She won't eat her grain....*UPDATE!*

[Rebecca]

Yesterday morning I was sick, so my mom fed the girls for me. She gave them grain and left the door open so they could go out and eat their hay when they were done. Now Kassie WILL NOT eat her grain, she just waits for the hay to come out. She's always liked the hay more so I've always waited for her to finish the grain first before giving it to her.

Last night it took her hours to eat even some of the grain. I have not added anything new to their feed or changed it at all. She is very healthy and happy, I just don't understand. This morning I gave them grain then went back inside. Went back out an hour later, Kassie hadn't finished, just picked the apple chunks I put in (to try and get her to eat it!) out.

So I figured I'd leave her in a bit longer to see if she finished, I went to let Covergirl out and Kassie just about plowed me over in her rush to get out the door!

She never acts like this, sure she gets annoying and has her stubborn days but honestly....I walked after her and called her but didn't chase her, she was already riled up and chasing them doesn't help.

I went back inside and got her bucket. I give Kassie 1 and a half cups of grain and half a cup of beet pulp (am & pm). I measured what was left in the bucket. (Paranoid, I know!) There was still a good cup of grain left in there, no signs of beet pulp.

So, what do I DO?! How do I get her to eat her grain? She's never been so downright stubborn! Am I doing something wrong? Anyone else have this problem? Please help!

 

[Candice]

There could be any number of reasons why she's "off her feed". Its not going to hurt her to not eat it. As long as she has the hay and fresh water available. Did you check to see if she is running a fever? She may be coming down with something. There are a lot of possible causes for this. If she does have a fever I'd definitely call my vet.

It is worrysome when they're not themselves, but hang in there. They do have a bit of sense from time to time and sometimes they just do this.

Candice

 

[MyBarakah]

Well.....check her temp and make sure she's not running a temp. But if its' different feed or something? Where I had a couple new boys come in they were not use to my feed program. So I had to put molasses on thier feed (grain/beetpulp/oat) mix and now I can lay off the molasses and he LOVES his feed..... but don't know if that's the problem you are having?

 

[Dream]

This warrants a discussion with your vet.

How old is she? What does she do for a living? Do you ever hear her grind her teeth (particularly when you do things with her)?

When horses prefer hay over grain and then don't finish their grain I think of ulcers. Hay creates a basic environment in the stomach because it takes a lot of chewing, therefore they produce and swallow a lot of saliva which brings the stomach pH down. Grain increases the stomach pH as they digest it (makes it more acidic). If they have ulcers this causes pain. Horse learn very quickly that eating grain makes their stomach hurt and can go off of it.

It is also possible that she is well fed with just the hay and has gotten bored of her grain. A lot of horses get sick of beet pulp.

 

[wildoak]

The first thing that always comes to mind when they go off grain with no other apparent illness other than maybe just "not doin right" is ulcers. As someone said, it won't hurt for her to not eat grain for the time being, and it maybe something that resolves itself in a few days - or becomes more apparent what's going on. In the meantime, if I suspect ulcers I usually give them Tagamet (or something similar otc) for a day or so. (I am NOT a vet

just my personal experience). If they respond favorably, you will have an idea what you are dealing with and can treat with Gastroguard from the vet. Worth a call to the vet anyway to run it past them.

Jan

 

[Marty]

Ok, let's start back at square one.

You told us earlier that you were feeding Purina Born to Win and I told you then Born to Win is NOT grain. It is not feed. You cannot treat Born to Win as if it is feed/grain period. Born to Win is a ration balancer which is a combination of minerals and vitamins. You have to understand that first which I don't think you do. So here's a ruff example: It is like you taking a half a bottle a day of Flintstone vitamins!!!!

Born to Win is a supplement and you may be over feeding it. You may consider reducing the amount. When you think of feeding BTW, think in terms of giving a vitamin pill, not food.

All my minis get Born to Win. It is designed to be fed with roughage. (hay, grass, or both). They can live on that if they don't have a work load. I consider a work load, driving, in training, showing, breeding, lacktating and growing etc. But mine are basicall idle. The smaller ones get 1/2 cup twice a day and the larger ones get 1 cup twice a day. If they need extra calories, then they might get some oats or sweet feed which is a grain. Grains are corn, oats, barley, etc.

Also, I want to address feeding apple (chunks). Be very careful. Horses can easily choke on them and too many pieces of apples can cause gas = gas colic. I'll cut up part of an apple once in a while, but I wouldn't do that on a regular basis. It's very possible that she is not feeling too good if she is on an apple overload. I would quit doing that.

Also #2: If you are feeding soaked beet pulp and are dumping it on your Born to Win, that can make it all mushy and not palatable and smelly. I feed soaked beet pulp separately.

Also #3: If I have a horse that is not eating, that is a red flag and I would suspect ulcers.

 

[JourneysEnd]

Ulcers are a big possibility.

Had the same thing happen to me a couple years back.

Ulcergard is available without an RX . Doesn't hurt to use it if they don't have an ulcer, will help if they do.

 

[Reijel's Mom]

Is this a new bag of the same feed? If so, sometimes something can be off in a different bag.

