What trick am I missing-fussy good doers?

[chocolategirl]

Hoping someone has some tips for getting joint and gut supplements into my good doers, who point blank refuse to eat anything with ALL or most of the molasses taken out please? They could survive weight wise on hay as it’s really good quality, even soaked for 10 hours, but they’re all on a joint supplement, and one is also on a gut balancer. I’ve tried leaving them without hay for a few hours to try and ‘force’ them to eat their feeds, but most of the time I’m throwing it away which is getting ridiculously expensive! If I give them something with more molasses in, they woof it down then the little s**s, so I think I know what’s going on here, but they’re all fat fighters, so I really need to cut the sugar out as much as possible. Any tips please?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

If you particularly want them to eat the supplements, I might consider mixing the feed with some very watered down molasses, unless, of course molasses causes behaviour problems. Our good doers particularly enjoy Agrobs Wiesencobs, which have no molasses

 

[meleeka]

Try increasing the supplement gradually. One of mine refuses anything like that so if I can I start with the tiniest pinch and increase by a pinch daily. She’s usually ok then. If it needs giving now I syringe it in.

 

[BeansNsausages]

Surely they dont have large quantities of the supplement? A tiny bit of naughty feed just to hide it shouldn't hurt?

 

[JGC]

Mine's a good doer and just has a handful of whatever I can get her to eat her supplements in! Currently sugarbeet, but anything that she'll take it in is fine for the amount I give her.

 

[mini-eventer]

The amount your feeding them for supplements wont have a huge effect. Probably more sugar in carrot. A small amount of molassed sugar beet gets most things into my fussy horses. If you make it watery you can drain off most of the molasses

 

[SEL]

Honeychop calm and shine doesn't have a lot of molasses but hides boswellia for mine

 

[Sprig]

Do they really need the supplements? How about a trial period of none at all?

 

[HollyWoozle]

I'm like a broken record as I answer this on all similar threads, but Spillers Senior Super Mash is my 'go to' if you need to feed them something they don't like. It's molasses-free and you could just soak them a small portion each.

 

[DirectorFury]

I have the fussiest good-doer on the planet who’ll only eat hard feed if there’s some form of molasses in. I’ve decided it’s more important to get her to eat her supplements (hoof and joint) than to worry about 2-3 tablespoons of cheap and sugary sugarbeet. It’s not ideal but ??‍

 

[Annagain]

I've ditched supplements and my arthritic, late 20s, retired boy is no different - he's fat, filthy and loving life, if a bit stiff coming out of his stable on cold days. It's usually worn off by the time he's reached the field.

If you really can't, a tiny handful of molassed chaff would do the job I'm sure. While it might have a fairly high sugar %, the amount you'd be giving in one small handful will be minimal.

 

[dorsetladette]

what about a bit of fast fibre or speedibeet with peppermint sprinkled in to make it smell more appealing?

 

[Trouper]

A bit of grated apple and/or carrot might not have quite so much sugar as molasses?

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

Pink Mash or Saracen Releve - both very tasty and you need very little to mix in supplements. My younger horse spends ages licking out the bowl of my veteran after he’s finished his food with SR in. Other than that possibly fenugreek and mint can encourage fussy feeders.

My younger horse won’t eat the Equimins balancer at all no matter what but was happy with Pro-Earth pro-balance.

 

[Burnttoast]

Beetroot powder helps get their big dose of minerals down our boys, even the fatty who doesn't get much feed to hide them in. Feed is Agrobs weisencobs and muesli, so interesting but not particularly sugary. In case of emergency I do keep a bottle of molasses but not had to use it in ages.

 

[ycbm]

Saracen Re-leve was like crack cocaine for my fussy eater a few years back.
.

 

[Fransurrey]

If you dampen the hay, have you thought about just making a suspension of the supplement and pouring it on top of the pile/net? I used to do that with brewer's yeast and linseed!

 

[PapaverFollis]

Spillers Speedy Mash Fibre or Senior Super Mash. Soaks up to a nice volume really quickly too. Mine have to have lots of nasty tasting minerals but they eat them in just half a stubbs scoop (dry) of this.

 

[rextherobber]

I've got a good doer who also has Cushings and some other issues, and periodically we have a battle to get the prescribed meds down. Now is one of those times, so far I have wasted money on Pink Mash, Spillers Senior Mash and Re-Leve. I suspect it's because we've had some milder weather and the grass has been extra tasty, but it's so annoying, and expensive, wasting feed and meds. I think I will have to resort to syringing it in (not looking forward to that, it's not the easiest, or shortest!)

 

[Nari]

A small amount of sugary feed isn't going to make a noticable difference to them. If you aren't soaking your hay for hours and then rinsing and draining it they'll be getting far more sugar from that than a handful of lightly molassed mix.

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

50:50 speedibeet and top chop zero.

 

[Pippity]

Mine would reluctantly pick at a mix of speedibeet and mollassed chop. I switched her to Saracen Re-Leve (after she tied up) and she wolfs it down without taking a breath.

 

[Boulty]

Mint, fenugreek & beetroot may be worth trying. Also grated carrot or apple or some apple sauce. Feedwise copra, agrobs mash, pink mash, Saracen releve are all worth trying as you can use a relatively small amount to hide things in. I used to own one who loved alfalfa pellets. Equidgel may also be worth a look as that's probably my next thing to try when mine gets bored of current feed.

Current pony is very specific. He will his dinner if I soak his low sugar meadow grass pellets with a handful of mint, add supplements then add beetroot powder, add more water, mix, add HiFi molasses free (no other low sugar chaff is acceptable... It is also not acceptable to ever open a new bag ?) & another final mix. Still can only get him to accept 2/3 the quantity of his forage plus balancer but this is considerably more than he'll eat of anyone else's! Probably could get the full amount down if I resorted to releve as he'd have sold his soul for the free sample I had but he really, really, really doesn't need any extra sugar, starch or calories!