Finicky eater

[CZP1]

My mini Cheyenne usually eats anything that you put in front of him, so I thought.

He is on a regiment of Triple Crown Safe Starch and Southern States pelleted feed. He has a hay belly from the winter hay (baled mix of orchard/timothy) really nice stuff, we finished all the baled hay and trying to get him in shape for driving etc. So been switching him gradually over to the above mentioned routine. I thought I would add some chewing time to his schedule. He is on a dry lot and a very easy keeper.

Anyways, I purchased some timothy hay cubes while at Tractor Supply on Sunday. He seemed to like them as I put a few in with his pellets. I broke them up in to small pieces as he has a terrible underbite. Ate them all up the first day. Yesterday I went to feed in the morning and again added some of the cubes. He ate them as he was turned out and fed outside, and all was right with the world. Come dinner time, grain, bagged hay and cubes the same way as the AM routine. Go to do night check his bucket and everything is gone except the hay cubes. They are all over the stall a few left in the feed bucket. It is almost like he decided to have a fun moment and throw them all over the stall.

So I checked the date on the feed, fresh smelling etc. all good there. So I soaked a few of them and put a bit of his pellet in there too. He wouldn't eat them, turned his lip up and walked away. This horse never passes on food or treats. I added ground up peppermints that he LOVES, nope look at me like your kidding right! Cleaned out the bucket and went to bed.

Go out to feed this morning again, same thing left the hay cubes. :arg! . Guess he would eat them if that was all there was to eat. So back the cubes go (if they will take them) and my horse wins! He is spoiled beyond any other horse I have ever had.

So what things will you horse NOT eat?

 

[valshingle]

I was at a show and a lady was passing around samples of a deluxe horse treat. You guessed it, most of mine wouldn't touch it

I did have a big horse that stole my cheeseburger off a tack trunk and snarfed it down. I had just bought the horse (and the cheeseburger)

 

[chandab]

I try hay cubes now and then, but can only seem to find brands that are rock hard (so I have to break them up or soak them); they'll eat them for a meal or two and then turn their noses up at them (the rest of the bag then goes to the cows). They've turned their noses up at various pelleted feeds (except those with excessive molasses); tried a pelleted vit/min supplement they all pretty much turned their noses up (or ate one bite, but no more after that); and they've not liked various treats (I now stick with tried and true favorites).

 

[Sandee]

My two younger ones (mare 6 & stallion 8) will eat almost anything put in front of them. The stallion is picky only about treats and he wants carrot flavored only (been that way since I first saw him, age 1 1/2). If you give him peppermint flavor they get dropped out of his mouth. He did the same thing with Ranitadine tablets I gave them one year.

The mare is like my QH mare was. She'll eat anything that she sees go in my mouth. She's had canned pop; little bites of popcorn; all sorts of candy; and even one very hot show day ice cubes.

My old gelding is the picky eater. If the hay is stemmy, he will have the worst pieces spread all over his stall while my other two will eat them. Medicine or joint supplements mixed in his food - the food gets left in the bucket untouched. I think he's concerned I'm trying to poison him....LOL Treats are a different story as most of them have sweetner (molasses) so he'll eat most of them.

But they all will down alfalfa cubes soaked in water.

 

[Raine Ranch Minis]

My oldest mare when we bought here we where feeding BOSS ( still are ) and she would NOT touch them! I had to mix it very well will her other feed to the pont that it was hard to see them and she would eat very slowly. She has gotten over it now.

But she still will not take just BOSS out of your hand it has to has other food mixed with it.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

One of mine will not eat timothy pellets. He loves the timothy hay, but won't eat the pellets. I've tried dry and soaked. Either way, they are still in the dish the next morning.

 

[Carolyn R]

Mine love timothy and alfalfa hays and timothy and alfalfa soaked hay cubes but they all hated when I had purchased a bag of alfalfa pellets to mix in with feed. Ended up dumping them in the woods for the deer (an entire bag).

 

[Katiean]

I was at a show and a lady was passing around samples of a deluxe horse treat. You guessed it, most of mine wouldn't touch it

I did have a big horse that stole my cheeseburger off a tack trunk and snarfed it down. I had just bought the horse (and the cheeseburger)

My QH would KILL for a Bologna sandwich and a root beer. As far as horse food. My dad always said "leave them long enough and they will eat a peanut butter sandwich". Around here if they don't like it they have to get used to it. 'Cause that is what they are gonna get.

 

[Marty]

Jus throwing this out there: Is your grass growing pretty good? Mine is.

I've noticed this past week that they are all leaving some of their hay that they normally would not leave a morsal behind. They are not on the grass full time either but I think they are just plain full and they are adjusting to it after a long hard winter.

Mine didn't like beet pulp at first. I'm sure it was the smell they had to get used to. Took a while now they love it.

 

[LAminiatures]

I got a new mare last fall. Every night I tuck my horses in with hay and baby carrots. I try to give her one every night and she still will not eat them. My others talk and stomp their feet when they hear me cut the bag open. Not her she gets the apple treats from TSC. None of my horses will eat the alfa alfa cubes unless soaked. Ifigure she gets it from me as I am a very picky eater myself.