Re: No appetite

[Laura Nielsen <lsn@bellsouth.net>]

Heidi,
This horse is 11 and was used for horse trials and dressage before I purchased
him.  Previous owners said that he had no problems eating (sigh).
His current diet consists of  (by volumn):
1 8-oz can crimped oats
4-oz rolled corn
1 8-oz can rolled barley
1-16oz can Legacy sweetfeed (beet pulp) in feed
4 oz Milk Plus (calf manna type product)
1/4 cup safflower oil
Free choice grass (bermuda) hay with an occasional small flake alfalfa (2-3 flakes
per week)
He is on pasture constantly (N. Florida)
CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 2/21/99 10:28:44 AM Pacific Standard Time,
> lsn@bellsouth.net writes:
>
> << I'm relatively new to endurance riding and am experiencing a problem
>  with my Arab.  Upon arriving at the ride camp site, my horse basically
>  loses interest in eating.  He will pick at hay and grain, sometimes
>  finishing his evening pre-ride feed by the next morning.  He refuses to
>  eat anything the morning of the ride and eats VERY little during the
>  ride.  >>
>
> Laura, how old is this horse, and has he done anything else yet in life other
> than endurance?  Sounds to me like the stress of hauling and being away from
> home is really getting to him.  This is the sort of horse that perhaps needs
> to go on a bunch of overnight camping trips that AREN'T endurance rides, or go
> along as a spare horse tied to the trailer, until he learns that being on the
> road is just like being home.
>
> What are you feeding at home?  That may give us some clues.
>
> Also, I sometimes encounter horses that just "are" this way--they are real
> headaches to manage, and very difficult to get very far with in this sport.
> If he is young and green, go back to the drawing board with his schooling; if
> not, consider your options about either getting a different horse or managing
> him as a marginal prospect.
>
> Heidi