To be sure that our unicorn is healthy and simply has high expectations of its food, every possible health problem needs to be ruled out. A drop in appetite is often first suspected to come from pain in the abdomen caused by digestive disorders such as colic or gastric ulcers. Pain can also come from orthopaedic problems, for example an abscess in the sensitive laminae of the hoof. Other possible reasons for eating less include dental problems and injuries inside the mouth, which make chewing difficult or even make eating impossible. In this case we should pay particular attention to young horses that are changing their teeth, and to older horses. Other reasons for a reduced appetite can include fever caused by an infection, stress, and even depression, which, let us remember, occurs in horses too.
Once health problems have been ruled out, we can focus on the horse’s taste. It has long been known that horses like a sweet taste, so when choosing a feed it is worth looking at what it contains. Molasses has a particularly sweet taste, and even a small amount improves the palatability of a feed, yet it is a rich source of simple sugars that are unhealthy for the horse. I encourage you to read the post titled “Molasses: black gold for horses?”, in which we look at the subject more closely (👉 link). For safety, it is better to rely on ingredients rich in natural sugars, such as fruits (apples, bananas) and vegetables (carrots, beetroot, parsley), which appear in feeds in dried form. Another welcome ingredient in a feed for a “picky horse” is fruit pomace, produced when juice is made. In Grassland feeds we use apple, chokeberry and even currant pomace, which horses love. An aromatic herbal scent will also stimulate a horse’s appetite. It is worth starting with a herbal bar, so you can find out which herbs your horse actually likes. Cereals are another ingredient horses find tasty, but they should be fed in moderation to prevent digestive disorders. Vegetable oils are also worth a mention: they support the palatability of the feed and make meals easier to digest.
And what do horses dislike? From what we have seen, they often refuse to finish rice bran if too much of it is given in a single meal. As this ingredient brings many benefits for the horse’s health, it is worth dividing the daily amount of rice bran equally across all meals, even into the mash. In addition, just like people, they are not fond of supplements and medicines that do not taste good. An excellent solution is to sneak them into a mash! To a quick and easy-to-prepare product which, once soaked, makes a tasty extra meal for horses that are reluctant to eat. It stimulates the appetite and is easy to chew, and its consistency can be adjusted to the horse’s preference. This approach also works well when giving electrolytes, which our horses are often reluctant to take. Or have you come across a horse that ate a particular feed willingly for a long time, and then at some point no longer liked it? Your horse may have had a shortage of one of the nutrients, and once that feed had met the need, it no longer wanted to eat it. It is very possible that it was doing so to protect the balance of its body and, this time, to avoid an excess of that nutrient.
Remember that horses are very sensitive to the freshness of the feed they are given. Mould or rot can not only affect your horse’s health very badly, but also put it off its food, which is entirely understandable. When choosing ready-made compound feeds, pay attention to the quality of the product you receive, store it according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and check that the packaging carries a veterinary identification number, which you can also verify in the register of feed business operators. In closing, I can only wish you success in feeding your fussy unicorns and picky horses!