Today's salad selection for ponies

[Jane&Ziggy]

Ziggy is looking a bit skinny at the end of winter so today i took him out for a hedgerow walk. I thought you might be interested to know what he chose to eat. To test this, stand your pony in front of a south-facing damp bank covered with grass and weeds and watch what he selects!

In order of preference:

1. Cleavers
2. Grass
3. Hogweed
4. Dandelions
5. Hawthorn twigs
6. Hazel twigs
7. Cow parsley tufts
8. Plantains
9. Ivy (though I only let him have a few mouthfuls)
10. Nettles

The preference for cleavers was very strong, he would clear a section of cleavers before eating anything else, even grass. They are very detoxing and good for the liver so perhaps he feels he needs a spring clean!

 

[LindaAd]

I've noticed that mine go for cleavers to - so do goats and geese! I think I'd be a bit careful about hogweed - http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?454402-Hogweed-Hemlock-and-cow-parsley

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Well he is certainly not sensitive to hogweed. Black skinned grey pony!

 

[chunky monkey]

Ivy berries are poisons but if my sheep are ill and go off food, not eating grass. I pull them ivy. They will usually eat that and nothing else. The horses are picky with ivy though. Mine like cow parsley tufts.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Ziggy loves ivy, a neighbour shouted at me once because pony was eating it off his walls!

 

[newforest]

People think I am nuts for picking dandelion heads everyday. But she eats them.
Cleavers yes she likes those too.
Red clover when it's up and thistle tops.