09/05/2025
I enjoy taking horses for walks and seeing what they self-select in terms of plants. My mare Red began by choosing very scruffy weeds, then picking out anything growing near dead timber. I have introduced to her the beautiful gramma grass growing everywhere this summer, and so she has added that to her palate, but it's best if growing near timber! My gelding Sabio loves the gramma grass. Both love the cochilla plants that have grown so high near fences. Those have high sugars as the summer turns to fall, so I need to intervene and limit grazing on those.
In the past, I had horses who loved thistles, and who would eat the tops of yuccas. Both of these plants have medicinal value, so I figured they were self-healing. The mare who loved yuccas had frequent colics, and the yucca helped her. The one who loved thistles was very healthy.
I've also found that after a hospital visit, or colic, horses will gravitate toward eating dirt. My vet corroborated this and said this is very common. They are attempting to balance their digestive systems.
Some horses are highly susceptible to allergies to plants, so self-selection isn't for everyone. For those, I have had to learn the plants that set off allergies and limit their grazing time.
