My horse won't eat his haylage!!

[shonsy]

Need some serious help! My horse is 13 and was diagnosed with COPD earlier this year. He's had his inhalers and ventapulmin treatment and is no longer coughing or anything. He lives out and I've started feeding haylage to keep his lungs happy but he doesn't seem to be a fan of it. He'll happily eat soaked hay but with him living out we'll soon be facing frozen haynets etc if I go down the soaked hay route. He's never turned his nose up at it when he has had it before at the vets etc - what can I do to persuade him to eat it?

He also won't use his field shelter despite every single effort I've made to make it cosy and dust free for him! It's his first winter ever living out and I hate looking at a hungry wet horsey! Any ideas would be gratefully recieved as I'm at a total loss!!

 

[L&M]

It is unusual for a horse to reject haylage, especially over hay.

Could it be a bad bale? Could you try another one, or a different brand? I have never known a horse not too like Marksway's Horsehage, and although more expensive than 'off the field', may tempt him?

If you can't convince him to eat it, could you steam his hay instead of soaking - if you do a search on here there are lots of ideas for home made steamers that won't cost the earth.

Re his shelter, I would try not to worry too much about him not using it - we have one living out with copd and he rarely shelters, and seems quite happy as long as rugged adequately.

Good luck!

 

[HazyXmas]

It is very unusual for a horse to turn his nose up at haylage, most seem to love it.

This year has been very unusual, in that, around me, the hay quality seems to be good, whilst the haylage is pretty poor. I had a local farmer cut some for me & i'm very unhappy with it. To me it seems dusty & doesn't smell 'right'. However, my six horses have been eating it happily.

I've just had two develop a cough & immediately blamed the haylage so bought in two large bales in from a big local supplier. The horses hate it! It is very acidic & smells alcoholic! I'm having to mix it with my rubbish stuff.

As with hay, there are huge differences, maybe mixing the soaked hay with the new haylage for a couple of weeks will help your horse to accept it.

Good luck.

 

[Rebels]

I have a WB who eats home cut hay over Marksway haylage, even with a mixed haynet he will pick the hay out. Maybe try a few different brands? I know some dont eat marksway but will eat devon haylage or vice versa.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Re the haylage - can you borrow a friend's horse to act as crash test dummy to eat some of it? If it's edible to a different horse, I'd just persevere - your horse will eat it eventually, they can just be so incredibly wary of new tastes and smells! Re the field shelter, I wouldn't worry in the slightest. Horses were made for wide open, exposed places and that's where they feel safest. You'll often see horses standing with their bums in the hedge for shelter rather than use the nicest of field shelters! Quite commonly, they'll only ever use the field shelter in the summer to get away from the flies! You can pack it up and post it to me if it ends up as surplus to requirements lol x

 

[Rose Folly]

If your horse isn't losing weight, I wouldn't worry too much.

We keep ours out 24/7, and started feeding haylage 3 weeks ago in our always accessible stable yard, in haynets, (very early for us). The horses loved it, but then we opened up a rather manky part of the field for them - all to do with flooding and shelter from the ghastly weather. Since then they have eaten hardly any haylage and don't come over to the open stables where they are fed the haylage and have ample shelter. Over the years our horses have shown that they usually prefer grass over haylage - though our is of very nice quality, made off old set aside fields and more like hay than haylage (we have a COPD too).

If your horse's weight starts to drop, then start to worry. Ours love Horsehage (they rarely get the chance to eat it!) and also a chopped grass called - I think Aldwyck (Court) pure grass. But both those are expensive options.

 

[BWa]

Just wanted to say that I am intetested in this too. My boy hasnt eaten much over the last two nights, so I tried him back his usual hay last night and he didn't really touch that. He is still eating his fast fibre and grazing happily so I am hoping he is just depressed by the weather and wants to be out full time again. However i'm worried as he is usually a greedy monster so please can you keep updated if you get to the bottom of it Op.