tika
Olympic Poster
Rolo
Posts: 828
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Post by tika on May 14, 2006 16:17:52 GMT 1
My lad is now in a big field, with a bit of grass, not much, but hes been eating the hedge! Should I be concerned or are they fine to eat?
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Post by holi on May 14, 2006 16:20:22 GMT 1
Fine - just check there's nothing nasty you recognise. I miss the big hedges that kept mine amuzed for hours and I'm sure they were healthier as they picked what they needed when they needed it.
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jane b
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Posts: 16
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Post by jane b on May 14, 2006 17:13:14 GMT 1
mine i moved to a field two weeks ago with loads of grass and a lovely big hedge and they deffinitely prefer the hedge...........very odd give me the lush grass anyday
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Post by jen1 on May 14, 2006 17:16:20 GMT 1
oo mine love the hawthorn/blackthorth tree's
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Post by rosemaryhannah on May 14, 2006 17:25:59 GMT 1
Country children of the pre-war generation (who were often hungry) used to eat the hawthorn leaves and call it 'bread and cheese'.
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Post by Karon on May 14, 2006 19:08:43 GMT 1
My lot love hawthorn and brambles My first horse did a wonderful job of trimming back every new shoot of hawthorn on a 3 acre field one year - no need for hedge trimmers!
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EMW-UK
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Reg Charity 1114700 LISTEN WITH YOUR SOUL
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Post by EMW-UK on May 14, 2006 19:15:31 GMT 1
What you've got is natures bounty, our pasture has natural hedges which is lovingly 'tended' by all our horses and ponies! It's very rare that horses will eat anything poisonous anyway, only when they have b*gger all else left to go at will they attempt it. It's great to watch them browsing the ehdgerows and is an indicator of what their bodies need at that particualr time - Rosemaryhannah - I remembr the 'bread and cheese' thing too! emw x
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Post by love2fuss on May 14, 2006 19:47:34 GMT 1
Ditto EMW. What I have learned lately is that the dried stuff in the hedgerows over winter is 'natures hay'. (providing, obviously, you are sure there are no nastys in there) all those dried grasses and weeds, (and they love cleavers, fresh or dried) are what they would pick at over the winter if we werent here to feed them yummy hay lol
Horse eat a variety of grasses and nibble at lots of natural shrubs and hedges and wildflowers. A rough pasture to forage (barring poisonous & inedible weeds) is better that a smooth grass only lawn type field.
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alibee
Novice Poster
Posts: 21
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Post by alibee on May 14, 2006 19:55:36 GMT 1
My little welshy boy was doing his giraffe impression yesterday to eat the hawthorn. He is only 11.3hh and the hawthorn is well over his head.
Brambles are supposidly a natural wormer don't know if this is true or not
Ali
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Post by misty on May 14, 2006 20:13:43 GMT 1
Mine also like balckberries and it is really funny watching them pick them off the brambles!
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Post by KoLaTo on May 14, 2006 21:07:20 GMT 1
Yep, just posted on another thread about my two, they happily graze on the hedgerows even in the grass arena which is really lush at the moment, they both prefer to giraffe on the hedge and trees surrounding it.
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pip
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 3,797
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Post by pip on May 14, 2006 21:28:41 GMT 1
My horse loves blackberries. He will eat loads if given the chance. He also likes to eat the top of thistles, in fact he loves all the weedy, herby things. Cow parsley, nettles (when I have cut them).
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Lark
Advanced Poster
Posts: 466
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Post by Lark on May 14, 2006 22:28:42 GMT 1
Definately natures larder...all good stuff especially hawthorn which has blood thinning properties...my lot have a new field so we now have twice as much grazing (hurrah!) and it's great horse grass, not over produced and full of interesting stuff and they still have their heads in the hedges!! Horses are cool; they know what they need...
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Post by misty on May 14, 2006 23:32:17 GMT 1
We have a pba (retired) and a full arab. Their favourite is cowparsley. Nobby (thorough bred) + ? loves the blackberries most.
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