If your horse is turning his nose up at his feed, he may not just be picky – he may be trying to tell you something! Work with your veterinarian to rule out the common reasons that horses are “picky” eaters, like the ones below, and then check out our tips for encouraging your horse to clean his feed bucket.
Stable stress
Your horse’s living environment can play an important role in how well he eats. For example, if he spends most of his time in stall where he can’t see any other horses, he may not be eating well because he’s stressed about being alone. On the other hand, if he’s at the bottom of the herd pecking order and is fed in a group, he may be worried about getting chased away from his meals. If either of these examples sounds familiar, think about whether you can eliminate the stress in your horse’s life. Consider using a stall guard so your horse can check out his neighbors or bringing your horse inside for meals if he can’t get his share of food in his herd.
GI woes
If your horse has recently stopped cleaning his feed bucket, he could be trying to tell you that his stomach hurts. Over 60% of performance horses have gastric ulcers, and this painful condition can have an adverse effect on your horse’s appetite, body condition, and more. And it’s not just your horse’s stomach that can get ulcers — your horse’s hindgut can, too. Just like with gastric ulcers, hindgut ulcers can lead to a decreased appetite and other problems. If you think that ulcers could be behind your horse’s eating habits, work with your vet to get a proper diagnosis and design the appropriate treatment plan for your horse.
Teeth troubles
Your horse’s teeth are constantly growing, and he wears them down as he chews. However, sometimes they wear unevenly and leave sharp points that make it difficult to chew. If your horse is reluctant to eat, it’s a good idea to have your vet come out and see if there’s trouble brewing in his mouth. And whether your horse is experiencing eating issues or not, he should have a dental examination at least once a year (twice for seniors!).
RX issues
Some medications, like Prascend, can impact your horse’s appetite. If your horse has recently been diagnosed with Cushing’s and has started receiving medication for it, that could be the culprit behind his appetite loss. If you think this could be the case with your horse, talk to your vet about your concerns and to find out how you can help.
Top tips for encouraging your horse to clean his feed bucket
If you’ve worked with your vet to rule out the possible medical reasons for your horse’s eating habits, then it’s time to face the facts and accept that your horse might just be a picky eater! Unfortunately, while your mom may have
refused to give you dessert until you ate your broccoli, you can’t do the same to motivate your picky horse to eat his
dinner. But whether your horse is refusing to eat his feed, his supplements, or even his medication, we’ve got tips and
tricks that you can try to encourage your horse to dig in!
Tip #1: Just add water
In some cases, simply wetting your horse’s feed with warm water to create a mash is enough to make him dig in, especially if he tends to sort through his feed and eat around his supplements or meds. The water helps everything stick together so that even the cleverest horse can’t separate them.
Tip #2: Mix in something sweet
If warm water doesn’t do the trick, your horse may need something tasty mixed into his meals. A couple of options to try adding include apple sauce or Equi Sweet, a sugar-free liquid sweetener formulated to encourage picky eaters to eat their meals. If you’re not trying to avoid sugar, you can also consider mixing in a small amount of molasses.
Tip #3: Hit the grocery store
If your picky eater is refusing to take his medication, you can head to your local grocery store and pick up a horse-friendly human snack to hide his pills in. SmartPakers have reported that figs, dates, prunes, and Fig Newtons are all great options for tricking your picky eater into eating his pills. Others have reported hollowing out the more
traditional apples and carrots to hide medication.
Tip #4: Make pill time treat time
If you’d rather add a bag of treats to your next order from SmartPak™, consider getting treats that are designed for hiding medication. Our favorites include Pill Camo and Equipocket Pill Pouch Treats. Pill Camo are fruit-filled cookies that have a raisin paste center. You just push the pill down inside and it will help camouflage its smell and taste. Equipocket Pill Pouch Treats are low-sugar and low-starch, making them perfect for horses with metabolic concerns. You simply slip the pill into the treat’s pouch, pinch the treat shut, and give it to your horse!
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Tip #5: Call in the Supplement Experts
If you’ve tried it all and your picky eater is still eating around his supplements, you may need to change up your supplement program to find a formula he likes. Just give our team a call at 1-888-279-2364, and we’ll be happy to help you find picky-eater approved supplements that will meet your horse’s needs! For all SmartSupplements®, Leg Up®, and Smart & Simple™ formulas, we even offer FREE taste test samples!
Do horses have a favorite flavor?
Have you ever wondered if horses have a favorite flavor? A researcher in the UK set out to discover the answer to that question, and you may be surprised by what she found! In her initial study, all of the horse taste testers accepted twelve of the fifteen flavors that were presented to them. In the next phase of the study, the eight flavors the horses ate the fastest were presented again to rank the horses’ overall order of preference. The top-ranked flavors were:
1. Fenugreek
2. Banana
3. Cherry
4. Rosemary
5. Cumin
6. Carrot
7. Peppermint
8. Oregano
Finally, in a third study, she compared the top two flavors and found that most horses chose fenugreek over banana. Whether you’ve got a picky eater or not, try experimenting with the flavors listed here to find the ones your horse loves best. That knowledge will come in handy when you’re looking for new supplements, giving your horse medicine, or rewarding him for a job well done!
Just received Gracie’s food paks. Thx.
She’s a 100 lb. Great Dane and very picky eater….the reason she weighs only 100 lbs!
The paks look small. How do we use them? Add chicken broth? Apple?
Thx, Sandra
Hi Sandra, thanks for your question! Each PortionPak is designed to be a single-serving meal, so all you have to do is open and pour twice a day! If you wouldn’t mind giving our Customer Care Team a call at 1-800-461-8898, they’d be happy to take a peek at the amount you ordered and help you make any necessary adjustments to your future orders. – SmartPaker Lexi