Feed question

[Kazzie]

Over the last couple of weeks Dexter has been leaving some of his hard feed - sometimes he leaves as much as half of it.

He's on a level scoop of Hi-fi and a scoop of nuts twice a day with a measure of garlic powder, apples and/or carrots in each feed - he has ad-lib hay. He's in the field during the day, in at night.

He's always been a slow eater but now he just doesn't seem interested. I wonder whether he finds the feed unpalatable.

He's schooled twice a week, mostly flat work, and competed at novice level approximately once a month. He goes out hacking approximately 2-3 times a week. I would judge this to be light to medium work. On Sunday he seemed to lack energy. He's a Dutch Warmblood 16.3hh 7 years old and looks to be well and the right weight.

I'm wondering whether to change slowly to another feed, say nuts with Alpha-A.

Can I have some opinions please....

[eventerbabe]

alfa-a has the same nutritional value as a mix, so why bother with the nuts? if he's not liking the hard feed, miss it out!! alfa-a oil would help even more if he's prone to losing weight because of the oil element to it.

I hate hard feeds and straights. I feed my 2 on an entirely fibre based diet. My cob (who's in medium work) gets hi-fi lite with an additional 1/2 scoop of the dengie fibremix easy. if i upped him to alfa-a he'd explode, so the fibremix gives him that extra energy he needs.

[jovi_y2k2]

you could try adding a bit of speedi-beet as a topping to try and encourage him to eat

[andreaB]

has he had his teeth done recently??

if not could he be finding it uncomfotable to chew? any quiding?

[Jessey]

Are you dampening the feeds thoroughly? mine will flat out refuse to eat HiFi if its anywhere near dry :rolleyes:

If you do want to change the feed over Alfa (in small qty) with less nuts might work for you, adding oil or buying alfa oil is also good for getting the calories in without so muh bulky feed.

I would also get teeth double checked.

J x

[Fruit Loop]

Could you add another herby supplement instead of garlic because I know ours get fed up with having it. They like seaweed powder and dobson and horells herb range. Mint is meant to be good to get them eating. Just adds a bit of variety to the meal. Or maybe they're not bothered and its just me!

Might be worth checking his teeth as there could be something niggling him.

[puzzles]

i agree that a fibre-based feed such as one of the dengie products may probably benefit him.has he always been like this - if not, is he up to date with all his vaccinations, worming and teeth checks? would a simple blood test help to rest your mind?

alfa-oil is a medium-high energy feed but as it copntaisn high levels of fibre and oil, ir is released slowly, helping to encourage sparkle without fizz.
i thunk this could be the best feed for you both, as because it is quite energy-dense you can feed smaller amounts, making it more appealing for your horse without denying him of the necessary energy he needs.
you can always contact the dengie nutritionists online for no fee.

smaller, more frequent feeds throughout the day may are likely to be more appetising for your horse: please ask dengie

if the behaviour continues, he loses condition or gets worse, i think a visit from the vet may be necessary just to stay safe.
good luck
:-)

[CurlyWurlyRach]

my girl wont eat hifi unless its realy realy damp. if that helps :)