Feeding grass cuttings

Why would you think to feed a horse potato peelings anyway?! I didn't know they were poisonous to horses but wouldn't have ever fed them anyway!
 
I didn't know the potato one either! And in fairness I read every horse care book I could get my hands on when I was young and never read either the grass cuttings or peelings thing. I just heard the cuttings thing somewhere along the way, I remember being about 12 and my friend pulling up some grass to feed my loan pony, and going mad at them 'as grass cuttings were poisonous' I think I was being a tad dramatic with my new found knowledge!!! What a lovely child I was....!
 
It's impossible to know everything about horses, you can read all the books under the sun and still learn something new about them every day!! I used to read loads of books, but never seen the grass cuttings! I just remember being told, I also didn't know about the potatoe!!
 
Fii said:
Best thing to do with grass cuttings is to compost them, it is so simple to build a compost bin even in a small garden with wooden pallets. Build two, one to fill this year and one for next year!
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Nope, they will not turn in to lovely brown crumbly compost, they will turn in to a black slimy mess after heating up [fermenting]. to make compost you need a mix of "forages", grass cuttings are too short and wet on their own.
 
not such a daft question eh Merry Crisis as it seems that it's opened other peoples eyes to the potato thing too:p so are all of them incapable of keeping a horse too:rolleyes:
 
It's a very relevant question. I sadly a witnessed a lovely stallion with terrible colic the morning after being fed a bucket load of grass cuttings; he had to be pts . The poor groom had not realised the possible consequences and the more knowlegeable owners did nothing to warn or advise her witnessing her doing it :( Really sad.
 
FabioandFreddy said:
Why would you think to feed a horse potato peelings anyway?! I didn't know they were poisonous to horses but wouldn't have ever fed them anyway!
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For the same reason I and many people feed their horses vegetables. I feed my horses swede and parsnips and always the peel from the parsnips and carrots when I do a roast. Mine enoy a couple of cabbage leaves and the odd banana as well as apple. So I don't think it's strange that someone would consider potato peelings as a feed possibility without knowing they are poisonous.
 
stephaniekate said:
i live in ireland and the irish showjumping society is bringing out a system where anyone showjumping their horses has to pass an exam first.just to prove they have some knowledge about keeping a horse...this will stop anyone ... coming in with a horse and nearly killing him/herself, or the horse .its a good idea that we sould all do some kind of course...be it bhs or other
:rolleyes:
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It's a great idea but: How would we regulate this? It's the same as the passport situation. Legally your meant to carry a passport every-time you move a pony/horse in a trailer or lorry. But how many Police Officers would know to enforce this unless they were horse owners themselves. Plus, they have better things to control!
 
NoltonSeaShell said:
Sorry to hijack a thread, I know that grass cuttings are a huge no no! Never really know why, just knew. But why potato peelings? Don't blast me for not knowing! :D
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Raw potato is poisonous, in defence of MC, knowing about grass cuttings is very basic knowledge, however she could have been a little less 'direct' about it.

As others have said, don't take offence OP but do take the BHS basic horsecare course, you will probably enjoy it too :)
 
Green potatoes and sprouting potatoes contain solanine which is poisonous so should not be fed
Horses used to eat lots of potatoes in Ireland, mostly steamed or boiled.
Potato was the only veg my horse would touch when he arrived from Ireland in 1993 and he still enjoys a few potato peelings
Vet came to do vaccinations this morning and remarked how healthy he looks for his age!
 
Ollie's Mum said:
Something you might find helpful is to do the BHS horse ownership certificates. Have a look on their website as I think it gives details of instructors who run the courses in different areas - my friend and I did ours some years ago at night school. There are 4 stages and it covers all aspects of horse ownership gradually getting into more detail as the stages go on - there's no riding involved and you don't actually have to be at a stable to do it, it's classroom based. (Although we did ours where we had access to college horses) It was good fun and I defy anyone not to learn something they didn't know from it regardless of how long they've been round horses!
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I looked this up recently.

At my local college one of the BHS Horse ownership stages costs £200. They do their own horse ownership certificates: beginners and intermediate, which are £150 each, for 10 weeks of 2.5 hr evening class. No riding involved.

I think this kind of price might put people off, and that then also leads to lack of knowledge.
It might not be a lot of money compared to the cost of owning a horse, but on the other hand £300-£800 is still a fair whack of money (in my book, anyway), and if you already own a horse, well...
 
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My non horsey bf chucked a heap of grass cuttings into a field where a demon horse lived, unfortunatly it had no ill effects on it. It reared over backwards and killed itself a few weeks later but I don't think this had anything to do with th grass cuttings!!

Seriously they are no good and can be dangerous. Don't be afraid to ask anything on here there are always know-it-all's and people who just love to provoke an argument. It's better asking than not!
 
