Yep! Horses eat sticks and bark . . . and leaves and twigs. Not just grass.
It seems crazy right. We typically only think of horses foraging on grass (or hay), but have we ever thought to wonder if perhaps this is because in most modern pastures horses only have access to grass?
The first time I saw my horse eating a long strand of fallen bark, I panicked. I think I even called the vet.
But it is actually, very normal behaviour for horses to engage in ‘browsing’ on bushes and trees – typically eating bark and leaves and smaller twigs, in addition to grazing on grass. This mixture of feeding styles has been observed in feral as well as domesticated horses.
In these pictures, my horses are eating the fallen eucalyptus bark and sticks on a section of our track. They had access to hay and green grass at the time these pictures were taken, and were choosing to hang out in the shade and eat the sticks and bark.
It is worth being aware that this is normal behaviour for horses. So if you see your horse doing this, don’t panic, or try and figure out what the problem is.
Of course, just because it isn’t a problem for the horse, doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t an issue for us. If your horse is destroying your trees then it may be necessary to fence them off, so access is limited.
We also need to make sure that the trees and shrubs they have access to are not poisonous. For those in Australia, the Rural Industries Research and Development Council have an excellent free resource: “Plants Poisonous to Horses, An Australian Field Guide”.
If your horse doesn’t have access to trees or shrubs to browse on, then consider providing trimmed branches for them to explore, next time you tidy up the trees and bushes on your property. Just make sure to do your research beforehand, to ensure they are safe for horses to consume.
© Sara Jackson 2024
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