Meadow and pasture plants - a problem?

[Evie34278]

Hello!

I’m coming back to horse ownership after around 18yrs, and getting my paddocks sorted. With new technology - such as a plant ID app, I’m managing to identify lots of herbs etc in the field I’m fencing. I’ve found that most of them are fine, and even beneficial. But there are a few I can’t find any information about and I wondered if anyone here had any more knowledge?

This is my list for checking:
Tormentil
Cranesbill
Chickweed
Harebell
Common yarrow

any advice welcome! Thanks

 

[cauda equina]

Lucky you to have all that!
Yarrow and tormentil are supposed to be anti inflammatory
All mine have eaten chickweed with no problems
I don't know about the others but horses tend to avoid harmful plants if there's plenty of other stuff to eat

 

[rabatsa]

Harebells are the only one not in my pastures. I would guess that they would graze round rather than eat though as those in fencelines get left.

 

[gryff]

I think there is very conflicting information about yarrow. The Land Management for horses group on FB seems to be very anti yarrow, mentioning it as being toxic, yet it is included in lots of meadow grass mixes by big seed companies. Mine love a nibble in the yarrow that grows in our lane and it gives out the most delicious aroma as they chew it.

 

[sbloom]

I would recommend you join this group, no-one else is doing as much in this area https://www.facebook.com/groups/1862115997153052

 

[scruffyponies]

My gut-bucket ponies have access to more weeds than grass, and are generally a very healthy lot. They seem to have a clear idea what they can and can't eat, although some of their favourites are surprising. It's possible that sometimes they are self-medicating (ivy, bindweed, wormwood, thistles, meadowsweet etc).
Many farmers in the past used to keep a 'sick meadow' in which non-grass species were abundant. Sick animals were put there to rest and eat the medicinal plants of their choice.

Of your list, I would think they won't eat the harebell, so you don't need to remove it and the rest are OK.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I have all of those bar the Tormentil (not even sure what it looks like!) in my main summer grazing fields and I have always believed all of them to be beneficial in some way and non toxic as part of a general grazing area of mixed grasses and plants, even the yarrow. They all seem to quite like all on the list and eat quite happily and safely and have done so for many years.

My other fields that have been sprayed in the past and have little other than a few different types of lush grass growth are not nearly as beneficial or ideal for equines IMHO. Too rich and not enough variety, so grazing has to be very carefully monitored on those fields.

Just off to google Tormentil.

Edited to add just googled and yes I have got Tormentil as well. ?

 

[Evie34278]

I would recommend you join this group, no-one else is doing as much in this area https://www.facebook.com/groups/1862115997153052

Just joined this, really interesting research into the gut micro biome! This was an area I was fascinated in when I was a research scientist, thanks for recommending the group!!

 

[Evie34278]

I think there is very conflicting information about yarrow. The Land Management for horses group on FB seems to be very anti yarrow, mentioning it as being toxic, yet it is included in lots of meadow grass mixes by big seed companies. Mine love a nibble in the yarrow that grows in our lane and it gives out the most delicious aroma as they chew it.

Yes yarrow is one of the ones I’ve seen lots of different views on!

 

[Evie34278]

I have all of those bar the Tormentil (not even sure what it looks like!) in my main summer grazing fields and I have always believed all of them to be beneficial in some way and non toxic as part of a general grazing area of mixed grasses and plants, even the yarrow. They all seem to quite like all on the list and eat quite happily and safely and have done so for many years.

My other fields that have been sprayed in the past and have little other than a few different types of lush grass growth are not nearly as beneficial or ideal for equines IMHO. Too rich and not enough variety, so grazing has to be very carefully monitored on those fields.

Just off to google Tormentil.

Edited to add just googled and yes I have got Tormentil as well. ?

This is all good to know, thank you!!

 

[Evie34278]

My gut-bucket ponies have access to more weeds than grass, and are generally a very healthy lot. They seem to have a clear idea what they can and can't eat, although some of their favourites are surprising. It's possible that sometimes they are self-medicating (ivy, bindweed, wormwood, thistles, meadowsweet etc).
Many farmers in the past used to keep a 'sick meadow' in which non-grass species were abundant. Sick animals were put there to rest and eat the medicinal plants of their choice.

Of your list, I would think they won't eat the harebell, so you don't need to remove it and the rest are OK.

Thanks for this, always good to remember to keep this kind of perspective when thinking about these issues!

 

[HashRouge]

I have a lot of yarrow that has come through in one of my rested paddocks so I'd be interested to know what you find out. I don't think it was there last year, but loads of it now and I'd quite like to graze that paddock if I can!

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I have a lot of yarrow that has come through in one of my rested paddocks so I'd be interested to know what you find out. I don't think it was there last year, but loads of it now and I'd quite like to graze that paddock if I can!

Not sure how much would be too much - mine isn't exactly rampant, so they wouldn't be getting huge quantities in one sitting as it were. But I see you can buy it dried online being touted as having lots of benefits, just not sure about gorging themselves on fresh yarrow though?

https://www.horse-health-solutions.co.uk/product/yarrow/

 

[cauda equina]

I've got yarrow growing but they don't seem to eat it much, if at all

 

[Evie34278]

Just found that I have catsear throughout the paddocks, which is linked to stringhalt. Feeling pretty depressed with this right now, not sure how to get rid of it without spraying the entire paddock and starting again ?

 

[I'm Dun]

Just found that I have catsear throughout the paddocks, which is linked to stringhalt. Feeling pretty depressed with this right now, not sure how to get rid of it without spraying the entire paddock and starting again ?

Thats not strictly true. Catsear poisioning can lead to something that looks like stringhalt, but isnt actually stringhalt. I wouldnt be unduly concerned unless you are ovrerun with it. If you are I would top it, and over sow the pasture with meadow grasses in September ish

https://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/lea...inics-and-services/weeds-database/catsear.cfm

 

[bouncing_ball]

I have a lot of yarrow that has come through in one of my rested paddocks so I'd be interested to know what you find out. I don't think it was there last year, but loads of it now and I'd quite like to graze that paddock if I can!

we have lots of yarrow this year . My reading was they don’t tend to eat it, it’s an invasive problem weed but not harmful per say. But yarrow best discouraged, as waste of ground that could be grass.

 

[bouncing_ball]

Hello!

I’m coming back to horse ownership after around 18yrs, and getting my paddocks sorted. With new technology - such as a plant ID app, I’m managing to identify lots of herbs etc in the field I’m fencing. I’ve found that most of them are fine, and even beneficial. But there are a few I can’t find any information about and I wondered if anyone here had any more knowledge?

This is my list for checking:
Tormentil
Cranesbill
Chickweed
Harebell
Common yarrow

any advice welcome! Thanks

this group? https://www.facebook.com/groups/1890362961227996/?ref=share

 

[cauda equina]

Other than ragwort I don't worry too much about what's in my field
Horses generally know what's good for them and what isn't (apart from laminitics and grass )

 

[Evie34278]

this group? https://www.facebook.com/groups/1890362961227996/?ref=share

yes I think it’s this one