Grass Clippings

Brittany1990 · 05-06-2004, 04:21 PM

Did you know that dry grass clippings are ok for a horse to eat? I didn't until asked. Becasue today is my horses birthday so she got a lot of good things. But the lawn was just mowed so i was like oh no but i asked and she said dried clippings are just like hay. So i was relievewd and Spirit was happy exspecially since she got her bath. wink But it is only if they are bran new that they are no good.

Jessi · 05-06-2004, 04:27 PM

...and as long as the grass wasn't too long in the first place. Longer grass tends to "clump" more and it makes it easier for the horse to choke.

Sandra-A1 · 05-06-2004, 04:37 PM

I have always heard that feeding grass clippings was a big "No-No" and while I will never do it myself and realize it is a personal matter of choice....I did find some interesting reasons why not to:

First, most lawns are treated with chemicals that keep the grass lovely and green, but are not good for horses to eat. Fertilizer, "lawn treatments", and other additives can all be toxic to horses. Even if you haven't added anything to your lawn in the last two or three years, there can still be enough chemical residue in the ground to render the grass clippings dangerous to your horse.

Second, even the healthiest, cleanest grass clippings begin to ferment almost immediately after they are cut, and this can play merry **** with your horse's digestion. So even if you've NEVER put anything on your lawn in ten years, don't feed your horse the clippings....

Third, even if you cut the grass on your lawn and reach across the fence to offer it to your horse immediately -- pre-fermentation, so to speak -- your horse will still risk choke, because of the way that grass clippings, which are soft and short, mash together as the horse chews and swallows them. Choke is not a pleasant emergency to deal with -- and one of the best ways to avoid it is NOT to feed grass clippings.

It seems illogical, but your horses are better off with the scruffy dry grass in their pastures than with the beautiful damp clippings from your lawn. If you want to supplement their diet, the item of choice would be hay -- or hay cubes, or even alfalfa pellets!

Brittany1990 · 05-06-2004, 04:38 PM

Yeah what you said. LOL!

Brittany1990 · 05-06-2004, 04:42 PM

I didnt feed them to her fresh if that's what you think. They mowed the lawn yesterday or the day before and there is not much so she probably got at the most a mouth full.

MissBandit · 05-06-2004, 08:14 PM

Feeding your horse grass clippings increases the risk of Laminitis and Founder. We discussed this in great detail recently. Just NOT worth it.

Brittany1990 · 05-07-2004, 06:47 PM

Spirit gets locked up because she beats up the other other horses so she doesn't get to eat grass and the people said that dry grass clippings were fine but not to much of it. It was her birthday so i wanted her to have something special on her birthday.

FrostedPaintsNApps · 05-07-2004, 07:53 PM

So picking grass is very bad for a horse?

<small>[ May 07, 2004, 07:53 PM: Message edited by: FrostedPaintsNApps ]</small>

Dawn · 05-08-2004, 09:56 AM

Does spirit not get turned out at all?

califb · 05-08-2004, 01:13 PM

Lawn clippings that have been cut with a lawn mower have grease, oil droplets, and toxic gasses in them from passing through the mower. Due to the moisure content and the heat from passing through the mower they begin to produce toxic molds within minutes of being cut. Eating even a small amount of lawn clippings can cause laminitis, botulism, and death for your horse within 24 hours of consumption. This is a fact. If you have been feeding your horse clippings and your horse hasn't become severely ill you are lucky. It isn't worth the risk so don't do it.

05-06-2004, 04:21 PM	#1
Brittany1990 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Sedalia, Mo Posts: 420 Images: 9	Grass Clippings Did you know that dry grass clippings are ok for a horse to eat? I didn't until asked. Becasue today is my horses birthday so she got a lot of good things. But the lawn was just mowed so i was like oh no but i asked and she said dried clippings are just like hay. So i was relievewd and Spirit was happy exspecially since she got her bath. wink But it is only if they are bran new that they are no good.

