Horse not eating her hard food

[samp]

I have tried changing feeds etc but my horse is not eating her hard feed. She is working fairly hard now and needs a bit of spark about her but is just not eating her hard feed, can anyone suggest anything? I have tried it with chaff, without chaff, changing the mix, with sugar beet, without sugar beet, dry and damped down - all no joy

 

[AmyMay]

Are you feeding mix or cubes?

 

[TGM]

Is she not eating ANY hard feed, or just not eating it all up? What mixes have you tried? Is it just mix that she won't eat - or won't she touch chaff or sugar beet if they are fed on their own?

 

[samp]

She will not eat ny of it, I have tried separating the feeds atc. She is on Mix. I have tried Saracen Releve, Spillers slow release. he is lazy but on competition mixes becomes living hell

 

[AmyMay]

Have you tried just feeding straight cubes?

 

[samp]

No I have not tried that, I will have a look. Thought horses found them more boring?

 

[sleepingdragon10]

Could you try something like Baileys No 1? I've not known many horses turn their noses up at it, and if she'll eat that you could add in her mix a handful at a time.

What forgae is she on? Could you put her on good quality haylage and try some bog standard pony nuts with some oats added to it?

 

[AmyMay]

[ QUOTE ]
No I have not tried that, I will have a look. Thought horses found them more boring?

[/ QUOTE ]
We find that some horses will simply not eat mix because of the mollasses in them.

Try just straight cubes, no chaff or addatives or water. If you need some umph I'd go for Spillers slow release cubes. And if not just straight forward pony cubes.

 

[TGM]

How is she condition wise? Is she on good grazing and/or ad lib forage and perhaps is full up and feels that she doesn't need any extra?

 

[samp]

I have her on haylage and she is turned out on OK grazing. She is very fit and looking very fit at the moment. I will try some slow release nuts then

 

[sleepingdragon10]

[ QUOTE ]
I have her on haylage and she is turned out on OK grazing. She is very fit and looking very fit at the moment. I will try some slow release nuts then

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe she just doesn't want it?
Perhaps go right back to a base ration of a balancer and see how she goes on that?

 

[Solstar]

try a big dollop of molasses. if that doesnt work baileys meadowsweet mix. its coated in honey. i had the exact same problem with my lad.

 

[miller]

My boy did this the other week - normally is a slow, picky eater witgh a small apetite but does normally eat up eventually - went off his food completely the other week - vet said a virus as his legs filled too but no temp - bought a 5l tub of molasses and he ate every scrap

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

yard lads are like this at the mo because of all the grass they are getting.