05/09/2023
Many people think that horses can safely eat grass clippings (grass is grass, right?) but that is a pretty common misconception and grass clippings actually pose a number of dangers to our equine friends.
While grass is meant to be slowly picked, ripped and chewed by the horse, grass clippings can quickly clump and cause choke if the animal ingests too many too fast. Grass clippings are also prone to fermentation which can cause colics, stomach and intestinal impactions, founder and laminitis.
Take-home message: Keep your horse away from grass clippings and in general never feed horses any food without the owner’s permission.
Source: Dr. Jenna Moline, a member of the AAEP Horse Owner Education member. In memory of Chula, a much-loved horse who recently passed away after eating grass clippings thrown into her pasture by a neighbor; shared with the blessing of Chula’s family with hopes to prevent this tragedy from happening to any other horse owners.