And Marty is right (above). I've found many horses do have a sense of what their bodies need and what it doesn't. Your girl might be completely overloaded on some vitamins and minerals and that could be causing her disinterest, if you are continuing to use the ration balancer as a feed.

 

[Minimor]

What is the grain you are feeding?

From your post I don't see this as a case of her suddenly going off her grain--she was eating her grain, though slowly & perhaps reluctantly, all along? And then the other day she got out to eat hay before she had finished her grain, and now she just doesn't want her grain at all?

I would suspect that she just doesn't like the grain you are giving her. If it were me I would buy something different & see if she eats it better. I have a gelding here that I was giving Cool Command pellets to. He has never been thrilled with them, and a week or so ago he simply refused to eat them any more. I gave up on them & put him back on oats & he's eating them happily. He didn't have ulcers, he simply does not like pellets. Most of our horses refuse to eat Challenger (Co-op) 12% pellets, or if they do eat them it is with an expression that plainly says "horse abuse" on their little faces! However, they (or most of them) will happily eat the Frontrunner 12% pellets...

I would buy a different kind of grain & see if she prefers that.

 

[Rebecca]

Ok, let's start back at square one.

You told us earlier that you were feeding Purina Born to Win and I told you then Born to Win is NOT grain. It is not feed. You cannot treat Born to Win as if it is feed/grain period. Born to Win is a ration balancer which is a combination of minerals and vitamins. You have to understand that first which I don't think you do. So here's a ruff example: It is like you taking a half a bottle a day of Flintstone vitamins!!!!

Born to Win is a supplement and you may be over feeding it. You may consider reducing the amount. When you think of feeding BTW, think in terms of giving a vitamin pill, not food.

All my minis get Born to Win. It is designed to be fed with roughage. (hay, grass, or both). They can live on that if they don't have a work load. I consider a work load, driving, in training, showing, breeding, lacktating and growing etc. But mine are basicall idle. The smaller ones get 1/2 cup twice a day and the larger ones get 1 cup twice a day. If they need extra calories, then they might get some oats or sweet feed which is a grain. Grains are corn, oats, barley, etc.

Thank you all, especially you Marty. I may PM you later with more questions.

I am thinking that I should cut down on the Born To Win then, and feed beet pulp separatley? How do you feed oats, you soak them first, right? My girls are pretty much 'idle' as well. As for the apple chunks, not to be confusing, I do not give them treats in the bucket feed every day, that was a just-this-morning-thing. And I slice and dice 'em very finely, because my littler one wouldn't be able to handle them otherwise.

Some of you asked her age, grinding teeth, etc. She's 9 years old, I have never heard her grind her teeth. Reijel's Mom- we DID, in fact, pick up a new bag of Born To Win on Friday. Saturday was the first day she stopped. Hmmmm.....

How do I tell if it's ulcers?

I'm going to check her temp. this afternoon as well. Everything else seems good, good 'tummy sounds', not dehydrated, and after her little escape from the barn this morning she's back to her happy-go-lucky self and all that. I may end up calling a horsey neighbor friend later. My mother is working the next 4 days so I'm doing this alone, my brothers and dad know about as much about horses as I know about football.

 

[Alex]

I would seriouslly call the vet just to be safe.

 

[Rebecca]

*UPDATE!*

Kassie does not have a fever, normal temp.

She would not eat the beet pulp plain, don't ask me why! So I mixed it in with the Born To Win (like I usually do). And I cut down on her Born To Win a bit (thank you Marty!). Ten minutes later I go back out to fill up their water buckets, and she'd finished it all up! As happy as I am that she ate her bucket feed entirely, I'm still stumped. OH! But of course I told her she was a good girl to eat it, and gave her a smooch on 'that spot' on her nose.

 

[TTF]

Good for her!

Not sure why she wasn't eating but definitely glad she's getting back into the swing of things. It's very possible it has something to do with the new bag, but not always likely. Even if she goes back to normal though, I'd keep a close eye on her for the next few days and poke your head in while shes eating if you're not doing that already. Good luck to you both!

 

[skylineminis]

*UPDATE!*

Kassie does not have a fever, normal temp.

She would not eat the beet pulp plain, don't ask me why! So I mixed it in with the Born To Win (like I usually do). And I cut down on her Born To Win a bit (thank you Marty!). Ten minutes later I go back out to fill up their water buckets, and she'd finished it all up! As happy as I am that she ate her bucket feed entirely, I'm still stumped. OH! But of course I told her she was a good girl to eat it, and gave her a smooch on 'that spot' on her nose.

How many days was she off her feed? When I have a horse go off like that, I watch to make sure they are eating hay and drinking water. If they don't start eating grain by the third or fourth day, then I start to worry. If they start eating wthin that time, usually it's a loose tooth. It bothers them to eat grain when they are shedding a tooth. Just another thing to think about.

 

[Marty]

I'm a worry wart so I'd be having the vet check her out anyhow. Glad she seems to be feeling better. Could have been a intake overload but do keep an eye on her.

 

[Danielle_E.]

Could she have a tooth or teeth that are bothering her? The beet pulp is soft and mushy and the hay isn't as hard as what you are feeding her, the born to win....perhaps teeth are an issue.