Horses don’t just munch on grass and call it a day.

They’ll wander a bit first, sniffle stuff around, nibble a little, and sometimes latch onto the same little patch like it’s the most delicious thing they’ve ever tasted. One horse might be really into clover, the other will hunt down every last dandelion – some horses even like mint or wild herbs. A pasture is to a horse what a buffet is to you.

But, as tasty as some buffets can be, they aren’t exactly healthy. Well, some are. But not all of them. This has much to do with the fact that some snacks are full of ‘the good stuff’, while some are just packed with nasties.

So this article is for you, the owner, so that you can see (and pay close attention) to the difference between which food is safe, and which isn’t.

Nutritional Impact of Common Pasture Snacks

As humans, horses are picky eaters. They won’t just eat any old grass that’s in front of them. Sure, they will if they HAVE TO. But only so in order to survive. You can be sure they won’t be happy about it. Not one bit.

In order to create healthy (and tasty) snacks, you need to put in the ‘good stuff’ into them (e.g., clover, dandelions, plantains, chamomile, mint, etc.).

This variety is very good for horses because it keeps their digestive system active the way nature intended. If the snack is tasty and healthy, then the horse is happy. This means less stress.

As far as nutritional values, these types of natural snacks are different from carrots, apples, and packaged treats you might usually give them. Pasture snacks have subtle amounts of vitamins and minerals, but because they graze, horses get them in steady amounts.

Hand-fed treats, on the other hand, are sweeter, and they’re given in bursts. Both are good and both deserve to have their place, but their roles aren’t the same.

This is why you’ll see a lot of horse owners browsing horse stalls for sale online to look and ask for features that make feeding routines easier to manage (e.g., safe hay racks, well-placed feed doors, etc.).

Safe Pasture Snacks vs. Risky Ones

Not every plant on the pasture is safe for your horse, so let’s see what’s okay, what’s risky, and what to be especially careful with.

Safe Snacks

There’s a good number of plants horses can safely eat while they’re grazing. Clover is one of the most common ones, and it’s very beneficial because it’s full of protein, which supports muscles and overall condition. Dandelions are another excellent choice, although many people see them as nothing more than weeds.

They’re packed with vitamins A and C, as well as minerals like calcium and potassium (great for bones and healthy teeth). Horses find them delicious, and they’re surprisingly healthy.

Wild herbs like plantain and chamomile have small digestive or even calming benefits. Mint is another herb that’s pretty popular with horses, but it’s not a big source of nutrition. Still, it’s safe and refreshing.

Risky Snacks

Even safe snacks can become risky if they’re eaten in excess, so make sure your horse always snacks in moderation.

Clover – safe in moderate amounts – is dangerous if a horse eats too much. It can cause slobbers, which is a condition caused by a fungus that (sometimes) grows on clover.

Lush spring grass is risky from the start because it contains a lot of sugar, which can trigger laminitis in sensitive horses.

Buttercups are another risk, although a lot of horses avoid them because they’re bitter. They’re actually mildly toxic if they’re eaten fresh, and they can irritate the digestive system.

Acorns are a seasonal risk in areas with oak trees. Some horses ignore them, but others will eat enough of them and cause serious poisoning. Horses are naturally curious, but this curiosity sometimes endangers their health.

Plants You Need to Be Careful with

Weeds and wild plants should never be a part of a horse’s diet.

Ragwort, horsetail, bracken fern, and yew are examples of toxic plants. Horses usually avoid them if they have plenty of good forage to eat, but if grazing is limited, they might start nibbling on something toxic simply because they’re bored.

Hunger, of course, would be the other reason.

Even small amounts of these plants can cause serious and long-term damage, so make sure to walk past pastures regularly and remove anything that might be dangerous.

Conclusion

Horses don’t care about nutrition labels and feed charts. As picky as they are, they would sometimes wander into a junk food aisle (if you’d let them) and make themselves sick. Think of them like big children. Would you leave it up to them to pick what they want?

Sure, in nature, they’d have no trouble eating what nature has intended them to eat. But here, in civilization, they’re constantly surrounded by a lot of different options – some of which aren’t that great for them, with some even being outright dangerous.

Remember that it’s up to you to prevent this, and every acorn they eat IS ON YOU. Every digestive problem a wild plant causes is also on you.

Do you research and inspect the pastures regularly to keep your horse(s) safe and happy.

There are more interesting articles in our section on Health & Education.

How would you help a rider who struggles with measuring and riding through in-and-outs or combinations?

Each week we ask trainers a question and gather their answers for you. These trainers have a range of experience, backgrounds, and focus points of their programs, so the answers have as much variation as you would expect and also probably much more similarity. 

This week’s question posed is: How would you help a rider who struggles with measuring and riding through in-and-outs or combinations? 

Here are their answers:

“The key to measuring correctly into an in-and-out (or any related distance) is to measure to the out element. On the approach, the rider should set their sight to the top/back rail of the out and the focal point in one big plane of vision. Keeping eyes set through the in, count and measure from the same quality canter rhythm. If you measure to the out, you’ll always find a reasonable distance to the in!” -Claire Gordon-Neff
Read more from Claire here.

“I’d begin with just a simple one-stride, helping the rider understand how their horse relates to two fences at a time. Once that feels consistent, we’d build into longer combinations. As they ride through, I’d have them count strides out loud, it keeps them present, prevents getting lost in the line, and naturally encourages breathing. Most importantly, I’d remind them to ride the stride they feel, since every horse has its own rhythm and balance.” -Katie Jones

“I find that the most common habit from riders approaching combinations is pulling when they second-guess their eye. We’ve all been there! Not seeing the right distance into the combination or in-and-out, and then adding a stride in and having a launch distance or bad chip out, even a refusal.

A trick that I find helpful is to have riders count down from 3 to the first jump (3-2-1) so they don’t have the opportunity to change their minds at the last minute. Once they land in the combination, count up (1-2, or 1-2-3, etc., depending on the striding). Developing the habit of counting down in and then counting up on the way out helps riders trust their eye initially and rely on their pace, and they’re less likely to doubt themselves at the base.” -Ariel Univer
Read more from Ariel here.

“When a rider struggles with measuring and riding through in-and-outs or combinations, I like to bring the focus back to rhythm and track. Instead of overthinking the stride, I have them practice on poles and low fences where they can feel the natural step of their horse. Once the rider gains confidence in keeping a consistent pace and straight line, the distances begin to come up naturally, and measuring becomes less intimidating.” –Michael Meyers

This article originally appeared in the Trainer Tuesday Series from The Plaid Horse Magazine and is published here with permission.

There are more informative articles in our section on Health & Education.