How to get a horse to stop eating alfalfa?
“You can replace up to about 40% of their hay intake with beet pulp, or hay pellets can also be added (to a horse’s diet) to reduce the number of pounds of hay a horse has to eat a day,” Thunes says. “And, it is a rare horse that won’t eat alfalfa.”
What can I Feed my horse instead of hay?
Another alternative to traditional hay is hay pellets, which can be soaked into a gruel or soup for horses with dental issues. Although my one experience feeding hay pellets–both soaked and unsoaked–was an epic failure (the mare would not touch either preparation to save her life!)
Is it normal for a horse to not be eating hay?
Giving some alfalfa might help his stomach out if that is part of the issue both because most horses love it and it tempts them to eat, and full tummies buffer the acid better, and also because the higher calcium content helps neutralize some acid directly. Not eating hay is really concerning and not normal.
How much Hay does a horse need a day?
On average, a 1,000-pound horse requires 15-25 pounds of forage every day. When horses turn up their noses at hay, it is critical that owners find viable alternatives such as hay pellets, beet pulp, or a complete senior feed or consider different types of hay, such as some alfalfa in place of grass hay.
What to feed a horse that Cannot eat hay?
Whether they can't or won't eat hay, there are several other options to keep a horse healthy.Beet pulp. A great alternative is beet pulp, the fibrous material left over after the sugar has been extracted from the sugar beets. ... Hay cubes. ... Hay pellets. ... Complete feed. ... Tips when switching feeds.
Why will my horse not eat hay?
On the other hand, horses might refuse to eat hay that is moldy, old, coarse and stemmy, or full of weeds. Not every horse needs the abundant nutrients in alfalfa (lucerne), but a flake or two of alfalfa blended into a pile of clean grass hay will often enhance the taste of this offering.
Can a horse survive without hay?
Horses can adapt to balanced rations that do not contain hay or pasture, but the absolute minimum of fiber necessary has not been established. However, low fiber/high concentrate rations have been documented to increase the risk of colic, gastric ulcers, and wood chewing behavior of horses.
How can I stimulate my horse's appetite?
Ways to Improve a Horse's AppetiteBreak up the feed to smaller meals over several hours.Gradually change to new feed.Add B-Vitamins to their diet.Provide a cool bath in hot weather.Ease up on intense workouts for performance horses.Provide a buddy to ease anxiety offering turnout.
Can I feed my horse alfalfa pellets instead of hay?
Remember, pellets are not a substitute for all your horse's forage needs, they can replace alfalfa hay if your animal has other hay or grass, but a horse must consume long-stem forage for proper digestion. Also, note that one pound of alfalfa pellets has the same nutritional value as one pound of hay.
Are hay pellets good for horses?
Horses often eat hay pellets faster than traditional hay because the smaller, ground particles are easy to chew and swallow. Hay pellets also do not provide any long-stem forage. However, for horses with poor teeth, soaking these pellets can still provide important fiber and nutrients.
Can I feed alfalfa cubes instead of hay?
The nutrient levels found in cubes tend to be more consistent than hay. Alfalfa cubes are sold with a guaranteed minimum nutrient content. Reduced dust. Cubes have little dust and are therefore a good alternative to hay for horses with certain respiratory problems.
Do horses need hay every day?
A horse should eat one to two percent of their body weight in roughage every day. Horses who spend much of their time in stalls aren't doing much grazing, but their natural feeding patterns can be replicated by keeping hay in front of them for most of the day.
Is beet pulp good for horses?
In summary, beet pulp is a good dietary supplement for "hard keepers", as a forage or fiber replacement for poor quality hay, and for older horses with problems chewing or digesting hay. The digestible energy content of beet pulp is greater than hay and less than grain.
What are the symptoms of ulcers in horses?
Initial symptoms of stomach ulcers in horses result from the pain. Many times, signs of ulcers in horses include clenching and grinding of teeth, depression, unwillingness to train, lying down more, stress at feeding time, ear flinching, or stomping hooves during girthing.
What are the signs of colic in a horse?
Signs of colic in your horseFrequently looking at their side.Biting or kicking their flank or belly.Lying down and/or rolling.Little or no passing of manure.Fecal balls smaller than usual.Passing dry or mucus (slime)-covered manure.Poor eating behavior, may not eat all their grain or hay.More items...
What is hindgut acidosis in horses?
Hindgut acidosis is an excessive acidity in the horse's hindgut, a drastic drop of the pH value, most commonly caused by a high grain and low forage diet. More than 60% of performance horses suffer from hindgut acidosis.
What is the best hay for older horses?
The horse needs to be able to chew and break down the hay, so select good-quality, soft hay that isn't overly mature; it shouldn't have thick, fibrous stalks. Coleman has found that mixed grass-legume hay, such as orchard-alfalfa or timothy-alfalfa, is often a good choice.
