moose
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Post by moose on Dec 12, 2005 14:47:15 GMT 1
My old TB who is 27 always loses weight in winter simply because she loses her appetite. She is eating her hay and haylage but has stopped eating her hard feed. She is retired, is stabled at night and at grass in the day. She still has a fine set of teeth so she can eat anything. In summer she has a feed of alf alfa and D&H convalescent mix and a feed of hi fi lite and Spillers high fibre cubes, both with speedibeet. In summer she is in lovely condition but starts to look poor in winter.
So far this winter, in an attempt to tempt her to eat I have tried: oats (which she used to like but has now gone off) supa barley rings pasture nuts sixteen plus spillers conditioning cubes baileys senior mix
Can anyone recommend something to get her eating again before I bankrupt myself. I'm a worrywort I know......
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naria
Grand Prix Poster
yet when all books have been read it boils down to the horse, his human & what goes on between them
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Post by naria on Dec 12, 2005 22:46:37 GMT 1
Is it worth grating up carrots &/or apples & mixing in her feed, or have you tried that? You can also get powdered mint fairly cheaply.
It might be worth offering her a smaller feed in case she finds a large amount in the bucket off-putting.
If she's rugged is she too warm & so not feeling like eating? Or if she's cold it will make her lose weight faster although I'm not sure it would stop her eating.
Sorry not to come up with something more helpful, if I think of anything else I'll let you know.
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Post by KoLaTo on Dec 12, 2005 22:51:22 GMT 1
Mollasses or Treacle mixed in so it is really sweet and sticky? Or make a cup of melted sugar with warm water and use that to mix it with instead of plain water? Or even fruit juice mixed in? My old Boy loved warm apple juice in his winter feeds, never had a problem with his appetite but just used the juice as a treat for him.
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miller
Olympic Poster
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Post by miller on Dec 13, 2005 10:16:13 GMT 1
D+H Mint Supplement worked a treat with my boy when he had a virus last year and with a mates horse that wouldn't eat it's bute.
It quite cheap too and you don't need to use alot.
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Post by Guest on Dec 13, 2005 10:58:25 GMT 1
Prebio Herb from Global Herbs......designed to perk up the appitite
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moose
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Post by moose on Dec 13, 2005 14:07:19 GMT 1
She has apples and carrots in every feed so that wont encourage her to eat. I've tried blackstrap molasses but she doesn't really have a sweet tooth (unusual for a horse! : The warm apple juice might tempt her, I'll give that a go. I've tried mint as well and that wasn't a hit. Every time I bring a bowl of feed out she looks all excited and enthusiastic but then sniffs it and pushes it away so I think she is hungry.
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amber
Grand Prix Poster
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Post by amber on Dec 13, 2005 15:15:54 GMT 1
What about plain old 'Doctor Green'??!! Or as near as damn it for this time of year?? Try some Readigrass,... do you know, it smells soooo bloomin' good, i could eat it myself!! Just a thought.
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Post by PD on Dec 13, 2005 15:41:51 GMT 1
Are you adding loads of sugarbeet to what you give her? Makes it easier to eat for them and has lovely smell. Sounds weird that she wants to eat, but then doesn't?? Are you adding supplements that she doesn't like? If so, try removing them one by one and see if they are what's putting her off...
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moose
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Post by moose on Dec 14, 2005 14:42:35 GMT 1
I've noticed that she loses her appetite when the grass goes in winter, its as though grass stimulates her appetite. So, I tried some Readigrass last night and she ate a little bit. She also ate some oats. Fingers crossed she will get more of an appetite now. Soeone suggested some fenugreek added to her feed so I'll try and get some of that. Thanks for your suggestions
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breezy
Grand Prix Poster
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Post by breezy on Dec 14, 2005 16:24:18 GMT 1
Cider vineger is supposed to be an appitite stimulant - certainally my old boy loves his feed with it in! Worth a try.
Take care
Bx
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Post by jen1 on Dec 17, 2005 0:36:15 GMT 1
my old mare used to be like this,i was convinced it was down to some things upsetting her tummy,so she is on hi fibre and sloppy sugar beet ,i bought some of the ready grass and non of them liked it,i also used peppermint cordial that got her interest for a while,the only thin that makes her eat up is competition,im thinking of swiching to simple sytems though for next year,
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Post by joanna on Dec 21, 2005 14:22:08 GMT 1
Sympathies on this one, I have exactly the same problem, but, fingers crossed now after just adding 3 scoops of D & H mint to each feed, woof, its going fast! Hope it works for your girl as well, just hope mine doesn't go off this by next week, its only been 3 days!
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Post by joanna on Dec 21, 2005 14:34:45 GMT 1
Its me again, didn't read your reply saying mint wasn't her favourite! Well I think you are on the right lines with trying to give her 'grass' like feeds, as its the closest in texture and digestibility to good old grass. Try simple systems unmolassed chopped lucerne (its called Green Gold) its highly nutritious and soft to chew if dampened with water or sugar beet to add more fibre. Whilst she may have good teeth, she may be stiff with arthritis in her jaws at her her age so grass is easy for her to pick, try and feed things that go down easily and don't require too much chomping. I've tried soaking all sorts of course mixes/nuts well so they go soft (like you, wasted too much money!!) but she turns her nose up with exception of Baileys no 4 conditioning cubes, they are cereal free and have a high oil content to add insulation. This mixed with the chopped lucerne is what I'm sticking with now as she will eat up eventually, plus good thick rugs and just pray the spring grass comes early!!
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maislow
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Post by maislow on Dec 21, 2005 22:26:44 GMT 1
I used to feed redigrass but used to semi steam it with a kettle of water & a makeshift lid on a bucket for 10 mins before I fed it to my old boy. I also fed him Baileys No1 which looks like dandruff but he loved it with a bit of warmed Sugar beet mixed in. If I put chaff in he wouldn't touch it
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Post by sarak on Dec 22, 2005 8:33:14 GMT 1
Jo's been a bit picky about his bucket feeds this winter, for the first time, but it really enjoying hay and as he has that ad lib 24/7 I think he is not particularly hungry.
I haven't been able to obtain Simple Systems feed this winter - and he is being a little toerag and turning his nose up an Alfa A Lite - I have had to give in and buy Alfa A so that I can get him to eat his supplements! I am now having success with a small amount of sloppy Alfabeet and Alfa A. I add carrots, but he just picks these out and leaves the rest of the feed.
I did trying adding mint, but he disliked this. He also won't eat a bucket feed with garlic added. It is strange that he has become so picky. He loved SS feeds, so am considering going back to that after Xmas.
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