Feeding fresh cut grass

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now_loves_mares

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I am now completely paranoid about what I feed my horse, due to recurring colic. She's on box-rest for an injury, but getting restricted turnout in my garden to help the colic. However as that will inevitably get eaten down quickly, I wanted to pull/cut some grass from further afield to give to her (she can't eat any hay at the moment). I can't lead her to that grass due to the foot injury she has.

I know obviously that lawnmowings are bad, which I presume is because they sit around fermenting. But if I find long grass in the field and pull it to give to her straight away, I presume that's not really different from her grazing by herself?

As I said - completely paranoid.... :(
 
If you are pulling long field grass and feeding it straight away then that is almost the same as the horse would do out grazing. The problem with grass clippings (ie lawnmowered stuff) is that it has been cut multiple times by the mower blades and not just once at ground level like grazed grass is. Even newly lawnmowered grass is bad.
 
I too after colic am paranoid- when my horse was on box rest i hand pulled grass with no problems for him.
 
YO doesn't open bales of haylage in the summer as they are all out at grass , if my chap is travelling I pull long grass and put it in a haybag. Hasn't done him any harm .

He was not allowed haylage recently due to his sift palate injury so was getting Quickbeet and soaked grass nuts , he looks brilliant after 4 weeks of it , although he was allowed grazing as well.
 
Thanks everyone! I now don't want to overlook any single aspect of her care, to see if we can knock this on it's head.

Thanks again. I'll add "pulling up grass" to my daily to-do list!

ETS - Rambling, I actually stocked up on grass nuts today. Currently trying to feed only 100% mush, other than some grass!
 
My horse was on long term box rest several years ago. Pulling grass for her did a lot for my conscience and she certainly appreciated it! I think she got better grass than the horses out grazing as their fields were poached and bare, but I could find decent stuff for her. She never got colic from it.
 
I did exactly that for my mare after colic surgery. I used to gather armfulls of grass with a few cleavers/cow parsley and she was fine. Hope the injury heals soon x
 
We fed fresh pulled grass to my riding school ponies for years and never had a problem, my Dad used to scythe some too and provided they ate it all overnight never worried. We have also turned the herd back out on the hay fields the day the bales are made, and nothing has ever suffered..
Grass cuttings tend to ball in their throat causing choke which is why you should never feed them, but long grass is fine.
 
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