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Elite Veteran
Posts: 759
  
Location: Somewhere here in Wisconsin! | Hello Everyone,
I have a gelding who just refuses to eat very much hay. He has had his teeth done, been treated for ulcers, tried pure grass hay, pure alfalfa hay, mixed, and from a few differnt hay people too. And my gelding just reufses to eat much hay at all. He will eat grass and grain... just not into hay. He is turned out at least 12 hours a day, not running yet. Just getting him started on the barrels. (I am in no rush so I am taking my time with him.) He is real laid back, kind of on the lazy side actually. Not picked on in the pasture at all.... This is what he eats daily
AM:
Purina Ultium Gastric care 1 1/3 (3qt grain scooper)
1 scoop alfalfa pellets (3qt scoop)
1/2 cup fresh ground flaxseed
2pumps mega oil
1 scoop msm/glucosamine
Free range grass and roudn bale
PM: (in a stall from about 8pm-5/6am)
Purina Ultium Gastric care 1 1/3 (3qt grain scooper)
1 scoop alfalfa pellets (3qt scoop)
1/2 cup fresh ground flaxseed
2pumps mega oil
1 scoop msm/glucosamine
pure alfalfa hay
I am seriously running out of options and will probably go broke feeding just this one horse. Can anyone help me? I have never had a horse refuse hay before.
I have tried other feeds too... from Purina, Nutrena, custom mix... still not wanting to eat hay.
Thank you in advance for any and all help!
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 Expert
Posts: 5293
| Seems like 6 quarts a day, even of the gastric care might be a bit much. THats quite a bit of molasses. Especially if he is not eating much hay. Thing I would suggest is taking out the glucosamine/MSM. Some horses don't do well on that and it can irritate . I would go back to basics but get him on FORCO. Forco is cheap, like 20.00 a month. THis will help the hind gut and get more nutrients out of the feed he IS eating. |
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 The One
Posts: 7998
Location: South Georgia | That seems like a lot of grain to me. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I would cut all that you are feeding in half are maybe more in the am & pm, you are feeding alot of grain and supplements to me.. I turn my horses out ever day too and dont even feed near what you are feeding, they hardly get feed at all when they come in, half a 3 qt scoop with about 2 hands full of alfalfa pellets in am and pm..coming in from pasture and going out to pasture, I keep them up over night.
Edited by Southtxponygirl 2018-04-26 11:31 AM
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| You’re feeding him way too much “stuff.” He would be much better off getting just good quality hay and a small amount of grain- or even no grain - with a good mineral. You may be over complicating things, I bet his tummy is absolutely bloated feeling. Not a good feeling for anyone. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1857
| 6qts of alfalfa pellets is roughly 10-12lbs. And then you're giving him over 5lbs of grain a day and turn out. That's probably the reason he's not hungry. When feeding, think of weight instead of quantity. I wouldn't worry about the grass hay intake. When you really start using him and he burns more energy he'll probably start eating more. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 759
Location: Somewhere here in Wisconsin! | We upped his grain and forage supplements because he would not eat hay at all. He picks at it but not much at all. We live in Wisconsin so we are just starting to get a little grass. So over the winter he dropped some weight so I upped the grain and forage supplements to help him eat. I am worried if we back him down again he will lose the weight I got on him. He was not grained before I got him and was pretty under weight. They called him a "picky eater" and left it at that. Well by picky eater they meant he never wanted to eat hay.
Edited by barrelracin90 2018-04-26 11:56 AM
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| Who did his teeth? Not all people are very good at it. Based on just starting him on the barrel pattern, I would assume he's younger??
He could have caps that are still trying to come off, he could have something broken, which a hand floater, and even an electric float may not catch! X-rays would be only thing that could see it.
You may also consider seeing if he has a jaw issue with a chiro. If chewing is painful in general, he wouldn't want to eat. |
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Expert
Posts: 5293
| barrelracin90 - 2018-04-26 9:53 AM
We upped his grain and forage supplements because he would not eat hay at all. He picks at it but not much at all. We live in Wisconsin so we are just starting to get a little grass. So over the winter he dropped some weight so I upped the grain and forage supplements to help him eat. I am worried if we back him down again he will lose the weight I got on him. He was not grained before I got him and was pretty under weight. They called him a "picky eater" and left it at that. Well by picky eater they meant he never wanted to eat hay.Â
Sometimes you have to back off to get better results. Having said that, if I HAD to feed a horse that much bagged feed I would atleast go with a proven COMPLETE feed like triple crown senior and other senior feeds. Complete feeds give them all the fiber they need even with no hay. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 759
Location: Somewhere here in Wisconsin! | Thank you very much!!! I will look into that! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 759
Location: Somewhere here in Wisconsin! | He was a real late start. He is 9. But has been broke out for years now. Just always a backyard horse or lesson horse for kids.
When he had his teeth done 3 weeks ago, I am pretty sure it was by hand ( I was at work and unable to be at the barn.) He loves to eat grain and treats. Just turns his noes up at hay.
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Expert
Posts: 5293
| barrelracin90 - 2018-04-26 12:47 PM
He was a real late start. He is 9. But has been broke out for years now. Just always a backyard horse or lesson horse for kids.
When he had his teeth done 3 weeks ago, I am pretty sure it was by hand ( I was at work and unable to be at the barn.) He loves to eat grain and treats. Just turns his noes up at hay.
Â
OK, so If I had him at my house right now, I would get a few bags of Triple crown senior or Complete formula. Thats what I have in my area. I am sure blue bonnet or any of the major feed makers have a COMPLETE feed formula they sell.. THose are typically designed for older horses who CAN'T eat hay because of missing teeth etc. So they are truly complete. You can feed , I want to say, 15 pounds of TC senior a day if you had to. It says to break it up into several meals of no more than 5 pounds each meal. Maybe start there and slowly add hay and decrease feed. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 759
Location: Somewhere here in Wisconsin! | Thank you so very much for your help!! |
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | Entirely too much grain, so even if you treated for ulcers (especially with omeprazole) he is set up to just have ulcers again. Even if it is a GI friendly grain, it is still grain and that hind gut has to do something with it. 6QTs is a lot of processed feed to make a gut process. My guess is hind gut ulcers or just too full from the grain. |
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