Youngster just not eating enough?

[pukkapony]

I have a rising 3yr old entire colt, he's always been a slow eater and is turned out with two greedy geldings, he's the bottom of the pecking order so is frequently bullied off his food. I started separating him for feed & hay as I was worried he hasn't been getting enough (his weight has dropped slowly over the last couple of months) initially he was only having his hard feed separate but I've sat and observed he dosent eat hay fast enough to get his quota before the other piggies bully him off so I now give him hay separate too... He is getting slower and slower to eat as he dosent have the others stealing his dinner now & knows he can take his time but this past week he dosent even seem to care about the big pile of hay given to him he will pick at it and push it about, watch people walk past, watch the other horses eat, do anything but really eat it himself. It took him over 3 hours to eat a section of hay Tuesday! He didn't seem interested in the hay so I bought a bale of haylage & mixed it in with his hay yesterday, he didn't seem over enthusiastic & today I literally gave him the open bale of haylage & a pile of hay... He barely touched either dispite being shut in a small enclosure with only hay, haylage & water. I'm going to get the dentist out to check his teeth but I've had a good look myself and can't see or feel anything obvious (he's really soppy & lets me do anything to him!) but he seems to be the same with grazing & I know he isn't getting enough but struggling for ideas as to what I can do now?!... He may just be slow I guess but surely not THAT slow?! Any ideas anyone?

I've now introduced calm & condition... And am also considering feeding fast fibre too as he eats whatever is given to him in his usual bucket of feed but just really takes his time!

 

[Cortez]

What is his general condition like? Is he looking poor? I'd check his teeth, if he is poor, and worm him. If he isn't underweight, it could be that there is grass in the field and he just isn't hungry. Fast fibre is just more of the same, if you're really worried I'd up any hard feed and/or add oil.

 

[pukkapony]

He's generally in good condition just thinner than I would like. Grazing is absolute poo at the moment, hence topping up with hay. His worming is all up to date, and I've booked dentist for next week just in case. He is hungry for hard feed (has show improver & hifi - as per nutritionist advise) just dosent seem bothered for forage?!