low energy feed for fussy eater? - help!

Brownmare

Brownmare

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My tb mare is in on box rest (plus short walks in hand) for a suspensory injury and is starting to gain weight. She is currently fed Dengie Hifi plus as little Spillers response cubes as I can get away with to get her to eat her supplements and bute. Obviously I need to change this now but what do I feed her given that she is a real fusspot who won't eat mixes or unmollassed chaff and won't even eat apples and will only eat carrots when on box rest :rolleyes:

Please help before she turns into an elephant :(
 
I would change from bute to Danilon as most horses will eat that without having to disguise it. Then keep her just on Hi-Fi. You should be feeding a horse on box rest as little as possible to minimise the chance of introducing other health issues (stress laminitis etc.) Will she use a vit/min lick like Horslyx?

Better for her to look a bit poor than overweight and laminitic :(
 
I should have said she is already on Danilon :rolleyes: and i would get her a mineral lick but she tends to bite them in chunks and they only last a few hours :eek: plus she also needs a hoof supplement and a joint supplement. She also won't eat hifi on its own :rolleyes:
 
what about the dengie healthy hooves, think its made with similar chaff to your hifi but with pellets added? very low cal and appetising? if you give them a phone they will send you a sample. My mare was a fuss pot and would eat this.

the other feed she loved was winergy low energy, a bit expensive though!
 
I find one of the few feeds my lad never goes off is good old-fashioned bran, and it's great for hiding things in as I always feed it damp. To that I'd add a low calorie balancer, that way she'll be getting enough vits & mins to help her repair whatever damage she's done to her suspensory. My favourite is Top Spec AntiLam, but Baileys Lo Cal is also good though from the comparisons I've seen it's a lower in most things.
 
Thanks everyone :) that's given me a few ideas and I will now get samples and see what Madam will eat! One of the other horses on the yard has Spilers happy hoof so we tried some of that for her tea and she turned her nose up at it until i added some nuts :(
 
I'd be feeding Fast Fibre, one of the lowest energy feeds and only 2% sugar ( good doer is 8% ) make is as sloppy or firm as you like and you only need a handfull as it soaks up so much water. Add a multi vit and mineral supplement too
 
AngieandBen said:
I'd be feeding Fast Fibre, one of the lowest energy feeds and only 2% sugar ( good doer is 8% ) make is as sloppy or firm as you like and you only need a handfull as it soaks up so much water. Add a multi vit and mineral supplement too
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Hey angie, who makes fast fibre, is it just made like a beet pulp? I have a horse who has to be kept on a high fibre diet, and I didn't know about this but it sounds perfect!
 
AngieandBen said:
I'd be feeding Fast Fibre, one of the lowest energy feeds and only 2% sugar ( good doer is 8% ) make is as sloppy or firm as you like and you only need a handfull as it soaks up so much water. Add a multi vit and mineral supplement too
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I would also recommend Allen and Paige Fast Fibre.... horses LOVE it and you only need make up what you want, when you want it. Its very practical and very appetising.
 
Hay is helpful to alleviate boredom which might be good for a horse on box rest. Your mare might not eat the grass hay at first, but if it's all she's got she'll end up eating it.
So I'd continue with the small amount of cubes for the supplements and bute, but would cut other hard feed and give only grass hay. My picky eater loves Formula4Feet (it's a complete supplement so although it's pricey you don't to feed any hard feed or other supplement except salt) but it smells apple so not sure if your mare would like it.
 
She is on ad-lib hay already :) If I can't get her weight down i will start soaking it to get rid of some of the nutrients.......

I have tried Formula4feet and although she will eat it I didn't feel it helped her feet much.

Our lovely feed merchants have sent me away with some samples to try and so far she is eating the Dengie good doer and the spillers lay-off cubes :)

I am hesitant to try the A & P fast fibre because she used to be on calm & condition and I struggled to get her to eat it. Shame because fast fibre looks ideal :rolleyes: my only consolation is she is starting to look almost sound in the last day or 2 :) (but we have a long way to go yet)
 
I feed hifi good doer which I know is a little higher in sugar then hi fi lite, but has mint in it. My friends Fussy horse ate it when she was trying to feed him bute and he scoffed the lot.
 
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Ring allen and paige feel sure they would send sample of fast fibre.My mare is fussy wit her hay but loves f f :)
 
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