Grass Nuts

Bodshi

Bodshi

Well-Known Member
Apr 23, 2009
7,845
4,874
113
Yorkshire
Who feeds grass nuts? Looking for a high protein cereal free feed for Raf. He was on Saracen Releve which suited him but a few weeks ago decided not to eat it any more. Having tried several other feeds it seems he has gone off eating altogether so maybe he will be ok on Releve again when he gets his appetite for hard feed back. But whilst trying to find a feed I have wondered about grass nuts, plus a balancer. However a quick google revealed people saying that horses choke on grass nuts. Plus trying to find a cereal free balancer is a bit of a challenge. I thought the powders might be cereal free but it seems their main ingredient is wheat feed (they also include wheat protein). Even one that was advertised as cereal free contained these ingredients. Is wheat not considered a cereal?

Dentist says Raf is just waiting for the grass, but he's looking skinny, even though he's eating his hay/haylage ok and seems absolutely fine in himself and obviously feeling fit.
 
Excise me for butting in here but whilst we are on the subject, I have always steered clear of grass nuts because for some reason I was under the impression that they are rocket fuel. Are there various "grades" does anyone know? They would be good for Jack if not too "heating".
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bodshi
i had a horse choke on them - i hadnt soaked them but had wetted them down as I didnt realise that wasn’t enough. Soaked they are fine (i do think it should say on the bag :( ) .

Domane there are different types, I dont think they are all as heating. From memory simple systems do a blue bag and a red bag?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bodshi and OwnedbyChanter
When mine was ill she had to have high protein. It was some sort of competition feed. I know it wasn't cereal. Just can't think what it was.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bodshi
I am feeding Harvey Red Bag Grass Nuts from Simple Systems (https://www.simplesystemhorsefeeds.co.uk/products/viewhorsefeed.asp?id=7&name=Red Bag Grass Pellets), and my share horse had them too. Red bag is pelleted spring grass, and they do blue bag which is Summer grass. I think a bag was £12

Their feeding guideline is 1kg per 100kg of bodyweight per day. Harvey gets a good double handfull per day whatever that weighs (not much). I jokingly call it rocket fuel, but with my share horse it pepped him up nicely so he was willing but not over the top. It seems to be working well on Harvey, but at this time of the year its harder to tell so it could be panacea effect! (We started my share horse on it in the Autumn). I don't sock them, but they are mixed in with a big hard feed so he can't get a big mouthful of them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bodshi
Madam was on them for a while - loved them. I soaked them so they were like soup so can't imagine a horse choking? It's just like prepping beet or fast fibre :)

You can get different sugar levels but I just bought the local ones feed merchants sold. Cheap as chips and happily eaten. Particularly like them as they are just dried grass no added nonsense so they were great as an elimination diet to work or what triggers her allergies x
 
Thanks everyone for your feedback. I may well give them a try when I've got a spare bin (3 bins all with different feeds at the moment). I was hoping to be able to feed them as a nut, as that is all Raf really seems to be eating at the moment, but if seems not. Although interestingly I have spoken to the vet today and she says he doesn't need a cereal free feed as long as he's getting worked, is not overweight and has never had laminitis, despite his Cushings (contrary to what a feed company told me).
 
Bodshi said:
Thanks everyone for your feedback. I may well give them a try when I've got a spare bin (3 bins all with different feeds at the moment). I was hoping to be able to feed them as a nut, as that is all Raf really seems to be eating at the moment, but if seems not. Although interestingly I have spoken to the vet today and she says he doesn't need a cereal free feed as long as he's getting worked, is not overweight and has never had laminitis, despite his Cushings (contrary to what a feed company told me).
Click to expand...

I did once feed them to sox ( why did I listen to the woman at the shop who said I could feed them dry!!?? I can Confirm they do choke if you feed them dry. I have wondered if I could feed them to my boy but given his lami that he has had dispute his ppid now under control I would rather not give them to him at present
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bodshi
Jess has them when she's off everything else :rolleyes: lately she's been really fussy about her feed, even with just a handful of chaff she'd get halfway through and give up so she's currently getting grass nuts with her sups, especially as I'm away and don't want any hassle for my animal sitter. They are higher sugar than I like her to have but she's only getting 1 cup so it should be fine. I also soak to prevent choke though find just a few is fine unsoaked :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bodshi
Thanks for your confirmation that they can cause choke if unsoaked. I'm going to the feed store tomorrow, think I'm going to try Readigrass first, as all Raf seems to want is his hay - he's starving for that but refusing hard feed, even nuts now. We're having to give him his Prascend tablet stuffed into a hole in a carrot to make sure he eats it - used to be able to just chuck it in his breakfast and he'd lick the bowl clean, tablet and all.

@lauren123 - I've just read your post about Sox's weight and his feed. I have no advice but can sympathise. I'd be interested to know how you get on with that supplement - I googled it to see what it was and it looks really good. Hope it works for you.

@Jessey - do you know why Jess goes off her feed?
 
