Won't eat his hay

C

carthorse

Super Moderator
Staff member
Jan 6, 2006
13,042
8,132
113
Help!!!!!

Got two more big bales of hay on Friday & Jim has decided they're poisonous. Friday night all he ate was a slice of the bale I was using last week, the rest he didn't touch. Yesterday afternoon I opened the second new bale, not eating that either. Scraped up some grotty stuff off the floor & he pigged it down even though it was a bit damp & yukky smelling.

Last night he had the last slice of last weeks bale which he was happy to eat & I got a small bale off the farmer next door which I hope he'll have eaten (I'll know when I go up later, a friend turns out for me). If he does then hopefully I can have a few more to tide me through until next week & the problem will be solved. My hay man says it's all from the same field & stored in the same place, though I must say that to me it looks & smells different. Litle Un is eating it though.

If he hasn't eaten the small bale either does anyone have any brilliant ideas on persuading him? Once he decides he's not eating it he means it, he'll eat nothing rather than touch something he doesn't like. Also, this being Jim, a few days with insufficient bulk in his guts means he will colic so I'm panicking for a reason! Soaking it won't work, he doesn't like even lightly soaked hay.
 
spray it with peppermint oil, god for the digestion and highly palatable :)
 
That's the emergency plan, but I get stick for pandering to him if I do plus the odds are he'll sulk then just pick the bits he likes out. Ever feel like taking up stamp collecting instead of horses?
 
You wouldnt know what to do with all the spare time you'd have if you gave up horses! or the extra money in your pocket to spend....:bounce:

I'd be tempted to try the mint spray idea but I cant help thinking that he's not daft and if he "thinks" there is something not quite right with the hay - he's most likey right!
 
You can normally buy peppermint cordial from the shops and mix with a little olive oil/veg oil (not tried that one myself that was a friend with her fussy arab) but ive used just the cordial and a little water put in a plant misting bottle and sprayed on the hay and that worked a treat for a fussy TB :)

Only about 1.60 for a litre bottle of the cordial and its way concentrated. My vets use it on the meds for horses with colic :)
 
newrider.com
Top Bottom
Back