ASKHQ: LAWN AND GARDEN CLIPPINGS

Q: Why is it not safe to feed lawn and garden clippings to your horse?

A: Lawn and garden clippings can be hazardous for several reasons. First of all, clippings can contain toxic plants, of which there are several that commonly occur in our gardens. Secondly, we also tend to spray pesticides and fertiliser onto our lawns and gardens. These are not safe for our horses to ingest. Finally, as clippings are small and don’t require much (if any) chewing, horses have a tendency to swallow them quickly and whole which can result in choke and colic.