How can I get her to eat!!!

Shannon · Postby **Shannon** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 8:00 pm

I bought a mare, TB type (am tracking down past owners) from a native reserve, and I can't get her to eat grain! The only thing she'll eat is alfalfa pellets, but as soon as I ad anything (water, molasses, oats, applesauce, Tiz Whiz etc), she won't touch. She has no concept or appetite for grain, even if other horses are eating from the same pail. Any suggestions? I would like her to eat grain because she is on oral penicillin for a puncture on her leg I am trying to heal. Giving it by mouth with a syringe is a pain!!!

Kristie · Postby **Kristie** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 8:06 pm

ulcers?

Ryeno · Postby **Ryeno** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 8:18 pm

Hey Shannon,

It all depends on where you got her from.Some reserves all they get to eat is pasture and may have never seen an oats or grain of any kind.The first thing i would do is make sure her teeth are in order.I dont want to paint all reserves with the same brush but have seen a couple come from reserves and their teeth were never done.After that start her off slow.Try and give her a handful of a complete feed with some carrots or apples grated in it.If she will eat either.
Ryeno

TEXAS · Postby **TEXAS** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 2:20 am

If you are feeding hay with a trough below it... just throw a handful of sweet feed in her hay... she will come around once she tastes it..

a lot of range horses are fed cattle cubes and they know what they smell and look like..

louis finochio · Postby **louis finochio** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 7:21 am

Add honey in her feed tub, and go buy an aloe vera plant and keep her wound packed with aloe vera, as it is a natural remedy for cuts, burns and flesh openings.

emmad · Postby **emmad** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 12:36 pm

Something else you could try that would also help if she does have ulcers is Rationplus. We use it on finicky eaters or horses that have trouble eating. Encourages them to eat and helps them digeste what they do eat better. Also helps with stomach ulcers. Not sure where you can purchase in the states but here is a site.
http://www.horsehealthusa.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/supplements/rationplus.html?E+scstore

Shannon · Postby **Shannon** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 6:29 pm

Thanks for the suggestions. I would doubt the ulcer idea, just because of where she was...free range on pasture, never handled. And she doesn't display any ulcer habits, just doesn't have a taste for grain. Didn't think about the apple angle, she'll eat them from my hand, maybe I'll give that a try? She is fed free feed hay from a round bale feeder, so I can't really put grain anywhere around that she'll have to try it. Oh well.. I will just keep slugging away at it!