My horse has been on perennial peanut (very similar to alfalfa and grown in our region) and orchard hay for the last two years. He is 1400 lbs, 16 hands, and always empties his hay bag after every feeding. However, the boarding barn I am now at has requested that I cease feeding the peanut hay because it is messy and I have to order in bulk and there is not adequate storage space. No problem. So, once his peanut hay was gone, we upped the amount of orchard to provide him the percentage he needs to maintain his weight. This horse is on protest! He has not eaten very much of his hay at all for the last 8 days. In fact, sometimes when the girls go out to feed, they wonder if I have already fed him because his hay bag hangs untouched.

The hay supplier has provided me with 3 new bales in case something was “off” with the first bale when his strike began, but it has made little difference. The hay appears, smells, and should be just fine. He just wont hardly eat it!

I have tried feeding it loose, and he does eat a bit more this way, but it’s just strange because I have always bagged his hay.

I’m concerned because he’s losing a bit of weight already from the change, and his protest, and we have had our two coldest weeks during this. The barn owner texted me on a 32 degree morning (about as cold as we ever get down here in S. Ga.) and told me he was not touching his full haybag at all. How will he stay warm? He cleans his grain bowl and eats his soaked alfalfa cubes, but he needs to eat that orchard because our grass is all gone now. This horse is outside 24/7 on large pasture, but grass is down to dead stubble now that we've frozen.

I’m worried sick. Any ideas! I find myself not even wanting to ride him right now because I dont want him to expend anymore calories with him not eating his hay.

If he is eating his cubes I would really increase those to at least 1-2 % of his body weight. My tractor supply carries an alfalfa/oat cube that my horses really love. Pellets are also an option to supplement.

Any idea how many lbs. one scoop (standard 3 qt. scoop) of alfalfa cubes weighs? 

Instead of cutting him off cold turkey -- get some more peanut hay and slowly reduce it while replacing it with the orchard over a period of time.  I've had good results doing this.  Cold turkey usually gets protested.  Good luck!

In order to get the good quality perennial peanut from this guy (other farmers in area produce junk), I have to buy 21 bales, no exceptions. I think what I'll do is go grab some alfalfa and mix it in with the orchard and then wean him off of that slowly, so he will hopefully eat the orchard. If not, I guess I can keep doing the alfalfa and orchard all winter. In the summer he is fine on the pasture alone, along with his feed, but we just have no grass now.