Not eating hay Help

Okay, I hate posting a bunch of threads but I can't find anything to help me.

Mooney started to stop eating her hay it went from 20 pounds a day to 10 to 5 to nothing at all. She hasn't touched hay for almost 4 days. We took her temperature and it's fine, everything about her is good, but she is sleeping a lot and eating nothing. She'll eat her feed very happily still, so we threw out the hay bale we were feeding her from thinking something is wrong with the hay, but everyone we talk to agrees it looks and smells good. We switched hay, but no luck. People say she'll eat when she wants too, but they aren't the ones watching their horse starving themselves. Today she has only pooped twice that I could clean up. She isn't drinking as much water but I think that is from not eating hay.

Someone suggested a splitters (she chews wood when waiting to be fed) in her mouth or throat. The worst part is I can't call the vet he is 3 hours away and costs $300 for a quick check up, but if it keeps up I am going too. It is stressing me out as a first time horse owner (2 years this march), and I'm to the point of a emotional brake down. No one believes anything is wrong, have any ideas on whats up?

4 days off her feed means she needs a vet. It's a very crummy part of horse ownership, but it's a responsibility taken on the moment the horse is legally yours.
Horses don't just stop eating for no reason. A horse off its feed even for one meal isn't good news. 4 days is extremely worrysome. Call a vet.
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She may have some sharp points on her teeth that cause pain when chewing hay. She is eating feed so she must be hungry. I think the first thing I would do is have her teeth checked & floated if need be. You have to spend the money before she goes into kidney failure or something equally bad.

Yeah, I know it isn't her teeth they were just done. I guess the vet is going to be coming out hopefully this weekend. I don't get it though no one else is worried but me, including my instructor and a few other horsey people around (they can and checked her out) they act like horses sometimes just decide not to eat. But I guess I know Mooney the best.

I think you did the right thing by having the vet come out...better safe than sorry, even if it is a hard bullet to swallow as far as money goes.

I agree...glad you are having a vet check her. I hope nothing serious is wrong. Maybe she does have some splinters in her mouth if she chews wood. Always better to have it checked out even it costs. Owning horses is never cheap. Keep us posted.

Thanks guys, I'll do anything for Mooney, but the cost is really hard right now because of a death in the family money is tight. Most of my emergence fund went out the window when the first bunch of hay for the goats went bad and had buy all new, so I am going to have to work out a payment plan. I'm really strict on putting money away for things like vet, and hay but it's been a little out of wack the past few months. Tomorrow I should know when he is coming out though.

Call vets in your area and see who will do a payment plan, and get a vet out. Not eating is very serious and should not be overlooked. I would also suggest moving your horse; if the people around you aren't exceedingly concerned about a horse not eating its hay for 4 days, they should not be caring for your horse.

Ulcers possibly? Maybe she needs her teeth floated? You'll find out once you call a vet! If my horse wasn't eating for 4 days, I'd have a heart attack, and be calling my vet and trainer ASAP! Also, maybe she was colicing? I don't know much about colic, I just know they don't eat. Although, I highly doubt it would last for 4 days.. But who knows!

Is she out? Or in? Chances are she is eating new spring grass