Not eating/drinking much!!!


Well-Known Member
2 February 2018
I'm worried about my two horses, they're both fit, aged 10 & 13, out during the day in during the night.
They have had no routine change, no field or stable change. No recent stressors that i can think about.
We opened a new large bale of hay a couple of weeks ago they were more than happy eating it, there would be a small amount left in the nets in the morning. Both would drink a decent amount from a large rubber water bucket every night I would have to fully refill them each morning.

Over the weekend they really didn't eat much hay at all, they seem to be eating less and less each night their hay nets look like they haven't been touched. They are drinking next to no water.. I scrubbed their buckets within an inch of my life and added a bit of apple juice to tempt them but they haven't drank any.

They are out in the day with decent grass and plenty of water, obviously I cannot measure how much they eat or drink out there as they are in around 15 acres in a herd but myself and my yard owner have checked on them randomly and they are always eating.

They seem fine in themselves, they more than happily eat their dinners every night.
I am going to offer them some hay from another bale in case the end of this bale is 'dodgy'. Any other suggestions??

Sorry for the long post... worried owner!! :(
29 November 2017
You could try some hay from another bale but not because yours will be dodgy. Mine sometimes get bored of the same bale of hay and they could just be filling themselves up with so much grass that they don't want to eat any more fibre. Plus if they are not eating the hay that is probably why they are not drinking so much. I think as long as they are happy in themselves, normal energy levels, still weeing and doing decent amount of droppings I wouldn't be overly concered :) Mine have just gone on a new field with lots of grass and they are hardly eating any of their nets! Very full tummies for happy ponies haha