Horse who doesn't like hay

[Minimor]

I also would remove his food for a while, days, which may "make him get hungry" and teach him to graze on hay, but in the grande scheme of things make him realize this is how this boat is going to float at his new address.

REMOVE HIS FOOD.....FOR DAYS? That is very bad advice. He's an 8 month old colt, he needs to be fed, take away that food for days & he could go downhill very quickly. Withholding food could give him ulcers if he doesn't already have them; if he does have them (as you, Marty, say you heavily suspect he does!) then withholding food will only make them worse.

I would not be bending over backwards feeding him all kinds of things just to make him eat. As I said, he's not going to starve himself once he gets the hang of all these new things going on in his life and gets his ulcers (which I suspect heavily) under control.

I would do exactly that--keep trying to find something he does like--I've done it with foals I've bought in the past and I will do it again in the future if need be--I did manage to find something the foals liked & then they tied right in and ate well.

I would not be feeding this boy alfalfa because you can "spoil" him on it to where he won't want anything else and also because it can make his kidneys work overtime.

Alfalfa will not "spoil" a horse. Sure, sometimes if you give them grass hay instead of their usual alfalfa they will nose through it & look at you as if to say where is the alfalfa? But once they realize this is what they are getting for hay, they say okay...and start eating. I do feed alfalfa often enough, and do sometimes switch to grass hay, and have never had a horse go into a decline over it yet!
As far as alfalfa making the kidneys work overtime, that is a huge myth that I thought had been dispelled long ago. Alfalfa does not cause kidney damage. There are many horses that live on very rich alfalfa their entire lives, and they live long & healthy lives. I like alfalfa for the babies and often feed mine 2nd cut alfalfa pretty much free choice--the weanlings don't overeat; they're not going to founder, and the calcium content of alfalfa is good for ulcers (preventing or treating) in any age of horse.

 

[Marty]

I'll respectively disagree with you Minimor. A couple of days on hay without his grain is not going to hurt him. I realize he needs to eat but my thinking is that the basis of my feed program here relies on forage and as long as he would eat some hay, that could help buffer an ulcer. Should have been more specific and say maybe 2 days not "days" which could be mis-construed for weeks. Sorry about that.

I also like alfalfa hay and it is good food but I prefer to use it now only when mixed very sparingly in with grass hay. My horses love it way too much, enough to pass up their grass hay completely for it. I'm not saying its bad. I have had many instances where when I have fed alfalfa hay alone, then offered up grass hay, they protested because they were holding out for the the alfalfa which of course is what they really want. They were like "Hey, what the heck, where's the good stuff!" So I disagree (with respect) that my horses do get spoiled on it. When I say it can make their kidneys work overtime I mean my horses would drink and pee like crazy when they are fed it, more than the normally would on regular grass hay. My experiences in this department are very different than yours but that is my humble opinion.

 

[Jean_B]

He's a baby. He's been pulled from his "free" environment running in a pasture and put in an environment that is very foreign to him. Recently weaned, taken away from not only his mother, but all his little buddies and being forced to interact with all those strange 2-legged creatures. Depression is common with a weaner and especially if moved to a new environment. He's under a lot of stress. Give him time to transition to his new food. You don't want to end up with ulcers (you and especially not the colt).

 

[mydaddysjag]

Hes been weaned for quite a while now, four months I believe. At his old home he was on pelleted feed and grass, and he does eat his feed here fine, just not his long stem hay. I wouldn't worry about the hay intake if it were any other horse, but he really cant afford to lose any weight at all, although hes put a lot on, he still needs to gain quite a bit. He has lost weight since I cut out his mash and was only offering long stem hay, which is why I worry. I haven't been handling him much at all (not halter broke and honestly, you cant even walk up and pet him) so what I do is sit around the pasture when i have time, and if he comes to see me, thats a good day. He did make friends with my two older miniatures. The most he has to "deal" with me is walking through a gate I hold open so he can come in from the big field into his stall (it opens into the pasture). I bribe him with a handful of grain to get him to come into his stall. I know its not ideal, but Im hoping he learns to trust people a bit more before I start getting on halter and lead breaking him.