Do Not Toss Yard Waste Over the Horse Fence

As horse owners, we spend a lot of time and effort making sure our horses are healthy and well cared for. However, a simple mistake by a family member or neighbour could be disastrous.

In urban and suburban areas where your neighbours may not be familiar with horses, it is important to make sure they know not to throw anything over your fence into your horse paddocks. The same goes for any family members or gardeners who care for the yard. Grass clippings and trimmings from common landscape plants can cause major problems for your horses.

Grass Clippings

Many people think that dumping fresh lawn clippings over the fence will be a tasty treat for horses, but unfortunately, this can lead to a number of health problems.

• Any dietary changes should be made gradually to avoid digestive upset such as colic. Large quantities of grass clippings would count as a different feed source, especially if horses consume them rapidly or are on a dry lot. Therefore, feeding grass clippings can lead to increased risk of colic.
• The small particle size and high carbohydrate content of lawn grass clippings make them highly digestible. When horses gorge themselves on feeds like this, it can cause rapid fermentation in the hindgut, leading to acidosis and possibly laminitis (similar to a horse getting into the feed bin).
• A large pile of grass clippings is very easy for a horse to eat quickly. This