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Post by Dragonmaster on Jan 4, 2012 12:19:44 GMT 1
A horse owner posted on FB "don't throw your christmas trees out - give them to horse owners, horses love them." Anyone else know of this? I'll be taking mine down soon. |
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Post by ladyndibs on Jan 4, 2012 12:56:06 GMT 1
I was under the impression conifers were poisonous to horses, mine's artificial but I wouldn't take the chance anyway.
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Amanda Seater
Grand Prix Poster
Listen to your horse you may be surprised what he may tell you about yourself
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Post by Amanda Seater on Jan 4, 2012 13:07:52 GMT 1
so long as it isn't a yew tree I see no problem.
Mine used to LOVE Cedar and spruce but only in the winter
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allyny
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Post by allyny on Jan 4, 2012 13:21:43 GMT 1
Our neighbour has a lot of "christmas" trees growing and during the recent blustery weather lots of the branches have blown into my fields. I was interested to see my girls chomping away on them as I too thought they were poisonous.
One pleasant side effect is the pine scented fArts ;D ;D ;D
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Post by ladyndibs on Jan 4, 2012 13:37:08 GMT 1
Our neighbour has a lot of "christmas" trees growing and during the recent blustery weather lots of the branches have blown into my fields. I was interested to see my girls chomping away on them as I too thought they were poisonous. One pleasant side effect is the pine scented fArts ;D ;D ;D Perhaps Christmas trees should be available for humans too ;D |
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Post by mandal on Jan 4, 2012 13:40:40 GMT 1
One pleasant side effect is the pine scented fArts ;D ;D ;D And breath. ;D My lot only seem to eat the bark and mainly in winter. |
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marvin
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Post by marvin on Jan 4, 2012 13:53:51 GMT 1
The needles of pine trees contain a variety of compounds such as resins, mycotoxins and lignols that can cause toxic reactions in livestock if ingested, this came off some site discussing what trees to plant in a pasture if ingested in large amounts can cause issues, I am surprised they eat them to be honest as the smell should put them off.,,,
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Amanda Seater
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Listen to your horse you may be surprised what he may tell you about yourself
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Post by Amanda Seater on Jan 4, 2012 14:04:43 GMT 1
pine / cedar etc are not like Yew or Box regarding horses. I had this discussion YEARS ago. Can't find the details etc
ANYTHING can be toxic in large doses - but it would be LARGE and if there is nothing else to eat not good.
Sheep are the ones that suffer from eating spruce in small ammounts
It depends on the type of tree. Cedar/ pine, spruce etc
Cedar for example has antibacterial and anti microbial properies.
Just don't feed the stuff as a forage replacer - a bit like you wouldn't feed just apples!!
We used to lead ours past various trees that they could munch on they only ate the cedar etc in the winter months, didn't want to know in spring, summer or autumn. They had PLENTY of other forage in the winter.
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Post by bertie666 on Jan 4, 2012 14:26:19 GMT 1
ooo interesting! Wonder what type of tree iv just dismantled! I think its a pine......
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Post by Dragonmaster on Jan 4, 2012 14:45:37 GMT 1
The original Christmas tree is Norway spruce, the one with long non-drop needles is Nordman fir, there are some others available now, but mainly varieties of spruce or fir.
Yew & Box of course are not coniferous pine trees but totally different types of evergreen.
We usually cut ours up for firewood, but I think I'll take a few branches up to the field & see what the horses make of them. If they dont eat them they can always be used to help the surface in the muddy patches. I've already got a bed of rosemary branches on the floor outside the shed, they're very good as a doormat.
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Amanda Seater
Grand Prix Poster
Listen to your horse you may be surprised what he may tell you about yourself
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Post by Amanda Seater on Jan 4, 2012 15:05:34 GMT 1
oh how lovely that sounds - a bed of Rosemary branches -mmmmmm.
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Post by barbararob on Jan 4, 2012 15:29:09 GMT 1
Some trees are commercially sprayed to help stop needle drop, this might be an issue.
My goats had a party last year as with all the snow the tree recycling lorry couldn't get to the village so we took some out of the way, for the girls.
I too fancy the rosemary branch bed:)
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Post by laurac on Jan 4, 2012 15:42:07 GMT 1
My xmas tree is diddy and still has its roots and has been popped in my garden, sorry Big Fella & Biscuit you dont get to eat mummys xmas tree this yr  |
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Post by marsayy on Jan 4, 2012 19:29:15 GMT 1
My horse loves spruce, in fact anything but luckily its always in samll quantities. The local game keeper cut the trees back in my field for the previous tenant as her horses were knocking the fences down to get too them. It amazes me when they eat thistles and gorse bushes!! Its quite funny how they pull they're lips back to stop the prickling!!
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hammie
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Post by hammie on Jan 4, 2012 23:13:02 GMT 1
Interesting. Snowstorm has been grabbing at conifers lately (not sure what kind) but I don't let him have them as I thought they'd be bad for horses.
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