Ignore the scrawny beast?

[ATrueClassAct]

My little mare is being a pain in the arse. She gets given her net and feed but it's never good enough. She will stand there and beg for something else. I can't give her haylage since she's got cushings. Others give her little snacks since she looks like she needs feeding haha but now she's started to beg for more food when's she's not happy with her tea or net. How do you stop the beggars, begging and wording it nicely to others. People seem to think I just don't feed my pony!

 

[Miss L Toe]

My little mare is being a pain in the arse. She gets given her net and feed but it's never good enough. She will stand there and beg for something else. I can't give her haylage since she's got cushings. Others give her little snacks since she looks like she needs feeding haha but now she's started to beg for more food when's she's not happy with her tea or net. How do you stop the beggars, begging and wording it nicely to others. People seem to think I just don't feed my pony!

You should really put up a notice asking others not to feed, due to her condition.

 

[ATrueClassAct]

We've got one, some just ignore it. She's fine with a couple of treats a week since her conditions so mild currently. Do you recon she could do with a feed change?

 

[becca1305]

my cushings lad has as part of his feed badminton high fibre nuggets. He (and every other horse Ive fed them to) adore them and pick them out of their feed first he adores them as treats and they are really low in sugar basically just made of starch. Hes had to have soaked hay atm due to a random laminitic outburst but is still looking good on soaked hay and hard feeds consisting of 1/5 scoop badminton nuggets, 1/5 scoop low cal alfa-a (mint flavoured one, he was on hi-fi lite but we have to change his chaff every so often as he gets bored of it). He gets this twice a day plus his purgalide and is a healthy weight . Im not condoning constantly giving the little monkey treats but perhaps some of these nuggets in a treat ball might keep her occupied for a bit? it does my boy, and the others all come to the back of his stable in their field and beg him to pass them the ball . If you cant stop the treaters you could always ask them to give her a few nuggets instead that way you wont have to worry? they really shouldnt be feeding your horse though!

 

[ATrueClassAct]

Those nuggets sound like a really good idea. She'd probs love them. My mare is a teeny tiny skinny thing so people "feel sorry for her", stupid I know. Are those nuggets sold at most feed stores? She is scared of a ball though so thats not much hope haha.

 

[becca1305]

They seem a bit hit and miss in feed stores, some sell them some dont. You shouldnt have too much difficulty getting hold of them but if you are going purely to buy them then I would ring up first to see if they have them in stock if not most feed stores should be able to order them in anyway. They are fab they are these chunky nuggets, havent seen another product like them ever - all other similar feeds seem to be small pellets instead! http://www.badmintonfeeds.co.uk/products.php?id=37&cat=14
These are them. Make sure you say specifically what they are called to the feed store/tack shop as they do other similar products (we bought accidentally once) and the feed is more like pellets so not so good for treat balls as come out much too easily, and not sure if they are suitable for laminitics. We have been using for about 6 years now and I still highly rate them and feed them to all of mine as they adore them . The only thing I would say is I ignore the amount recommended to feed on the back of the bag as I think its to do with using them to replace grass/hay (tho I havent checked it for 5 or so yrs!) I find fed in the amounts in my above post to be the best for my boy

Oh the daft pony! just read shes scared of a treat ball! you could always scatter some on the floor for her and if you have a ball put one in then work up to 50/50 on the floor to start and in the ball and if eventually she gets the idea put them all in the ball? if not nothing wrong with scattering!