Horse won't eat hay. Please help!

[LaurenBay]

I've tried to feed her damp, soacked, dry, in net, floor etc but she still won't eat it ! Grrrr

She isn't off her food as she will quite happily graze, eat her bed (she's on straw) So I know she isn't ill, she's just being a fusspot! She never used to do this, it's only been over the last 4-5 days.

Unfourtantly she isn't having turn out every day at the moment either. She is out every other day. The 2 big paddocks that supply the Horses with every day turnout have just been sprayed (poxy buttercups) and we have been advised to keep them off it for 2 weeks. We didn't spray the smaller field so have split the herd in to 2 groups and they swap every other day. All the other Horses at the yard eat the same hay as her quite happily.

There was a haylage there which YO gave me to try, however as I unwrapped it, I could smell it was off and then when I looked at it, I could see mould. Deffiently not feeding her that so I disposed of it. She's in today, I gave her extra straw, so atleast she could eat something. Not ideal I know but better then nothing.

What can I try to make the hay more tasty for her? She's still a good weight and fine in herself. She does eat a little but never finishes it.

 

[smellsofhorse]

Have you tried steaming it?
They seem to like that, encourages fussy eaters.

Or what about giving her some chaff?

Longer term it would work out expensive but short term while she is in and being fussy you will know she is eating and getting enough fibre.

 

[Dancing Queen]

perhaps its a bad bale, if she is a fusspot (i have several) then try her a with a different bale/different supplier. no point trying to force her to eat something she doesnt like.

 

[Toffee44]

I find mine is coming in so stuffed she doesnt really finish her hay unless I leave her in late. I have been going up at 0530 when working and there is still a manger of hay left, but if I dont get up uptil 0830 then its all gone.




I personally wouldnt worry, are you bedded on wheat or barley?

 

[flintfootfilly]

What weight of hay is she eating in a 24 hour period? How does that equate with her body weight? What condition score is she? Is she drinking enough water too?

As long as she's eating around 1.5-2% of her body weight in hay (assuming she's average to slightly overweight), then I would be happy with that.

If she's eating significantly less than that, then I'd be looking to give her a high fibre feed to help boost her gutfill a little. I like Allen & Page's Fast Fibre which is just soaked for a minute before feeding. It's ground up oat straw and sugar beet and comes in very low on digestible energy but high on fibre. Not the same as having some long fibre to chew, but if she really does need more volume of fibre, then she may find that more palatable?

Beyond that, I guess it depends how much you want to keep sugars and starch down, and how much digestible energy you feel is appropriate for her in a feed.

Oh, and I'd definitely check her pulse and temperature so you can be fully objective about whether she is a bit off colour or not.

Sarah

 

[LaurenBay]

I don't have a steamer. But I was thinking along the lines of feeding chaff.

I have tried another bale, I also tried to feed a handful of my YO's hay and she turned her nose up at it.

I have been hand grazing her too, as I want to make sure she's getting atleast something! She also has a treat ball with happy hoof in that she likes.

Has anyone tried sprinkling apple juice over hay? would that make it more tasty?

Think I will get some haylage this week and try her on that. Although I have no idea if she likes haylage so will just get the one small bale for now, to see if she will eat that.

Will take her temp later, but I'm very doubtful she's ill.

 

[LaurenBay]

Ok, so shes back on hard feed at the moment to give her some fibre. Am also hand grazing 3 times a day when she is in. Started giving her a net made of 50/50 straw and hay. But she would just pick the straw out. Then yesterday evening, my YO came up carrying a small hay bale. It had fallen from a lorry and driver didn't notice It was a bit greener then the others so I offered Miss Fusspot a handful and she scoffed it down. My YO swapped this bale for my old one so now I have hay again! and one she likes! Trouble is I only have the 1 bale which will do me for about 8 nets, Think I should wait for lorry to drive past again and ask were can I buy them

 

[Tnavas]

FFluff up the ha and then spray with some molasses diluted in hot water - then put in haynet.

 

[BigRed]

I have only had this happen to me once. I bought 50 bales of hay off the field. It was not dusty or mouldy, but by the time we cam to feed it, neither of mine would eat any of it. I tried soaking it, and steaming it, but still they turned their noses up. In fact it had no smell at all and in the end I had to take it back to the farmer and swap it. They ate the new stuff. He agreed it had no "nose" their cows ate it with no problem.

 

[Damnation]

Put her on shavings so she eats the hay not straw?

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

Mix her nets 2/3 hay she doesn't like and 1/3 hay she does like?? she may get a taste for the other hay?? haha sorry, made me smile!!!

 

[PolarSkye]

We had some hay like this up at my previous yard - horses just turned their noses up. Unfortunately, the only remedy was to find hay they liked (sorry). In the meantime, could you mix the stuff she likes (the greener stuff) with the other stuff to see if she'd take some of it that way and to make the greener stuff go further while you source some more?

P

 

[LaurenBay]

Will try mixing the old with new, I think I know what farm the lorry driver was from, so will pop down there at the weekend and pick some bales up and ask wether I can choose the ones I want hehe.

I buy my hay from my YO, so returning it to farmer is not really an option as her Horses all eat it fine, as does the other liveries Horse. It's just mine.

I was thinking about trying her on shavings anyway, will see how much straw she has left later with the new hay. I actually sprinkled some of the old hay over the top of her bedding, she walked to it, Sniffed it and walked away back to her net.

Evelyn will try the molasses idea.

Thanks for all your advice guys

 

[smellsofhorse]

I don't have a steamer. But I was thinking along the lines of feeding chaff.

To steam hay just put the filled haynet in a bin and pour boiling water on it, put the lid on and leave for a while.

Yum!

 

[jessie7]

My mare refused to eat a big load of hay I bought in last year so I steamed it.
Do as the above - pop it in a bin, pour boiling water over, put the lid on for a bit - it will come out smelling sweet! My horse ate the lot!

 

[WelshTilly]

My mare refused to eat a big load of hay I bought in last year so I steamed it.
Do as the above - pop it in a bin, pour boiling water over, put the lid on for a bit - it will come out smelling sweet! My horse ate the lot!

Ditto this my mare loves her steamed hay when all the others on the yard dont want to eat theirs!!!

I too use a feed bin put a net in pour over a couple of boiling kettles and leave for a while, then hey presto, if im in a rush ill just stick a few kettles of water over whilst its on the ground...