Quality forage is the cornerstone of a healthy equine diet; horses that refuse to eat their hay can be more than simply frustrating for farm management, they may be lacking in key nutrients needed to maintain their health.
Dr. Anna Pesta Dunaway tells The Horse why a horse might not be eating all of its hay.
Possibility 1: The horse may not like the type or quality of hay being fed. Older horses may have trouble eating more mature, stemmy hay and picky eaters may choose to leave this hay behind. To rectify this problem, source softer, less-mature hay that is easier to ingest. Second cutting of orchard grass is a good option, Dunaway said.
Possibility 2: A senior horse may have trouble chewing and digesting any type of hay – even the very soft variety. Even if he can chew, his hindgut may have trouble extracting calories from the hay. If the horse can't maintain body condition a forage replacement may be necessary. The most digestible option is a complete senior feed, which has forage built in and can partially or totally replace hay (or pasture).
Possibility 3: Determine if hay quality is really the issue. Horses that don't feel well, like those that have gastric ulcers, for example, may be reluctant to clean up the hay. This can create a cycle where he doesn't finish the hay because his stomach hurts, but his stomach hurts because he isn't ingesting hay and receiving the buffering effect from saliva and hay.
Read more at The Horse.
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