When I bush hog my pastures, there are almost always fresh grass clippings left behind, and my horses love to graze. So I must know in advance when the grass will dry and is safe for them to eat. Typically, grass that has been cut and widely spread out in the sun should dry out within a day. In contrast, grass cut in humid weather and left in clumps can take up to several days before it is safe for the horses to eat.
Drying time for cut grass depends on many things, including the length of time the grass is exposed to the sun, temperature, humidity, and even the kind of grass. Grass at 20 to 30 percent moisture rates is typically safe from mold and tough enough so horses will chew it before ingesting.
And since I have horses relying on good dry grass, I think everyone should know these tips. Grass that is cut wet has a greater chance of coming together in clumps, which takes longer to dry. These clumps of grass clippings are also harmful to your horse and vulnerable to mold and bacteria.
It may also prevent a smooth mowing experience as it can clog the chute quite frequently. Grass clippings spread out thinly are much preferable to narrow swaths. Check on your grass a few hours after mowing to break up any clumps that may have formed. Doing so can make the clippings dry out faster and preserve the integrity of the grass longer.
It is generally advisable to know how much grass clippings you are leaving for your horses to graze. Horses can eat cut grass that is dry, but quickly eating wet grass can cause dangerous health concerns.
However, with early diagnosis and proper treatment, your horse can typically fully recover. Horses love apples, sugar cubes, and carrots for snacks, but their favorite meal is alfalfa hay in any form, pellets, cubes, or hay. Moldy hay is dusty and full of harmful bacteria.
You can learn more about the harmful effects resulting from horses eating moldy hay in this article: Will Horses Eat Moldy Hay? Will Horses Eat Moldy Hay? What do horses like to eat? Horses are very sensitive to poisonous plants. When they are eating in a pasture situation, they naturally avoid the plants and any garden waste that are toxic. But lawn mowers have no such instincts — all the clippings get mixed in together.
So your horse, in his haste to eat something that has already been chopped for him, is not able to discern whether there are any toxic weeds mixed in. Since horses do not have a mechanism for vomiting contents from their stomachs, he has no way to remove the toxins once they have been ingested.
This particular antitoxin is really most beneficial if you use it when your animals first start showing symptoms. The clinical signs of botulism are similar to other causes of central nervous infections loss of coordination, tremors, inability to eat. Accordingly, the diagnosis is not clear-cut.
With the right amount of care, a horse can recover from this but, if they happen to get exposed to a large amount of this toxin, there is a good chance that most will die despite treatment. Lawn grass is not the same as pasture grass. It generally receives more chemical treatments such as fertilizers and weed killers.
And, if you have other pets, there may be urine and feces intermingled. None of this is beneficial to your horse. Search Submit Clear Featured Post. Recent Posts. Top Posts. If your horse is prone to colic, laminitis or both, make it a rule not to allow grass clippings in his diet under any circumstances.
Without the grazing process to naturally slow his intake, he will consume more grass and potentially upset the normal fermentation process of his digestive system, leading to any of these potentially fatal conditions. Resist the temptation to toss lawn clippings to your horse, even if you spread them out.
First, lawns are not planted with the nutritional needs of horses in mind, nor are they properly maintained for horses. Lawn weed control and fertilization practices could be toxic. Finally, clippings from common ornamental plants, flowers and shrubs -- some potentially toxic to horses -- planted in close proximity to lawns could inadvertently mix with lawn clippings.
Based in Central Texas, Karen S. Johnson is a marketing professional with more than 30 years' experience and specializes in business and equestrian topics.
Her articles have appeared in several trade and business publications such as the Houston Chronicle.
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