Can Horses Eat Cut Nettles?

Nettles is a fabulous spring tonic and will hasten the shedding of the winter coat to reveal the new lustrous coat underneath. Horses will happily eat nettles in the paddock.

Can horses eat chopped nettles?

Rich in vitamin C, iron, calcium, potassium and dietary fibre, stinging nettles are highly nutritious. Horses won’t eat them when they are growing so cut them, allow them to wilt and then chop them up so you can add them to your horse’s feed.

Can horses eat fresh nettles?

Horses don’t usually eat stinging nettle, but if they lie down or roll on the plant, glassy hairs from the plant’s leaves and stems cause a skin reaction characterized by wheals or hives and an intensely painful stinging sensation that may last 24 hours or more.

How much nettle do you give a horse?

As a rule of thumb, approximately 30-50 grams should be fed per day. The dried leaves can simply be added to the horse’s regular feed.

Can horses eat wilted nettles?

Feeding fresh and dried nettle
Some horse owners already give their horses nettle, usually “Stinging nettle” (Urtica dioica). There are people who put on their own gloves and pick nettles in their own environment. If you leave the plants for at least an hour, they are then perfectly edible for your horse.

How do you use nettle for horses?

A wilted leaf poultice was used for Poison Ivy rashes. A leaf infusion was used to expel worms. The berries were used for treating epilepsy. They were also used as a diuretic, a painkiller, an antispasmodic, and an aphrodisiac.

Can livestock eat stinging nettle?

Urtica dioica plants are sometimes used to feed farm animals such as Bos taurus (domestic cow) and Equus caballus (domestic horse). Although the animals will not eat the plants when they are living, after the nettles are cut and dried they are a great fodder.

Why is my horse eating stinging nettles?

Nettles are an important ingredient in blood building mixes, such as my Iron Horse Formula, to treat anaemia or simply to boost the blood profile in performance horses.

Are any nettles poisonous?

Stinging nettle
If touched, these needle-like hairs inject the stinging acid into the skin, triggering a burning, tingling sensation and an itchy rash. Thankfully the symptoms usually do not persist longer than 24 hours. Interestingly, the cooked plant is safe to eat and is popular is some places as a vegetable.

When should you not eat nettles?

It is not wise to eat nettles when flowering between June and October as they have a laxative effect and the plant will then contain cystolith crystals that can upset the urinary tract. The fresh growth from nettles that grow after being cut back is fine though.

Are nettles anti-inflammatory for horses?

This fabulous herb contains several anti-inflammatory constituents, making it suitable for use in cases of arthritis, joint stiffness (another common issue for horses in winter) or injuries resulting in inflammation. Its benefits for such conditions can be seen when it is used internally or externally.

Is horse nettle the same as stinging nettle?

Solanum carolinense, the Carolina horsenettle, is not a true nettle, but a member of the Solanaceae, or nightshade family. It is a perennial herbaceous plant, native to the southeastern United States, though its range has expanded throughout much of temperate North America.

Is nettle a natural antibiotic?

Water extracts of stinging nettle show antioxidant activity and antibacterial activity [19] and recently these extracts have shown antibacterial activity against multi-drug resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis [2] and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [3].

What toxic plant can cause laminitis in horses?

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)
Horses are susceptible to laminitis from exposure to black walnut wood in bedding. The bark, woods, nuts, and roots of the black walnut tree (Juglans nigra) contains a toxic compound.

How do you get rid of nettles on a horse’s paddock?

How to Control Nettles. Although they can be kept in check somewhat by repeated cutting; the best way to eradicate them is to use a systemic herbicide and to spray when small and actively growing before the nettle flowers. If they have got tall then chop them down and spray the regrowth as it appears.

Can you eat nettles raw?

Because the stings have to remain firm to cause the irritation, cooking the leaf instantly makes them safe – don’t try to eat the leaf raw in a salad or anything. There are plenty of recipes online for a variety of hot dishes, so see what you fancy. Think of the nettle leaf like spinach and use it in a similar way.

Why are dried nettles good for horses?

Nettle herb contains high levels of vitamins and minerals essential for a healthy skin and coat. Nettles are primarily diuretic and blood cleansing therefore often used for laminitis and arthritis to clear congestion. It is also excellent for horses competing in very strenuous or power demanding activities.

What part of stinging nettle is edible?

leaves
The leaves are edible at any stage of the plants’ growth. Cooking or drying them denatures the sting. They are nice and tender earlier in the season when they’re young. If they have already grown flowers and seeds, they’re still perfectly edible – just pick the smaller leaves near the top.

How do you prepare stinging nettle for eating?

Nettles need to be thoroughly cleaned and de-stung before eating. To do this, the easiest method is blanching them in boiling water and rinsing them afterward, squeezing out the water before sautéing them or adding them into soups or stews.

Is stinging nettle poisonous to animals?

Toxicity to pets
This causes erythema (redness), swelling, and intense itching. When ingested, stinging nettle can result in profuse salivation, pawing at the mouth, vomiting, labored breathing, muscle fasciculations (twitching) and ataxia.

Do stinging nettles affect animals?

Nettle stings can cause severe irritation to our pets and sometimes the pet will not put their weight through the affected feet to avoid the pain.