Pond life

[maddielove]

My mare has unrestricted access to a pond in the fields she grazes and has recently taken munching (read: addicted!) all sorts of the greenery growing in it, I've tried to identify some of what I can see growing in (plant app says Common water-starwort is one of the main ones growing) it but my internet searches don't fully confirm if what she's munching on down is okay for her, does anyone have any advice on anything to look out for that could be sinister? I've known many horses to have access to this pond over the years but never seen any eating as much from it as her!
Also, the pond is very silty and I'm a little bit worried about sand colic, would it be sensible to feed a course of psyllium once she no longer has access to the pond in a couple of weeks?
Thanks in advance!

 

[windand rain]

It is as far as I can find out not toxic to animals but too much of anything isn't a good idea. Psyllium would be a good move especially if grazing is sparse and not getting hay

 

[Cowpony]

There's a pond in one of our fields and when the herd is in there they are often to be found eating the pond weeds. It never seems to do them any harm, but I don't know exactly what grows in there.

 

[Melandmary]

There was a pond in my field and all 3 ponios were in there all the time, particularly fond of eating thick green reeds. I always worried about them eating out of it and from around it so I had it filled in with the extra soil when my sand school was put in. But then I am a huge worrier over everything and thought they would either get injured or sick from going in it

 

[maddielove]

Thanks guys, I will do a couple of courses of psyllium and hope that once they start getting hay in the field next week she'll me more interested in that. Wish it could be filled in (would save me having to wade through it to catch her) but it's part of a watercourse and think it would just erode and open up again.

 

[Melandmary]

I had never heard of psyllium before reading this thread, one of my ponies is always drinking out of murky muddy looking puddles and chooses to drink that water over the fresh I put in the field. Not only was she always in the pond but also spent all her time in the flooded areas of the field in winter drinking and eating out of there. She must be deficient in something although she does get a good quality powdered vit/mineral supplement