Making feed / speedi-beet more palatable.

suzysparkle

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Hi

Ok, so, I need something that my Horse will eat when out at endurance events. He's fine most of the time but I have major issues getting water into him at endurance rides. He'll take speedi-beet at home but out and about he turns his nose up (and forget water, I've tried everything). I thought about trying either readigrass or molasses? I don't care if it's got sugar in it, if it makes him take on water then it's fine! I tried apple cordial and that didn't work. The only thing he will eat is carrots, and he picks them out the speedi-beet!
 

Peregrine Falcon

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Could you try juicing some carrots then and adding that to the water? What about using the speedi beet water that the beet been soaking in or have you already tried that?
 

be positive

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Grass nuts take on plenty of water, one of mine likes calm and condition but not speedibeet, redigrass soaks fairly well and takes on the appearance of fresh grass once it has soaked for a while which he may find tempting, it is trial and error really having several options available at each stop until you find what he prefers, fully molassed sugar beet would also be worth trying.
 

Hoof_Prints

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my horse will only eat speedibeet if it's mixed with a chaff. I mix mine with mollichaff calmer for low sugar, you could try a flavoured molassed chaff to make it more tempting!
 

suzysparkle

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I've tried speedi-beet water and grating carrots in....no joy. He loves good grass though and I'm always thrilled when the venue park is grass because I know that will get water into him so I might try the readigrass. He can eat it at home if no joy. Molassed sugar beet....am off for a google on that one! He's an absolute nightmare as he'll eat whatever I give him at home!
 

zaminda

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Mine is better with calm and condition, but I find I often have to start by syringing liquids down at rides. Neither of mine drink much before the second loop unless its a really hot day.
 

LadyGascoyne

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Brewers yeast or marmite in speedibeet worked like a dream for mine when she was refusing to eat. Apparently Guinness does too although I've never tested the theory.
 

splash30

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I know you have mentioned carrots but what about the ones you have to soak? They have got my non drinking horse at shows, drinking happily, as they are quite sugary so flavour the water plus the get a added bonus at the bottom, we just have to watch he doesn't tip the bucket over to get the carrots at the bottom.
 

lurcherlu

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Apple juice , male the beet up with diluted apple juice ? My girl goes mad for cherry tango haha, so if I put that in there first shed drink/ eat anything ;)
 

Happytohack

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Another vote for horse quencher. It is sold in the UK by Lucinda Stapleton who is herself an experienced endurance rider. A pouch is relatively cheap and worth a try.
 

HBB

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My friend gives her horses either sloppy molassed sugarbeet, soaked grassnuts or soaked Spillers High Fibre Cubes. She also takes a water container with molasses and water mixed together for drinking.
 
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kez81

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I make up a flask of peppermint tea before a ride and give it separate to a feed at events. If neddy is thirsty he will drink that quite happily. I also feed soaked grass nuts with a handful of honey chaff and make it quite sloppy for him. With any drink being offered I make sure it is Luke warm not cold as my neddy seems to prefer this.
 

STRIKER

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Squeeze a big sponge of water in to his mouth do this a few times, they do it to the racehorses before a race
 

suzysparkle

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Ok so I have been sent some equidgel samples to try :). I emailed the Horsequencher people but never got a reply :-( Meantime, I did buy a big sack of fully mollassed sugar beet shreds. Mega cheap and I figured it wouldn't go to waste. Normally he won't drink out a bucket at home either (he only likes his field water container it seems) but I made up a half bucket of water with a couple of handfulls of the sugar beet...............went the next day brought him in and he downed the lot. Since then I've been giving him this before and after every ride and he's been drinking it, even if I add electrolytes. No idea if he'll drink it at events but this is very encouraging so thanks for this suggestion! I'm also going to take some mint tea as suggested above. I like mint tea myself so have plenty of that!
 

lelly

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Hi, I was just wondering if you tried equidgel yet? I saw an endurance lady praising it on their site this morning and thought it might be you.
 
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