Ive cut the boys food down. They do not need it over summer. They are getting a fresh strip everyday. Inspite being worked everyday they are definitely putting weight on.
So for a bit of variety they get a bit of mix, pony nuts with some linseed in it and a bit of water. I do feed sugar beet but only in the winter, with all the grass calories they dont need it at this time of year.
Billy gets apple cider vinegar, biotin for his feet and salt for the head shaking.
Chunky is getting apple cider vinegar, devils relief and msm, was using glucosamine till last week and salt, and danilon if hes been on a long walk or drive.
Well billy whaps his food back. Gone in minutes then hes trying to come over to see if he can nick chunkys, not a chance. Chunky will guard it. But ive noticed that chunkys getting slow again eating his food. He did it last summer too. Then when we got to autumn he started eating better. It did coinside with his teeth being done. Although the vet says there nothing too serious hes pretty good inside. Of course i did up the rations again with less grass and reintroducing sugar beet over winter. All has been good.
Anyway its getting bad again over the last few months, leaves some in the bowl most feeds, tossing some on the floor, so i end up giving it to billy. So hes not getting his full supplement ration effectively either. Hes also just so slow eating it.
So the day before i mixed some sugarbeet up just to try adding it in. I put the grub down last night and chunky just stood there head above the bowl, didnt even want to put it in. That was a complete first. I staet to panick that something is wrong. Wed just come back from a couple of miles of a ride and led and he seemed ok. Even cantered a couple of times. So i offered his bowl up close, he sniffed realised it had sugarbeet in and proceeded to eat. I disappeared in the tack room. When i came out billy was still eating, chunky had walked away. Looked and most of the food was actually gone. There was some still in the bottom. Its just weird lately hes just been so slow at eating. Obviously adding sugarbeet he approved of. So i offered him what was left again. He blaintly just looked at it. So i thought im gonna taste this and see if its to do with the supplements. So i dipped my finger in and put my finger on my tongue. Oh my god, i thought no wonder my horse wont eat. I am seriously trying to poison him. All i could taste was salt. I was literally gagging.
Hes never liked salt licks. Ive brought several over the years but they just waste. So i gave up. But i know they say its good idea to help with sweat etc. It wasnt until i read that people with headshakers feed table salt and have had good results that i started billy on it and thought I'll give it to chunky too in his feed instead of a lick. I think chunky has sweated less too when hes been on long exercise. So to me it was a win win.
I dont even feed the recommended amount of table salt to either horse, and chunky gets less than billy aswell. But with the summer feed ration being less the supplements are more prominent in taste as there not cut. Seriously though i wouldnt eat my tea either if you shoved that at me. So tonight hes getting sugar beet again as he obiously likes it, but no salt is being added at all. Im also going to have another taste to make sure that it is just the salt not the other supplements. Amazingly billy loves his grub, clearly with plenty of salt. Poor chunky though
So for a bit of variety they get a bit of mix, pony nuts with some linseed in it and a bit of water. I do feed sugar beet but only in the winter, with all the grass calories they dont need it at this time of year.
Billy gets apple cider vinegar, biotin for his feet and salt for the head shaking.
Chunky is getting apple cider vinegar, devils relief and msm, was using glucosamine till last week and salt, and danilon if hes been on a long walk or drive.
Well billy whaps his food back. Gone in minutes then hes trying to come over to see if he can nick chunkys, not a chance. Chunky will guard it. But ive noticed that chunkys getting slow again eating his food. He did it last summer too. Then when we got to autumn he started eating better. It did coinside with his teeth being done. Although the vet says there nothing too serious hes pretty good inside. Of course i did up the rations again with less grass and reintroducing sugar beet over winter. All has been good.
Anyway its getting bad again over the last few months, leaves some in the bowl most feeds, tossing some on the floor, so i end up giving it to billy. So hes not getting his full supplement ration effectively either. Hes also just so slow eating it.
So the day before i mixed some sugarbeet up just to try adding it in. I put the grub down last night and chunky just stood there head above the bowl, didnt even want to put it in. That was a complete first. I staet to panick that something is wrong. Wed just come back from a couple of miles of a ride and led and he seemed ok. Even cantered a couple of times. So i offered his bowl up close, he sniffed realised it had sugarbeet in and proceeded to eat. I disappeared in the tack room. When i came out billy was still eating, chunky had walked away. Looked and most of the food was actually gone. There was some still in the bottom. Its just weird lately hes just been so slow at eating. Obviously adding sugarbeet he approved of. So i offered him what was left again. He blaintly just looked at it. So i thought im gonna taste this and see if its to do with the supplements. So i dipped my finger in and put my finger on my tongue. Oh my god, i thought no wonder my horse wont eat. I am seriously trying to poison him. All i could taste was salt. I was literally gagging.
Hes never liked salt licks. Ive brought several over the years but they just waste. So i gave up. But i know they say its good idea to help with sweat etc. It wasnt until i read that people with headshakers feed table salt and have had good results that i started billy on it and thought I'll give it to chunky too in his feed instead of a lick. I think chunky has sweated less too when hes been on long exercise. So to me it was a win win.
I dont even feed the recommended amount of table salt to either horse, and chunky gets less than billy aswell. But with the summer feed ration being less the supplements are more prominent in taste as there not cut. Seriously though i wouldnt eat my tea either if you shoved that at me. So tonight hes getting sugar beet again as he obiously likes it, but no salt is being added at all. Im also going to have another taste to make sure that it is just the salt not the other supplements. Amazingly billy loves his grub, clearly with plenty of salt. Poor chunky though
