, no new feet no horse simples..
I only want him to eat his dinner :(
 
My boy was the same to start with, he actually had a proper sulk about it, they know how to make you feel bad!
I have persevered and he now eats all his feed, I do add D&H Placid herbs which he likes!
Try altering it gradually adding the good and cutting out the bad a little each day!
 
thatsmygirl said:
Can I feed coolstance un soaked? Just damp. Just a thought
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No it must be soaked, although you can experiment with the amount of water you use to get a nice consistency (same with the FF).

Obi's beloved but slightly dotty helper accidently fed the copra dry to him and he had a 'belly ache' (not an actual colic - he was just 'off').
 
Queenbee said:
TMG... Don't question Oberon, O is a flipping god on this stuff, fibre fibre fibre your horse will eat it when he's hungry, it took a couple of weeks on copra before my horses ate it without question, do stick with it, it will take time, but it's worth it for the horse
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Yes! Copra is quite 'advanced barefoot palette.' My horse turned his nose up at it. He also turned his nose up at Simple systems alfalfa......I used a generous dash of cider vinegar in his slop and left him to mull over the options(This or nothing!) He was soon gobbling up the alfalfa(turned out he was right and it did not suit him!) and the copra(no longer needs this thanks to Pure feeds.)
Wild horses have access to a more diverse selection of forage. In harsh environments they eat what is available..........I don't think molasses and grain/grain by products are ever an option;)
 
thatsmygirl said:
Oberon it can't just be diet, I know horses on real bad diets but their feet seem ok not like mine but he's spent 8 yrs racing on firm ground with a not so great farrier.
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The flat soles, pedal bone rotation (aka chronic laminitis) and soreness he had last time you tried BF all scream diet to me.

Taking the shoes off will allow the hoof and internal structures to become healthier - but that's only half the story.

There are many horses out there who can eat what they like and still have good hooves.

Then there is your horse :D

I would be interested to know if he has an underlying metabolic problem.

TBF to your boy - I don't know of many barefoot TBs who can eat anything they like and still be comfortable. Perhaps it's the Arab blood in them (Arabs are the poster children for Insulin Resistance:o).

Bear in mind - you are rehabilitating your horse at present. Once he has healthy hooves, you may be able to review diet again and find easier stuff to work with.

I have been sneaking my Cushing's Arab some Spiller's High Fibre cubes in his Fast Fibre (just a small handful) and he snarfs it all down like it's going out of fashion! They seem to work OK with the IR horses. I have no idea why though - they SHOULDN'T work :p
 
thatsmygirl said:
I only want him to eat his dinner :(
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Have you tried giving him a stiff talking to?
whip.gif
 
Don't panic TMG. Like others have said you need to introduce these things gradually and not give him other options! He'll eat it when he realises there's nothing else. Rome wasn't built in a day so don't fall at the first hurdle.

I've not had any trouble with the copra meal but obviously my boy had it at Rockley and was well used to it when he came back, but I do remember Nic saying the day he arrived there that he might not eat his dinner for a day or two so don't worry, just persevere with it.

It's kind of like a child having been allowed to have coco pops with full fat milk and tons of sugar being changed onto semi skimmed milk with muesli. There's bound to be some initial resistance!

Unfortunately diet really is the be all of barefoot, if you want it to work he has to be given the correct nutrients to grow those wonderful new feet you want him to have.

Don't beat yourself up, take your time and he will eventually eat what he needs. Use the linseed, don't soak the copra too much and whatever happens, don't back down and give him the coco pops again or he'll know you'll never insist he eats his muesli! ;)

Good luck and think positive. You can do it. Xx
 
It is difficult but please do persevere, I promise you it all mostly about the diet. I've got 2 TB's 1 can eat anything and stomps over any ground the other only has to look at grass or 'corn' and is instantly footy.
I've found they'll eat most things if I add a sprinkle of bran.
 
Have you tried adding warm water to the fast fibre and perhaps a bit of mint. I would also add linseed for weight and condition and finally if your horse does well on grass then add in some grass nuts. Mag ox is also great for feet.
 
Sorry to hijack this post but is badminton high fibre complete any good for barefoot?

My horse loves this and he wouldnt touch fast fibre. It comes in bug chunky nuggets (think treat size) so usefull to put in treat balls and for treating :) you can also soak it.
 
Coolstance does say on the bag u can feed it dry if have access to water, but personally I would add water. I use a sieve and drain the excess water off if I have put too much in! And with quick beat.

I haven't tried fast fiber but quick beat is good and ers pellets or Bailey's outshine. But would agree that change needs to b gradual. Hi .fi senior is easily deigestable so might be worth a go as could help with weight gain and it smell.lovely and has actual dried grass in like ready grass so quite palatable.

My new mare isn't too keen on her feed at mo but I just leave her with it and she is most dominant in field so I know she has eaten it eventually!

Sorry may have asked already but where r u based?
 
I'm based near honiton waltzing Matilda.
Ers pellets I think he will eat so have a bag off those on order to add a few to the coolstance.
 
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