Mare not eating Timothy Tops

[Treasmare2]

In the last 5-6 weeks my young mare has given up eating timothy tops. Eats all the rest but the floor is littered in tops, tops in her feed tub and everywhere including her paddock. What can be going on? Her teeth are good, she eats all her grain and is otherwise in great health but with the cold here and now ice she is not getting worked. I wonder if she is bored or they tickle her mouth or something. Any one ever seen this before? Any ideas what might be going on?

[buck22]

that batch of hay might've been cut at a particular moment of maturity when the tops just don't taste good - but look very similar to ones that *do* taste good. :)

I've got 3 types of 1st cutting orchard in my barn right now... all grown within 20 miles from me, one from one farm, and two from another farm that are from the same pasture cut 1 week apart. All 3 look and smell identical (to me) but my horses far and away prefer one batch, begrudingly eat another batch, and flat out refuse the third.

I guess its like pasta, al dente and overcooked look the same, but certainly don't taste the same.

[Treasmare2]

Never thought of that...guess she is more particular than the others. When we get to another part of the loft, and hay made at a different time in a different field, it will be interesting to see if she changes her ways.

[LD1129]

We have a horse that will only eat the alfalfa leaves. You go in to take him out of his stall and its literally just a ton of stems with not one leaf left. Must take him all day to get each leaf off. He is a picky boy! :lol: