# Haylage for ulcer horse?



## SCMSL (27 January 2013)

Hay at my yard has been decreasing in quality. We are not allowed to purchase hay, but we are allowed to bring in haylage.

However, my horse was diagnosed with grade 4 ulcers this week (again, last time was in June). We have started treating with antacids and omeprazole.

She is currently eating her bedding and leaving her hay, which I can only assume doesn't do any good to the ulcers.

Does anyone have any experience with feeding haylage to ulcer/ulcer prone horses?


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## whizzer (27 January 2013)

Mine was on haylage but I'd read its too acidic for ulcer prone horses. He had ulcers for a 2nd time last spring & I'd almost decided for certain to not use haylage this winter. Then he was a bit off at the start of winter & I suspected ulcers so I gave the remainder of my gastrogard supply & swapped onto hay instead of the haylage & he seems ok so far...


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## SCMSL (27 January 2013)

Haylage actually tends to have less sugar then hay, so I don't see what your point is...?

Yep, I am concerned about the acidity. Would mixing it with alfalfa chaff help? I can't feed her on alfa A alone, I would go broke, but she does love it!


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## Goldenstar (27 January 2013)

Have have had several horses come onto the yard with ulcers ,this is a haylage only yard because I have asthma I have had no issue managing them I feed haylage some Alfa A the molasses free one and plain chopped oat straw .
The haylage I buy is the quite dry type though.


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## SCMSL (27 January 2013)

Goldenstar, thank you for sharing your experience. I was thinking of buying Gelston haylage, do you have any experience with it?

I already feed Alfa A oil, and was thinking of sticking with it or changing to alfalfa pellets. That should elevate the pH a bit, right?


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## Nari (27 January 2013)

Mine actually seems better on haylage, though I do leave him hay as well which he'll pick at after the haylage has gone. I initially started giving it him because he was refusing hay & I figured anything was better than nothing, but he looks better & is calmer on it.


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## soulfull (27 January 2013)

mine is fine on haylage


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## SCMSL (27 January 2013)

Again, thank you for contributing to this thread, any personal experience is well valued. 

She is still very underweight, despite gaining some kgs on the current diet, which has to be changed. So the plan is to give ad lib haylage. She is currently having ad lib hay as well, but since she doesn't eat it...!

How much should I expect her to eat per day? She is a 174cm hanoverian, currently weighing 528kg.

I'll have to order haylage for several months so if you can help me estimate how much I should order, it would be great!


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## Mitchyden (28 January 2013)

I give mine a desert spoon of bicarbonate of soda which is meant to neutralise acid and this seems to work for them when they're on haylage.


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## Goldenstar (28 January 2013)

I tend to feed mine as much as they want unless I have a compelling reason not to so I dont wiegh it.
I do know my 17 hh TB eats a one and half small bales a day if that's any help.
I don't feed much hard food though , I tend to give some Alflafa in their bowl several times a day and they get the chopped straw too I also feed speedibeet.
I also always give Alflafa before work especially if they have travelled I feed Alflafa just before I tack up.
I think with ulcer horses the most important thing is to get them settled in their lifestyle and happy and confident in their training regime  then I have had no issues with keeping them right.


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## philamena (28 January 2013)

I didn't notice a massive difference between hay or haylage with mine tbh though habitually I keep her on hay. 

I would use a very small holed haynet if you can, as that way you're getting more saliva down with each mouthful in ratio to the haylage which is good for the stomach pH and digestion in general. Another thing I'd consider (though I haven't tried it or researched the chemistry of it so someone may say it does bad things to the pH??) is soaking it. As well as reducing some of the sugars, I've noticed that my girl takes much smaller mouthfuls when it's soaked, partly because it's harder to get out of the net... again, this means a higher saliva:food ratio too.


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## ihatework (28 January 2013)

You could try adding protexin acid ease, it's a good product.

Marksway, used to do an alfalfa horsehage - not sure if they still do, or how cost efficient it is but worth considering.


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## Oliver12 (28 January 2013)

Alfalfa is good for ulcers. Try and feed as much Alfa A/Hi Fi as you can afford. Alfalfa pellets probably are more economical.


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## SCMSL (28 January 2013)

I am currently feeding 5 bags/month of Alfa A. I make it my mission to assure she always has something to eat, 24/7.

I'll have to order a few months worth of haylage, and thats why I was asking, on average, how much you spent.

I am actually not a fan of small hole hay nets for this particular horse as I am interested in having her eat as much as she possibly can! The priority is to treat the ulcers, and put some condition on her.

I had heard about the baking soda and have been researching about it. I'm actually off to the supermarket right now to buy a big can!


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## Mitchyden (28 January 2013)

You can get the bicarbonate of soda a lot cheaper on ebay.


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## Nari (28 January 2013)

Mine's a 16.3 ID who's weight looks ok to me when weighttaped at 650kg (can feel ribs at rest & see them easily when he cribs). At the moment he eats a 20kg sack of haylage a day, plus maybe a slice of hay - he'd probably eat more if he had the chance but if he's still hungry he can make do with hay because he's not exactly starvin g on that ration even if there is very little grass in the field! Normally he'd get half & half, but with the weather we've been having he dropped weight & started being picky about what he'd eat so I'm humouring him - this will end soon & I'm expecting strops lol.


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