Not really eating

StarFell

StarFell

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Im having to get the vet out to Star tomorrow, Im a bit worried about him, hes not eating properly
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He was fine on Saturday but when I went up Sunday morning he hadn't touched his hay and had hardly drank anything, but he ate his hard feed as usual then ate about 3/4 of a net through the day and drank plenty so I didnt really worry. My friend went to do him for me this morning and he hadn't eaten his net overnight again and had drank about half a big bucket, he's still really enthusiastic about his hard feed and carrots, but he seems to roll carrots around his mouth before chewing them
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Hes pooing ok, so hes not colicky. I spoke to the vet on the phone and she seems to think hes got a sore mouth, theyre coming to look at him tomorrow. Do you think it just sounds like his mouth? Im worried
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Edited to add: he had his teeth checked about three months ago
 
Yes, sounds like could be sore mouth. Hay is quite prickly sometimes, so horse will happily eat mushy short feed but not feel up to chewing hay. Is he young? Maybe teeth are changing?

Have you changed bit recently, or can think of anything else that could have caused a problem ie if he got strong on a hack and pulled alot, could have split corner of mouth or something... just thinking of ideas...

If he is not eating hay then he is not getting enough fibre, so can you give him some extra low energy short feed in the meantime? Like speedibeet, hi fibre cubes...obviously not all at once!
 
Thanks for the reply!

Ive tried hay from three different bales and all the other horses on the yard are eating it, hes usually not fussy at all. I changed his bit last week from a snaffle to a pelham, but my instructor has checked it and said it fitted fine, could that be the problem?
He is 7 years old, will his teeth still be changing? YO added some extra fibre in his feed tonight, not sure what it was though, Im pretty clueless with hard feed as he doesn't get a lot.
 
Hope its something simple poor boy. Sometimes they get picky when stabled especially mid winter as they are fed up same as us. In racing yards horses go off their feed a lot due to this and it can help to find them a nice bit of grass to have a pick at.
 
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