  • Like
Reactions: lauren123
@Bodshi it's one of 3 things, possibly the prascend (I also put it in a hollowed out carrot to make sure it goes down) or since I added prohoof or since I swapped from the alfa-a to much blander/drier grass/oat chaff, I suspect its the latter 2 as she didn't go off her feed when getting the prascend with alfa-a for over a year. Feeding the prascend before or after the feed seems to make no difference to her, she eats ok for a bit then goes off it, I've tried redigrass, hifi lite, speedibeet, agrobs weisencobs, agrobs musli, honeychop lite and healthy and grass nuts, I've got almost a bag full of each left and have just been rotating through them when she turns her nose up, I've also cut the prohoof right back and will change that for something else when I get through it all :rolleyes:
 
Jessey said:
@Bodshi it's one of 3 things, possibly the prascend (I also put it in a hollowed out carrot to make sure it goes down) or since I added prohoof or since I swapped from the alfa-a to much blander/drier grass/oat chaff, I suspect its the latter 2 as she didn't go off her feed when getting the prascend with alfa-a for over a year. Feeding the prascend before or after the feed seems to make no difference to her, she eats ok for a bit then goes off it, I've tried redigrass, hifi lite, speedibeet, agrobs weisencobs, agrobs musli, honeychop lite and healthy and grass nuts, I've got almost a bag full of each left and have just been rotating through them when she turns her nose up, I've also cut the prohoof right back and will change that for something else when I get through it all :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Nightmare! She must be eating grass and hay though? I'm hoping Raf's lack of appetite is hormonal - something to do with the hormone that stimulates hunger decreasing after intense exercise - we were training for the race that we did when he started to go off his feed. Interestingly too, I've just read that over-work can cause ACTH levels to go haywire, although the vet didn't mention this. I took Raf's training slowly and steadily, so I don't think I was asking him for more than he was ready to do, but who knows. Maybe in a PPID horse the hormone balance is more easily disturbed. Anyway, the vet advised 2 weeks rest and then reassess.

Hope you find something that Jess likes and if you do, please let me know what it is!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jessey
Yes she is still scoffing hay and grass, she will leave her bucket for hay.
Grass nuts has worked for the last month or so, they have to be perfectly soaked though, for about 5 mins so they are mush on the outside but firm enough in the middle to give some texture :rolleyes:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bodshi
I'm glad GaryB posted a link to the Red Bag grass pellets, as I had no idea what grass nuts are, lol

They are grass pellets. I've been feeding grass pellets for years. I use Standlee brand Timothy or orchard pellets and never have to soak them. I add water at every feeding to keep the horses from blowing their supplements out and to keep moisture in the gut. The pellets are mush in less than minute.

I have used hay CUBES on a hard keeper and had to soak them overnight in the refrigerator, then break them down by hand so they resembled wet grass.

Regarding a fat additive for the OP's PPID horse. What about molasses-free beet pulp but that would have to be soaked. I refuse to feed it as I have read of horses that have choked on it but many people swear by it.

I feed equine rice bran. It is a cool fat additive that doesn't hype a horse up but not all metabolic horses can tolerate it. The bag has to say "stabilized and calcium fortified.", I have fed one kitchen measuring cup daily to my IR horse since 2013 and he tolerates it very well. He cannot tolerate alfalfa but rice bran doesn't bother him.

Hope you find a solution. I've been dealing with metabolic issues in two horses since 2007. It sure is a head banger:(
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bodshi
Love that Simple Systems link. They are so clear and honest about their feed. Contents: Dried Grass!

And I liked this bit: "for foals, greedy, elderly or dentally challenged horses, feed soaked."

I'd like to get some for Mattie.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bodshi and Lollykay
Kia is also a nightmare.

I am planning of feeding a balanced and a cup of soaked grassnuts to Kia over summer. Simple but edible.

Having tried everything else I got stumped.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bodshi
Well I opted for the dried grass today and luckily Raf seems to really like it. Not that I'm really sure why he's having it now, by the time we've got to this point. I mean, why is it any better than him just having his hay? If we could mix his tablet, or a balancer or his supplement (for joints) in with it it would make sense but today he's just eaten the grass and left his nuts untouched :rolleyes: Anyway, at least it's nice to see him enjoying something again.

@Lollykay - Raf used to have speedibeet in his bucket feed - I don't know whether that's the same as you mean by beet pulp - but he won't eat it now.
 
I looked up Speedibeet. It seems to be healthier for horses.

Our beet pulp is also from sugar beets but sometimes has molasses in it. Our beet pulp comes either shredded or in pellets; I am not aware of a company producing it in flakes.

Some of our companies recommend adding water at feeding time, though they don't say beet pulp has to be soaked.

Even though I was worried about choke with my 29 yr old, I tried soaked beet pulp in the hopes of him eating it and gaining weight. He was an Arab ---- Arabs make mad monkey faces and can really give some looks ---- I got both when I served up the beet pulp ----- if ever there was a time one of my,horses used profanity toward me, that was it:). The little sweet face is laid to rest below the barn, with two of his other longtime pasture friends. Streeter was seven when I rescued him and turned out to be the best lesson horse for children under 12, ever. He loved little children:)
 
newrider.com
Top Bottom
Back