Posted 2015-10-15 6:35 PM Subject: Old horse drops feed (pellets/grain), any suggestions?
Unable to Live Without Chocolate or Coffee
Posts: 1849
Our old horse (21) drops his pelleted feed pretty badly and sometimes he doesn't pick them up and eat what he dropped. I give him just a little pelleted feed with some vitamin minerals that are also pellets and a powder. Any suggestions on how to help him not waste so much of it?
Posted 2015-10-16 8:14 AM Subject: RE: Old horse drops feed (pellets/grain), any suggestions?
Maine-iac
Posts: 3334 Location: Got Lobsta?
I agree, soak it. I soak mine with Aloe Vera juice. Also you can add Hay Stretcher - I take about 3.5 pounds - soak it in a feed tub and give it to him. Its just mushed up hay and he loves it! Doesn't leave any behind and it keeps the weight on him.
Posted 2015-10-16 9:02 AM Subject: RE: Old horse drops feed (pellets/grain), any suggestions?
"Heck's Coming With Me"
Posts: 10797 Location: Kansas
My 27-year-old drops quite a bit but it sure makes our dogs happy as they stand underneath the tub and pick up what he drops. I would like the idea of soaking it but this horse slobbers in his feed so much it pretty much soaks itself. I give him an excessive amount to make up for what he drops. Teeth.....once a year.
Posted 2015-10-16 9:57 AM Subject: RE: Old horse drops feed (pellets/grain), any suggestions?
Unable to Live Without Chocolate or Coffee
Posts: 1849
she didn't mention him missing any teeth but she did say they aren't really growning anymore. So I guess they are just going to keep wearing down?? He had a few points but it wasn't bad at all she said. She did say that he would still be dropping feed due to so much wear.
Posted 2015-10-16 10:56 AM Subject: RE: Old horse drops feed (pellets/grain), any suggestions?
Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106 Location: North Dakota
Feed him in a big tub too-not a regular bucket. I usually have either a lick tub-empty of course or half a barrel for them to eat out of-helps contain the mess.
Posted 2015-10-16 11:44 PM Subject: RE: Old horse drops feed (pellets/grain), any suggestions?
My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159 Location: Arkansas
We feed our 36 year old in a big tub simply because he drops so much and then eats it again! (We leave him in his stall at least an hour to hour and a half to give him plenty of time to finish.) He has very few teeth left. He gets senior feed and beet pulp; obviously we soak the beet and that moisture really helps.
Posted 2015-10-17 8:03 AM Subject: RE: Old horse drops feed (pellets/grain), any suggestions?
Unable to Live Without Chocolate or Coffee
Posts: 1849
barrelracingstar121 - 2015-10-16 10:03 AM
feed bag! works great :)
That's a really good idea because the horses all live together in a pasture with a run in barn/shed. So if I have any with special feeds I'd have to separate them out. Any tips on training a horse to use it or it is pretty easy to get them to wear one?
Posted 2015-10-17 10:45 AM Subject: RE: Old horse drops feed (pellets/grain), any suggestions?
Veteran
Posts: 232 Location: Wisconsin
camocowgirl - 2015-10-17 8:03 AM
barrelracingstar121 - 2015-10-16 10:03 AM
feed bag! works great :)
That's a really good idea because the horses all live together in a pasture with a run in barn/shed. So if I have any with special feeds I'd have to separate them out. Any tips on training a horse to use it or it is pretty easy to get them to wear one?
nope! super easy!!! the other horses may bother him/her at first because they are smart and know theres grain in there, but they all figure it out. use on daily on a broodie that needs grain twice a day!!!
Posted 2015-10-17 11:14 AM Subject: RE: Old horse drops feed (pellets/grain), any suggestions?
A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354 Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas
21 is really not old, my 22 year old never loses his feed while eating, if this horse were mine and he loses his feed as bad as your saying I would have an equine dentist check him out. Sometimes if they are eating to fast and getting a big mouthfull of feed they will lose it while being a piggy, is he eating to fast and this could be the cause of losing feed?
Posted 2015-10-17 12:45 PM Subject: RE: Old horse drops feed (pellets/grain), any suggestions?
I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864 Location: In the Hills of Texas
If he had his teeth done in July and now just started this...it's his teeth. He could have fractured a tooth or now has a loose one. Was his teeth done with power tools?
Like others have said...wet his feed down. I would wet his pretty good to make the pellet very soft.
Posted 2015-10-17 1:00 PM Subject: RE: Old horse drops feed (pellets/grain), any suggestions?
Unable to Live Without Chocolate or Coffee
Posts: 1849
He was dropping feed before his teeth were done. It is better now but still happening. She uses both a power tool and hand/manual tools. She said he has good teeth no big issues. Just he isn't growing them very fast if at all she said.
the feed bag idea sounds pretty good. I'm gonna try that. Maybe switch to a senior feed or renew gold
Posted 2015-10-17 3:10 PM Subject: RE: Old horse drops feed (pellets/grain), any suggestions?
I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864 Location: In the Hills of Texas
camocowgirl - 2015-10-17 1:00 PM He was dropping feed before his teeth were done. It is better now but still happening. She uses both a power tool and hand/manual tools. She said he has good teeth no big issues. Just he isn't growing them very fast if at all she said.
the feed bag idea sounds pretty good. I'm gonna try that. Maybe switch to a senior feed or renew gold
Is he taking too big of mouthfuls? If so putting a salt block or a big smooth rock in his feed bucket will slow that down.
Old horse drops feed (pellets/grain), any suggestions?
