Page 98 - Speedhorse March 2019

“Is the horse actually a finicky eater or is the owner feeding too much?”
by Heather Smith Thomas
Now and then a horse suddenly stops eating, or doesn’t clean up his last feeding, or just picks at his food. There can be various
reasons why horses go “off feed,” so it’s important to find out what’s wrong. Some horses are simply fussy eaters and it can be difficult to find ways
to get them to eat enough. Horses may not eat enough if they are confined, making it hard to keep weight on them. This is a common and often challenging problem, especially in hard-working horses that need a high level of nutrition.
MAKE SURE THE HORSE IS HEALTHY
There are many reasons that a horse may have a lack of appetite or go off feed entirely. W.B. “Burt” Staniar, PhD, who is an Associate Professor of Equine Nutrition at Penn State, says it’s important to find out what might be causing a horse to be picky, especially if the horse is los-
ing weight. “The
thin horse and the
picky eater may be
interrelated or may
be totally different
problems,” he says.
It’s important to
make sure there
are no underlying
health problems
that need to
be corrected.
REASONS FOR ANOREXIA
Dr. Kathleen Crandell, Equine Nutritionist, Kentucky Equine Research, says there are many things that might make a horse stop eating. “It could be something that affects the horse’s ability to taste or smell, or decreases his ability to chew or to digest food,” she says. A horse that is moderately consti- pated/impacted may not feel like eating much, even though he is not showing signs of colic.
“Horses might stop eating if they are in pain, stressed, or nervous. If something has changed in their circumstances or environment, they may not be interested in eating. This might happen if they lose a stablemate, have moved to a new location and are not happy in their new environment, or don’t like their stablemate. Mental stress can affect appetite,” she says.
Pain can be an appetite suppressant. The horse is more focused on the discomfort than wanting to eat. “Dental issues, gum disease, tooth loss, etc., could be a factor if it hurts to chew. Ulcers in the mouth can also be painful,” says Crandell. If you watch the horse try to eat, you might be able to tell that there’s a problem.
“Inflammation or abrasions in the esophagus can make it uncomfortable to swallow. Horses that have choked might have residual damage in the throat, such as irritation, swelling or even some permanent scarring, that makes it hard for them to swallow,” she explains. Certain neurologic diseases, like rabies and tetanus, impair the muscles of the head and throat and can inhibit swallowing so that the horse is unable to eat.
Lack of appetite can be associated with disease or fever. Some disease conditions will have other obvi- ous signs; the horse may be dull instead of alert, reluctant to move, coughing, or have a runny nose. But the first thing you might notice is that he didn’t clean up his last feeding or isn’t interested in the feed you are currently giving him. “Horses with diarrhea may not have much appetite. There are also certain illnesses like liver disease, kidney disease, etc. that cause suppression of appetite,” Crandell says.
Overwork can also cause a horse to lose interest in eating. “As a horse gets fitter, he may not want to eat as much. Lack of appetite can also be due to overtraining, and we see this fairly often in endurance horses, or in any sport where horses are worked hard,” she says.
THE CHALLENGE OF A HORSE THAT STOPS EATING
“If you have a skinny horse that isn’t eating much, the first thing that comes to mind
is a health issue. This is when you need to work with your veterinarian to figure out what it might be.” If there is some other disease condition, you need to find out what the prob- lem is and treat the underlying cause.
W.B. “Burt” Staniar, PhD, Associate Professor of Equine Nutrition at Penn State
Heather Smith Thomas
Dr. Kathleen Crandell, Equine Nutritionist at Kentucky Equine Research
94 SPEEDHORSE, March 2019
EQUINE HEALTH