Irresistible but low calorie feed

little_critter

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 June 2009
Messages
6,305
Visit site
I’m trying to get my mare to eat Pro Earth vit & min powder. She’s having none of it, and I’m only trying a half dose at the moment (been trying a few months now)
She was getting it in some speedi beet, and I’ve just tried switching to grass nut (still no joy). I have a feeling shes not keen on mushy stuff.
Are there any irresistible feeds I could try putting the powder in? I’m trying to avoid chaff as she’s older and risks diastemas.
Or just give up and switch back to a pelleted balancer which she used to eat ok.
The only reason I switched was to put my other horse on pro-hoof and it was easier to just switch both of them to it.
Pro hoof boy is a walking dustbin and eats anything, but madam is fussy.
 

Hormonal Filly

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 April 2013
Messages
3,514
Visit site
I haven’t tried it yet, but was scoping the forum for exact the same thing.

Speedy mash by Spillers has good reviews, apple flavoured apparently
 

meleeka

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 September 2001
Messages
11,571
Location
Hants, England
Visit site
Spillers Daily Mash Fibre or Speedy Mash are both tasty. They might send you a sample if you ask. Alternatively you could try adding dried mint which smells quite strong.
 

Highmileagecob

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 December 2021
Messages
2,838
Location
Wet and windy Pennines
Visit site
Mine will practically inhale anything offered, but his absolute favourites are a bran mash, and soaked hay cobs. Buying 20kg of bran in case she likes it is probably not on, but I dare say you could find a sample of hay cobs? Is she able to have grated apples or carrots?
 

Roxylola

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 March 2016
Messages
5,426
Visit site
Saracens releve is good for this. Or add apple juice to her feed currently or some mint.
Have you tried reducing the balancer and building up?
 

Goldenstar

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 March 2011
Messages
46,946
Visit site
Have you tried grated carrot and or apple .
you might also need to stop feeding it for a couple of days and reintroduce it teaspoon at a time .
 

little_critter

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 June 2009
Messages
6,305
Visit site
Per my op, she seems to dislike mashes / sugar beet / grass nuts…..anything mushy.
Im looking at mixes, which I know are generally considered junk food, but I’m only feeding a mugful or so to get her to eat the powder.
 

little_critter

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 June 2009
Messages
6,305
Visit site
Have you tried grated carrot and or apple .
you might also need to stop feeding it for a couple of days and reintroduce it teaspoon at a time .
Yes, tried grated carrot (well thin strips of carrot) (she prefers carrots to apples) and she picks out the tasty bits and leaves the bulk of the feed.
 

Goldenstar

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 March 2011
Messages
46,946
Visit site
That’s why grating helps it harder to do that .
treacle in hot water can help .
However I gave up with PE it was just tof difficult to get the horses to eat it .
 

little_critter

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 June 2009
Messages
6,305
Visit site
Stand down.
I experimented this morning and offered pure speedibeet in one bowl and pure grass nuts in another. No supplements added.
Both were happily scoffed, so it’s the supplement, not the feed that’s the problem.
Will go back to trying to feed tiny amounts.
 

tda

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 April 2013
Messages
4,592
Location
Yorkshire
Visit site
The mare I tried it on, usually a dustbin, wouldn't eat it either 🙄.
As someone else said, start with a pinch a day, building up to a teaspoon and build up from there
 

Zoeypxo

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 July 2021
Messages
1,237
Visit site
I gave up after a year of trying to get mine to eat pro hoof platinum, drove me nuts.
I swapped for pelleted equimins hoof mender and she now licks her bowl clean again.
 

criso

Coming over here & taking your jobs since 1900
Joined
18 September 2008
Messages
12,986
Location
London but horse is in Herts
Visit site
Making up my own blend, it's the copper and zinc that are main issue, if I run out I have to be careful how I restart. Followed by magox.

Copra and agrobs musli work for me but are definitely not low calorie.
 
Top