Not eating hay - what to do?

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nativepony

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Hi my 19 year old NF mare isn't really eating her hay at the moment and is looking skinny and a bit ribby. I have also tried feeding her haylean but she just picks at that too. I had to throw nearly a whole haynet away this morning left from last night. She is out on grass during the day but I don't think its a case of her not being hungry as she really pulls to eat the grass on the way to and from the field and is also eating all of her hard feeds.

I soak her hay due to her having COPD and being laminitic (hence feeding haylean, can't really feed anything more appetising!) She's got lots of energy when I ride and her teeth are fine as just had them checked. The grass is rapidly being eaten down in her field and I'm just worried she's going to lose even more weight - any suggestions?
 
How long has she not been eating her hay for? I know you say teeth have been checked recently but is it possible she has developed a cracked or loose tooth since then? Haylean is particularly unappetising - even my greedy horses turn their nose up at it unless they are really starving - so it is great for dieting porkers but not for something that is fussy and skinny. Have you tried any other lami-safe haylages such as the Horsehage Timothy or Horsehage High Fibre - my horses prefer these to Haylean. Another option is to give her big tub trugs of a lami-safe hay replacer, such as Spiller's Happy Hoof, to replace what she is missing in the way of hay. Might be worth ringing your vet for a chat as well, in case there is a physical reason why she is not eating hay.
 
Assuming you've checked teeth etc, what about feeding something as a hay substitute?

As an example, I had a nutritionist out to look at my mare who is not a big hay eater (ex-race). In addition to a couple of other dietary changes, she suggested giving her some hay (she has approx 1 wedge at night, I know this sounds awful but she WILL NOT eat any more than that!!) and in addition give her a bucket with approx 6 scoops of something like Hi-fi senior/applechaff etc etc. She loves this regime and it has helped greatly with her weight as she was quite skinny.

Cost wise it works out well for me as I am not putting in loads of hay in the vain hope she will eat it and then having to throw it away.
 
Thanks both of you - she's not been eating it for a while now which was why I originally booked dentist to check her teeth. I just don't know why as she's normally so greedy and not at all fussy. I already feed her one scoop of HiFi lite for her tea and breakfast along with various supplements and she has about 6 handfuls of high fibre nuts in her ball but will perhaps try stopping the hay altogether or just feed a section? and feed lots more HiFi lite or maybe happy hoof in a bucket instead. It makes me sad seeing her skinny when she's usually such a good doer especially at this time of year when I'm normally battling to keep the weight off her!

Edited to say. TGM - unfortuanately I'm unable to feed Horsehage or similar as our yard doesn't provide it so have to go with whatever we can order from them.
 
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forget what your yard 'do' or dont do if your horse is looking poor! You could get one bale of Horsehage high fibre from a feed merchant and try it out if only as a diagnosis to see whether its the available feeds the horse isnt liking or whether theres anything more to it. Agree with the hifi in bucket suggestion too.
 
I agree with landm regarding yard rules- if it affects the welfare of your horse then you have to find an alternative source of forage.

there are loads of options- chaffs, allen and page fast fibre, soaked fibre nuts, unmollassed suga beet, haylage, etc. Not all are suitable as complete hay replacers but can be used to increase fibre intake. Is the hay good quality? Any sign of dust and/or mould before soaking? How long do you soak for and in how much water? Can you get another source of hay to try?
 
Hi, try Happy Hoof. It's designed for Laminitics but it's also a Hay Replacer. It has Vits & Mins and has mint flavoring added to make it even more yummy.
You can feed up to 3kg a day. It may not help to put weight on her but will keep her tummy ticking over.
You could also add it to her feeds to make them last longer.
Instead of netting your hay try leaving it on the floor or in a tub?
Give Spillers or Dengie a call it's free and they are very helpful.
 
Thanks everyone for your replies. Big help!
Will speak to YO first off and see if she will allow me to try the Marksway horsehage then I can go from there. Ideally would like to feed a hay or haylage type product rather than a hay replacer but needs must I guess!
 
If it won't give her lamintitis I would try boiled barley. It is so nice to eat because it is warm and soft. I agree with everyone else though, ignore yeard rules and feed her a chaff like hay replacer perhaps Hi-fi senior
 
Hi there, I had an equine dentist out 3 times in 1 year(a very reputable one too) who failed to diagnose a serious case of gum disease... diastemas etc. My old boy was quidling his hay but happily eats grass and feed.
It was only due to a vigilant vet coming out for a different horse that noticed the problem. Would deffo recommend a second opinion on the teeth. Also a friend recommended Chesnut horse feeds ( goolge them). Their feed has done an amazing job at putting weight back on my old boy. Phone them and explain your situation and they will give you excellent advice.
 
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