Why does my horse eat thistles

Library Section Only. Everything Except Library. Presented by. When I can afford it, I will have the pastures renovated by an expert in pasture management. Until then I am trying to curb the proliferation of thistles growing on my acreage. Yesterday, I actually witnessed my aged mare munching merrily on a thistle. Do horses normally eat thistles, and is there any harm in allowing my mare to ingest them? Answer Horsemen can learn lots of interesting tidbits by simply observing horses.

Can Horses Eat Thistles? For the most part, members of the thistle family—those with blue, pink, or purple flowers—are harmless and safe for horses to nibble. Why do horses eat thistle flowers? Common thistles are a close relative of milk thistle so horses will often eat them as a bit of a detox. Can horses eat star thistle? Generally, these plants are not highly palatable to horses, so toxicity stems from horses being forced to eat Russian knapweed or yellow star-thistle because no suitable forage is available.

All thistles in the genus Cirsium, and the genus Carduus, are edible. Or said another way, there is no poisonous true thistle, but not all of them are palatable. So this is a good weed enjoyed by horses. Horses are unlikely to eat it unless they have little else to eat, especially in terms of green. Bananas: Yes, horses can eat bananas. Bananas are an excellent source of potassium.

Some owners and riders that compete with their horses are known to feed bananas with the peel on to their horses between competitions. Being high in vitamins and minerals makes an excellent tonic. So this is a good weed enjoyed by horses. Even though it is fiercely prickly horses love to ever so carefully eat the purple flower petals. Native to South America and naturalized throughout Australia this is a highly valued medicinal herb.

Marshmallow Althea officinalis is a valuable European herb with high mucilage used for alleviating scours and ulceration of the gut. This should not be confused with the weeds known as Mallows and erroneously called Marshmallows which are from the species Malva parviflora which are a prolific weed in Australia especially on degraded pastures where the soil is compacted.

It is native to Mediterranean countries. Some people also call it Mary thistle and holy thistle. Bananas: Yes, horses can eat bananas. Bananas are an excellent source of potassium. Some owners and riders that compete with their horses are known to feed bananas with the peel on to their horses between competitions. Common thistles are a close relative of milk thistle so horses will often eat them as a bit of a detox.

Thistles are generally avoided by stock. However goats eat thistles at both the rosette and flowering stage as well as post-flowering. Horses, and sometimes cattle graze the flower which can reduce the amount of seed. The amount eaten depends on the grazing pressure and the amount of other feed available.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that acts as an important antioxidant for horses. It helps maintain a healthy immune system and supports normal nerve and muscle function. Horses need vitamin E in their diet because they cannot synthesize it endogenously in their body. Chamomile flowers may be a horse favorite because of their taste, but the herb is also beneficial in the treatment of colic and other digestive issues. It is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties.

Chamomile has been used for centuries as a medicinal plant and has a tremendous value as a digestive relaxant.