They never mentioned grass cuttings or potatoes in my BHS exams, they are helpful though. I think it's just something I picked up from being on a big yard when I was little. I had to tell my neighbour off for giving my horses clippings once, he doesn't know anything about horses and thought he was being nice.
 
madmav said:
This reply annoys me beyond belief. If a person cannot come on to a specific forum and ask a well-intentioned question without being belittled by a frankly stupidly arrogant person, then these forums are worthless.
If he/she didn't know, they wouldn't have asked! And if they are too scared to ask for fear of being made to look stupid, then they will carry on doing the inappropriate action.
So, think before you say such things. Shame on you.
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Happens all the time sadly, some seem to only post on here to make fun of others :(
 
teacups said:
I looked this up recently.

At my local college one of the BHS Horse ownership stages costs £200. They do their own horse ownership certificates: beginners and intermediate, which are £150 each, for 10 weeks of 2.5 hr evening class. No riding involved.

I think this kind of price might put people off, and that then also leads to lack of knowledge.
It might not be a lot of money compared to the cost of owning a horse, but on the other hand £300-£800 is still a fair whack of money (in my book, anyway), and if you already own a horse, well...
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Although I did mine some years ago it didn't cost anything like as much as that (can't remember the exact amount but I'm not made of money so I couldn't have afforded it if it had been a lot) and you could cut the cost further by not paying to taking the exam at the end of the course (you need to do the exam to get the certificate though) Plus you could also spread the course out over a few years - no need to do it all in one go. It was very interesting and I've got a whacking great file of notes and hand outs that I came away with - very useful to refer to as you never remember all of it.

A great shame if they've whacked the prices up though
 
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I started doing a uni course the included the stages before I had to drop out for financial reasons.

They were still teaching about Yorkshire boots and all other antequated stuff that has no relevance nowadays.
eh.gif
 
Oberon said:
They were still teaching about Yorkshire boots and all other antequated stuff that has no relevance nowadays.
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Here in Yorkshire we're a bit behind the times (:D:D:D)

Misterjay I mentioned courses not specifically relating to grass cuttings being mentioned but because the OP is wanting to learn more. To my mind the BHS horse ownership certs are a good starting point.
 
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Interesting that the incredibly rude comment has been removed...

It's a shame that people get jumped on for asking questions. Many people have to learn the hard way by having something horrid happen to their animals. We're all novices at the beginning and forums like this should be places where people can acquire knowledge, not be vilified for their perceived lack of it.

How sad that some people would seek to deprived others of the joy of owning equines and 'learning on the job'.

I have to say that, as a kid, I knew (but not sure how) about the potato peelings thing, but didn't hear about the grass cuttings thing until much later. I have to admit that our ponies used to get grass cuttings thrown over the fence - none of them choked or were laminitic, and the cuttings never had a chance to ferment for them to be a problem! I realise that we were very lucky and I would never dream of feeding them now I know the potential dangers.

Good on you OP, there's no such thing as a stupid question. x
 
SNORKEY said:
They never mentioned grass cuttings or potatoes in my BHS exams, they are helpful though. I think it's just something I picked up from being on a big yard when I was little. I had to tell my neighbour off for giving my horses clippings once, he doesn't know anything about horses and thought he was being nice.
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EXACTLY: I was a BHS innocent until I read the workbook of a girl who was "taking exams" Apart from many other errors, the one which seemed a bit obvious "salt is a source of energy" the workbook was given a "pass overall", not corrected, so the girl still thinks salt is a source of energy!
Said girl was able to name the neck vertabrae [I know there are seven, but not all their names], showed her my boys' teeth, aged six, she was able to say "WOLF TEETH, well no, actually, all boy horses have "canines"
 
Miss L Toe said:
Nope, they will not turn in to lovely brown crumbly compost, they will turn in to a black slimy mess after heating up [fermenting]. to make compost you need a mix of "forages", grass cuttings are too short and wet on their own.
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Nope??? :rolleyes:
Well of coarse you need to compost other garden rubbish as well, but i wasnt going to give the OP a whole lesson on gardening, what to compost and what not to!! She was talking about bagging up grass cuttings, i was suggesting an easier way to deal with them!!
 
AMH said:
I have to say that, as a kid, I knew (but not sure how) about the potato peelings thing, but didn't hear about the grass cuttings thing until much later. I have to admit that our ponies used to get grass cuttings thrown over the fence - none of them choked or were laminitic, and the cuttings never had a chance to ferment for them to be a problem! . x
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grass cutting ferment in the gut, which is where the problem lies!!

Strimmed long grass and grass cut with shears isnt a problem, as it isnt mashed and cut short!
 
Ok here comes my stupid question, and one that I have always wondered in my 30 years of horse owner ship!!!

Grass cuttings are bad, yes

But why when a horse eats grass tips, does it not have the same harmful effect? If the grass cuttings are fed instantly, then how is if different to a horse chewing it up?

Told you it was a stupid question :o
 
mulledwhine said:
Ok here comes my stupid question, and one that I have always wondered in my 30 years of horse owner ship!!!

Grass cuttings are bad, yes

But why when a horse eats grass tips, does it not have the same harmful effect? If the grass cuttings are fed instantly, then how is if different to a horse chewing it up?

Told you it was a stupid question :o
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As Fii says, grass clippings are sort of mashed up by the mower so the fermentation process starts quicker plus a horse would take in an awful lot more grass with one mouthful of clippings than it would eating tips.
 
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