Hedge-Witches

[sally2008]

I'm very lucky in that the fields on the farm where I keep Dec are surrounded by lovely woods and diverse hedgerows. Consequently, he's always nibbling on something that takes his fancy - blackberries, elderberries, wild garlic, crab-apples, and his most favourite thing at the moment, sweet chestnuts.

I'm surprised that none of his companions seem remotely interested in any of this kind of fare but this can't be that unusual surely?

 

[sally2008]

Hmmm, 52 views and no replies - I guess that confirms he really is an oddball!

 

[Serephin]

I don't know if he is an oddball, sounds like a sensible neddy with an eye for delicacies!

I was wondering what a hedge-witch was though!

 

[sally2008]

Around here hedge-witch means forager or herbalist - I guess the modern day term would be "picker of food for free".

 

[Alibear]

There's is nothing more entertaining than seeing a big grey andalisian stallion stood carefully picking blackberries off the hedge.
Although he scared his owner stupid the first day when she went to catch him and he had a bright read nose and lips

 

[Hedgewitch13]

And having a good knowledge of native plants - both edible and non-edible

Although my knowledge of edible plants is far better!

 

[MochaDun]

Mine's as native as they come and its cow parsley in the summer with side order of willow or hazel leaves and then autumn hedge-picking is all thistles, wilting nettles, blackberries and bramble leaves. He has blue knees all the time from rubbing his little scratched nose on his front legs! The finer horses in the field just stand around looking hungry when the grass has gone.

 

[Kub]

My boy's hedges are full on blackberries and he is always munching on them! Lots of purple tongues and stained lips lol!

 

[PippiPantoPony]

My old grey mare loved blackberries. When I kept her at home she would forage the railway embankment running the length of her field for the blackberries. Often coming in dripping with blood from cuts on her eyes or nose where she had been a little too enthusiastic. In the spring she loved to eat the wild garlic flowers & boy did her poo smell

 

[Faithkat]

Mine love blackberries and sloes - I find the stones when I'm poo picking. I also have loads of wild mint in one field but they don't touch that. They also love hazel and ash leaves.

 

[sally2008]

Yay! My boy is not such a freak!

His technique for getting at the sweet chestnuts leaves me in stitches. The "pods" (for want of a better word!) are so prickly I can hardly pick them up but he draws his lips back to avoid getting stabbed and squeezes them gently between his front teeth until they split and he can get at the nuts. The others will happily eat them if hand fed but none are interested in foraging for themselves.

 

[skewbald_again]

Ours go blackerrying, especially my grey cob who comes in looking sheepish with a purple nose and a few little scratches most days in the season !
Daughter's grey pony is currently coming in with gazillions of burrs in his forelock! Obviously looking for the last remaining few.

 

[cbmcts]

We have one cob in our field you stands and watches the (trespassing) blackberry pickers and when they fill their bag, goes and mugs them for it

Clever boy.

They often come down to the yard to complain.

The rest of the herd pick their own plus rosehips, sloes and have been known to fight over fallen plums!

 

[Echo Bravo]

Mine love going the blackberries as Angel has a blackberry bush outside her window and I often find small branches in her stable and agree cow parsley they love, hawthorn wild crab apples. I was once asked did I need my horse leading as he had his head stuck in a bush munching and I couldn't pull his head out felt a right twat

 

[spookypony]

Mine has a thing for beech leaves, and adores raspberries---the berries and the leaves. Also queen anne's lace (wild carrots), and lately the new brooms at the riding school.