Problems with new barefoot diet?

[pines of rome]

My boy is not impressed with his new diet, I am feeding him speedibeet, micronised linseed, mag ox, charcol, yeast ,salt and surelimb while waiting for forage analysis to be done.
He hates it and won,t touch it unless I put a handful of chaff in it and has become quite stroppy, has anyone else had this problem?

 

[Clava]

My boy is not impressed with his new diet, I am feeding him speedibeet, micronised linseed, mag ox, charcol, yeast ,salt and surelimb while waiting for forage analysis to be done.
He hates it and won,t touch it unless I put a handful of chaff in it and has become quite stroppy, has anyone else had this problem?

Do you know which bit of it he hates, my mare turns her nose up if I put too much salt in it.

 

[Puppy]

Its probably the linseed, many horses aren't too keen on it to start with. See if he'll eat everything else. I found some mint powder got my boy eating it.

 

[itsonlyme]

Does he eat it ok with the chaff? If so, id just give him that (assuming it's not something mega sugary?) Mine get a handful of Badminton Easy Rider.
Sometimes u just have to introduce the supplements a bit at a time - they then get used to the new tastes slowly. Don't just whack them all in at full dose in one go.
2 of mine will eat all of their minerals fine. The other will only eat the mag ox & the linseed. Everything else gets mixed together with water & syringed into her like a wormer. You might just need to really reduce everything for a bit. Or u might find it's one specific thing he doesn't like. I also mask the favours a bit with aniseed powder from a herbs & spices shop on ebay. Works a treat

 

[wellsat]

G hated linseed when I first introduced it but he wolfs it down happily now. I just had to give it time and introduce it very gradually.

 

[amandap]

Mine get a similar very small feed, some have brewers yeast added and I've just introduced Forages Plus mineral mix but they all love it. I had a blip with one or two with one make of micronized linseed but my new supply is going down a storm.

I'd keep adding the chaff and gradually reduce it. The grittyness of the charcoal might be one reason as well as less sugar content so perhaps reduce that and gradually increase. Some of mine didn't like calmag (very gritty) when I started using it instead of pure mag ox but they soon got used to it. Good luck.

 

[pines of rome]

Thanks everyone, I think its because he was used to having a big scoop of hoofkind and then I just took it away, I will give him the token handfull for a while, he is only getting half a mug full of linseed split between two feeds and I am only giviing about half the amount of the others.
He will just have to get used to it!!!!

 

[amandap]

I think mine are just glad for any feed as they're back on soaked hay. Actually, they like/love it regardless.

 

[Oberon]

When you go on a health kick and go from eating Sugar Puffs to unsweetened porridge - you'll feel righteous and healthy....but, yucky, you'd want some sugar in it....I know I would

When you go from a tasty, molassed/mogolo or artificially sweetened feed from a commercial company (who try to make feeds taste nice so people will continue to buy them) the horse may well object at first

.

My Arab is very good and will eat everything (except Rosehips) but my Tank is rather dismissive of bucket feeds - especially at this time of year. He's just not interested

.

You can add a host of tasty things that are therapeutic and cheap;

Fenugreek seeds http://www.cotsherb.co.uk/culinary-herbs-and-spices/whole-seeds/fenugreek-seeds/prod_692.html
Turmeric http://www.cotsherb.co.uk/culinary-herbs-and-spices/ground-spices/turmeric/prod_647.html
Mint http://www.cotsherb.co.uk/culinary-herbs-and-spices/culinary-herbs/mint/prod_573.html
Fennel seeds http://www.cotsherb.co.uk/culinary-herbs-and-spices/whole-seeds/fennel-seeds/prod_693.html

You could just add one new thing at a time and 'ease' him into it all.

I used Tesco's Curry Powder at the beginning of the winter and The Tank went mad for it

I have also been experimenting with Stevia recently too, but it's not tempted him. I've asked some people in the US (who've had access to Stevia for longer than Europe has) and they've recommended it be blended to tempt them - not perfect but it's a stepping point.
http://truvia.co.uk/about/

 

[Holly Hocks]

My mare won't eat the magox when it's in her feed, so I took her off the brewers yeast and magox and I just add Pro Hoof instead. She still isn't keen and I have to generally put Spillers high fibre cubes in as well to get her to eat (she's on Fast Fibre) and I have to leave the feed in overnight - but it's usually gone in the morning so the choice is hers. Eat that or nothing!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Sometimes u just have to introduce the supplements a bit at a time - they then get used to the new tastes slowly. Don't just whack them all in at full dose in one go.

Not just sometimes!

I thought every horse-owner knew that all new feedstuffs should be introduced slowly, not because of the possibility of the horse finding the new feed unpalatable but because of the risk of colic from upsetting the gut flora.