POISONOUS PLANTS AND THORNS

Most horses know to steer clear of poisonous plants, eating them only when adequate quality feed is unavailable. Ideally your horse should never have access to poisonous plants, so become familiar with what kind of plants are poisonous to horses and ensure that you don’t have them anywhere on your property. While your horse might not have easy access to other parts of your property, if for some reason he gets loose, you don’t want to risk him getting into something he shouldn’t— which is why it’s good to avoid those kinds of plants all together. (This is also a good reminder to see what kind of plants might be poisonous to your dogs and cats, as well.)

Why he eats them:

What to do:

Educate yourself and work to remove any noxious plants that your horse could have access to. One poisonous plant that’s difficult to eradicate is star thistle, which happens to be quite common in Western states. Like other poisonous plants, most horses typically leave this plant alone. However, if your horse does get into it, the thorns can cause problems for him. If you notice that your horse’s pastures do have star thistle in them, make sure to provide plenty of good forage for him to eat and check his mouth regularly for any spines.