What is senior horse?
Senior is designed for the horse that can't eat hay and it can be fed as the only feed. With pellets I like to feed them on as large a surface as possible, something like a 4x8 sheet of plywood with edges all around and on stout legs. This slows the consumption down and the horse nibbles rather than filling it's cheeks like a gopher.
Is Purina hay soaked?
Purina has a product called hydration hay, that is intended to be soaked. Have you looked into that?#N#Purina senior is comepete and can be fed alone, and soaked as well, but to get enough it takes a good bit and can get expensive. But it's an idea.
Choosing Horse Feed Hay Replacements
If you are going to use a fiber supplement, then I recommend using those that have shorter chopped fibers. This way, the food will feel more substantial in your horses mouth.
How Long can Horses go without Hay?
Horses are herbivores, which means they eat primarily grasses and other plant material. In the wild, horses graze on pasture for up to 18 hours a day.
Will a Horse Stop Eating when Full?
The question of whether or not a horse will stop eating when they are full is one that many horse owners struggle with. Some horses refuse to stop grazing, eat their hay and other food at the same time, and then go back for seconds. Other horses will only eat until they are about 3/4 full before walking away from their food source.
What to do if your horse is not working?
If something’s not working or if you’re unsure what the best plan for your older horse is, especially going into winter, ask your veterinarian or an equine nutritionist for help in developing a feeding plan. If it’s not broken, don’t try to fix it. Not all senior horses have dental issues, and not all of them are picky eaters.
Can senior horses eat flaked forage?
If it’s not broken, don’t try to fix it. Not all senior horses have dental issues, and not all of them are picky eaters. Some horses will eat flaked/baled/harvested forage until the day they die with no problem whatsoever. So just because the senior horse down the aisle is on a diet rich in fiber alternatives doesn’t mean you need ...
Is hay better for horses?
Janicki also says that hay cubes and pellets typically contain less dust than hay, meaning horses are less subject to inhaling particles that could contribute to respiratory disease, and this is a good thing for older horses potentially suffering from heaves.
Why not use senior feed?
One reason not to rely on senior feed other than cost though is that if you have a cold winter, the short, processed fibers in the feed won't keep him nearly as warm as the digestion of the long-stem fibers in true roughage, which means he will have to burn more calories and eat even more to maintain weight.
Why is forage important for dogs?
Forage is important for digestion and keeping things moving, have you had his teeth checked maybe it is uncomfortable for him to chew to the hay. I would start giving him soaked beet pulp and hay cubes so at least he is getting his forage, and is easier to chew.
Does alfalfa help horses stomach?
Giving some alfalfa might help his stomach out if that is part of the issue both because most horses love it and it tempts them to eat, and full tummies buffer the acid better, and also because the higher calcium content helps neutralize some acid directly. Not eating hay is really concerning and not normal.
What is complete feed for horses?
COMPLETE FEED – These have been specially developed to give your horse the right balance of grass, forages, vitamins and minerals and can be fed instead of hay if they have at least 15% fiber. They’re much higher in calories so it’s important to read the label before giving to your horse.
Why do horses eat?
Unlike most animals (including cows) horses need to continually eat, this is because of the way their whole digestive system works. Right from their gastrointestinal tract that is designed to always be digesting small amounts of food around the clock to their hindgut which is where most of their energy comes from.
Why do you need to increase forage for horses?
This then means that you need to increase the forage you’re giving them because they’re not able to get so much of it themselves. If, however, your horse doesn’t normally have access to pasture then there’s nothing to make up for during the winter.
Why is silage so hard to make?
The big drawback to silage though is that the production of it can be difficult because the bags mustn’t be torn at all, if they are then the horse is at risk of contracting botulism ( Food poisoning caused by bacteria growing on food not properly sterilized ).
How long do horses graze?
Left to their own devices horses will spend up to 17 hours a day grazing but this isn’t because they’re being greedy. They’re don’t have gall bladders so aren’t able to store bile for digestion this, coupled with the small stomachs, means that they can only digest small amounts of food at a time. On top of their grazing horses should be fed ...
How much can a horse eat?
Horses are born grazers that can eat up to 25lbs (11kgs) a day so you can imagine that if you’re keeping a horse without any natural grazing you’ve got a lot of making up to do. That doesn’t mean that you can just increase the amount of food you give him, it means that you need to replace the grass he’s not able to eat with more forage.
Can you soak alfalfa before feeding it?
The disadvantage of them though is that they can often be quite expensive and if you don’t soak them beforehand then there’s also a risk of your horse choking on them. ALFALFA – Alfalfa shouldn’t be used to completely replace hay but instead fed in combination with it .
