Chopped hay, pellets, or more senior?

[enjoytheride]

My senior has started to quid his hay (he can only eat soft hay anyway) and I’m thinking about changing his feed program to get ahead of any weight loss.

Right now he gets soaked senior, pasture for 12 hours, and free choice hay in his stall at night. They will go on 24/7 turnout in a few weeks but I can’t put him out on thick pasture due to his herd mates being fatasses.

Would I be better off adding more senior, chopped hay such as Safe Starch, or pellets as far as a replacement for the hay he can’t eat. All his feed is soaked feed anyway.

[WNT]

I’ve found that a variety of alternative forage sources can be helpful. Soaked hay cubes and/or beet pulp can be added with the senior feed, and offer chopped hay separately. Check the feeding rate if you’re feeding at least the recommended feeding rate for the senior. Measure your horse’s weight via tape or scale if you go to the vet’s and figure what 2% of your horse’s body weight it and aim for your total feed intake to match. For example, a 1100 lb horse needs roughly 22 lbs of forage/feed daily.

Can he still eat pasture grass ok, or is he quidding that too?

Most feed stores can’t really do samples for taste or chewability testing, so in the past I’ve asked friends if they could spare/sell a scoop or two to see if it would work for my horse.

Since the alternative forage sources tend to be a little less expensive than senior feed, it can save you some money in the long run too.

[lorilu]

pellets add fiber but not long-stem fiber like cubes do. I’d add more soaked cubes.

[enjoytheride]

He seems to eat pasture ok, but I have him in a pasture with less than lush grass due to his companions so I do not think he will get enough grass to make up for the lack of hay.

I’m looking for the most cost effective way to make up for loss of the hay, he’s also had an incident of choke so I’m careful about what I feed him.

[Heinz_57]

Soaked cubes are generally the cheapest forage option after straight hay. I have used the TC chopped forage and found it to be a lot of tiny dusty chaff bits and not all that enticing. Chopped alfalfa is usually better quality, if you can get it.

The trouble with anything soaked is going to be fermentation and spoiling if you’re giving large amounts, are you able to do multiple smaller meals?

[GoodTimes]

How many meals are you able to feed him per day? Are you just trying to maintain condition right now? Or add weight? Have you weighed what you’re feeding him right now?

If he can maintain weight on pasture and hay cubes or pellets, plus a good vit/min balancer that would probably be your most cost effective option. If that isn’t enough than you could add in a senior feed and/or oil for calories.

When were his teeth last done?

[enjoytheride]

His teeth were done in September and again in March. I don’t feel comfortable taking him off senior. I’m able to feed him 2 meals per day. His weight is currently fine so I’m trying to maintain as he appears less able to eat his hay.

[GoodTimes]

How many pounds of feed is he getting at each meal? Can you feed more? Or is he already getting a lot?

If you’re pretty happy with everything right now than I would lean towards adding some oil to each meal. Oil is calorically dense.
Or if you feel that he could consume a little more at each meal you could add in more forage/fibre. Something like alfalfa pellets or beet pulp.

Since he does have access to “regular” forage, than I wouldn’t beso concerned about him lacking long-stem fibre. If you want to be cost effective than sticking with something that’s easy for him to eat, digest, and utilize will give you the most bang for your buck.

[carman_liz]

Can he go out on good pasture by himself for awhile? My two are out together in the am, pony muzzled, then stalled with fans for the hottest part of the day n i get to make sure they both have output which makes me happy lol. BUT from about dusk till dawn, they are separated. Pony with drylot n stall n senior with stall, drylot and good pasture to wander around. They settle into the routine of being separated but still can see each other quickly. Could yours do that or alternate grazing muzzles on the easier keepers and switch him out pasturemates?

If he will eat soaked cubed or soaked chopled hay the long stem forage is best, just my opinion. Plus all the extra water is always great! I would soak chopped hay for my mare in a smaller sized muck tub and she would slurp up a ton of it lol. Good luck!!

[QHEventer]

I actually have had good luck putting weight on my senior by supplementing with the TC Chopped Alfalfa blend. I found the Standlee chopped alfalfa to be super dusty/powdery, although he gobbled up both.

[candyappy]

I would try the alfalfa mix chopped forage or leave him out on pasture while the grass is good and he can eat that?

Does he have to come in overnight?

[enjoytheride]

no, being out alone overnight is not an option and the pasture he has access to is not lush. Separating him for turnout is also not an option.

[Mango20]

For my old pony, I started out with senior + chopped forage, but eventually he stopped eating the stemmier bits of that. At that point, I added lightly soaked beet pulp with no molasses and hay pellets (he wouldn’t eat mush, but would eat it if it soaked up lots of water). He did really well on these alternatives for his last few years.