05-06-2004, 04:37 PM	#3
Sandra-A1 Senior Member+ Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Alabama Posts: 8,513 Images: 234	I have always heard that feeding grass clippings was a big "No-No" and while I will never do it myself and realize it is a personal matter of choice....I did find some interesting reasons why not to: First, most lawns are treated with chemicals that keep the grass lovely and green, but are not good for horses to eat. Fertilizer, "lawn treatments", and other additives can all be toxic to horses. Even if you haven't added anything to your lawn in the last two or three years, there can still be enough chemical residue in the ground to render the grass clippings dangerous to your horse. Second, even the healthiest, cleanest grass clippings begin to ferment almost immediately after they are cut, and this can play merry ** with your horse's digestion. So even if you've NEVER put anything on your lawn in ten years, don't feed your horse the clippings.... Third, even if you cut the grass on your lawn and reach across the fence to offer it to your horse immediately -- pre-fermentation, so to speak -- your horse will still risk choke, because of the way that grass clippings, which are soft and short, mash together as the horse chews and swallows them. Choke is not a pleasant emergency to deal with -- and one of the best ways to avoid it is NOT to feed grass clippings. It seems illogical, but your horses are better off with the scruffy dry grass in their pastures than with the beautiful damp clippings from your lawn. If you want to supplement their diet, the item of choice would be hay -- or hay cubes, or even alfalfa pellets! __________________ "It is our choices Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." ~Dumbledore**

05-06-2004, 08:14 PM	#6
MissBandit Senior Member+ Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: BC, Canada Posts: 13,218 Images: 300 Blog Entries: 43	Feeding your horse grass clippings increases the risk of Laminitis and Founder. We discussed this in great detail recently. Just NOT worth it. __________________ Founder is the #2 killer of horses. Learn how to prevent, spot and treat this deadly disease. Emergency Treatment http://www.laminitisclinic.org

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Introducing Grass Hay...	Moostang	Horse Health	7	12-18-2004 03:36 PM
How to safely expose horses to high quality grass??	Lucky Duck	Horse Health	7	12-07-2004 07:15 PM
Grass Treat?	Miss Thunder	Horse Health	11	11-24-2004 07:42 PM
HELP! my horses were fed fermented grass clippings!!	th72	Horse Health	7	10-03-2004 07:53 PM
Grass question	HorseCrazy1981	Horse Health	14	07-05-2004 04:39 AM

05-06-2004, 04:27 PM	#2
Jessi Full Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 164	...and as long as the grass wasn't too long in the first place. Longer grass tends to "clump" more and it makes it easier for the horse to choke.

05-06-2004, 04:38 PM	#4
Brittany1990 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Sedalia, Mo Posts: 420 Images: 9	Yeah what you said. LOL!

05-06-2004, 04:42 PM	#5
Brittany1990 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Sedalia, Mo Posts: 420 Images: 9	I didnt feed them to her fresh if that's what you think. They mowed the lawn yesterday or the day before and there is not much so she probably got at the most a mouth full.

05-07-2004, 06:47 PM	#7
Brittany1990 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Sedalia, Mo Posts: 420 Images: 9	Spirit gets locked up because she beats up the other other horses so she doesn't get to eat grass and the people said that dry grass clippings were fine but not to much of it. It was her birthday so i wanted her to have something special on her birthday.

05-07-2004, 07:53 PM	#8
FrostedPaintsNApps Full Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 285	So picking grass is very bad for a horse? <small>[ May 07, 2004, 07:53 PM: Message edited by: FrostedPaintsNApps ]</small>

05-08-2004, 09:56 AM	#9
Dawn Senior Member+ Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Tennessee Posts: 31,295 Images: 1386	Does spirit not get turned out at all?

05-08-2004, 01:13 PM	#10
califb Junior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Sacramento Posts: 1	Lawn clippings that have been cut with a lawn mower have grease, oil droplets, and toxic gasses in them from passing through the mower. Due to the moisure content and the heat from passing through the mower they begin to produce toxic molds within minutes of being cut. Eating even a small amount of lawn clippings can cause laminitis, botulism, and death for your horse within 24 hours of consumption. This is a fact. If you have been feeding your horse clippings and your horse hasn't become severely ill you are lucky. It isn't worth the risk so don't do it.