Can Horses Eat Thistle Leaves?

For the most part, members of the thistle family—those with blue, pink, or purple flowers—are harmless and safe for horses to nibble. However, a few species of thistle are toxic to horses. The most widespread toxic thistle is the yellow star thistle, which is found in the western United States, especially California.

Are thistle leaves edible?

You can eat all parts of thistle – root, stem, leaves, flowers, seeds. My boys used to enjoy taking a tall thistle, and with their pen knives on a walk, they would strip it down to just the stem. You can then choose to peel the skin of the stem or eat it as is.

Can thistles be poisonous?

Milk thistle, a regulated Class A noxious weed, is a toxic, branching winter annual or biennial that grows 2-6 feet tall in disturbed areas, such as pastures, roadsides, ditches, and fencerows. Ingestion can cause nitrate poisoning in cattle and sheep.

What animals can eat thistle?

The goldfinch is the bird most commonly associated with thistles, the seeds of which make up one third of its diet. Within the same genera are greenfinch, siskin, linnet, twite and redpoll, which eat thistle seeds and use thistledown in the nest. Butterflies including painted lady larvae feed on the leaves.

Is Canadian thistle poisonous?

Canada thistle is a native plant to regions of Europe and Asia but is considered noxious everywhere else. It produces nitrate, which can be toxic to your horse if ingested in large quantities. Symptoms of toxicity can range from weakness to convulsions and should be considered a serious medical condition.

Are thistles poisonous to horses?

Thistles – Non-toxic
Some horses love to eat thistles, even favouring the spiky heads although for us it doesn’t look very comfortable watching them scoff it!

What part of the thistle plant is edible?

In addition to the root, the stems are edible, when peeled. However, the thistle contains inulin, which gives some people digestive issues.

Why is my horse eating thistle?

Being high in vitamins and minerals makes an excellent tonic. So this is a good weed enjoyed by horses. The plant is known as St Marys Thistle, Milk Thistle and Variegated Thistle (Silybum marianum) are one of the most valuable liver herbs in the herbalist’s dispensary.

What is the most toxic plant to horses?

Nine poisonous plants horses should avoid

• Ragwort. While ragwort has a bitter taste and is rarely eaten by horses when it is growing, when it is wilted or dried it becomes more palatable.
• Foxglove.
• Deadly nightshade.
• Buttercups.
• Acorns.
• Yew.
• Privet.
• Rhododendron.

What weeds should horses not eat?

Weeds: Onions/garlic, ground ivy, milkweed, bracken fern, cocklebur, horsetail, white snakeroot, St. Johns wort, star-of-Bethlehem, sorghum/sudangrass, yellow sweet clover, blue-green algae, bouncing bet, larkspur, mayapple, skunk cabbage. Trees: Black locust, oak (green acorns), horse chestnut, boxwood, holly.

Are thistle weeds good for anything?

Thistle is a very beneficial plant for pollinators. Bees, flies, beetles, and butterflies all like the nectar of the thistle flowers. We have these all over our yard here in Maine.

How do I get rid of thistle in hay fields?

Your best bet is to use a strong herbicide, such as the kind that contains clopyralid, aminopyralid, or glyphosate to your entire field, which will knock out almost all of your weeds, including thistles. Catching the thistles before they have a chance to flower will help keep them from spreading any further.

Are thistles good for anything?

Like many plants in the thistle clade of the botanical family Asteraceae, bull thistles provide ample pollen and nectar resources for butterflies, honeybees, hummingbirds, and beneficial insects like green lacewings. Birds like goldfinches and juncos love their seeds, as do white-tailed deer and rabbits.

Should I leave thistles in my garden?

Creeping thistle can become a serious weed as it spreads using lateral roots which are brittle and readily re-shoot if broken. As these large plants compete for light, water and food you may want to control this plant in lawns and borders.

Why is thistle a problem?

Musk thistles reduce forage production and use. Cattle will not graze forage plants in heavy infestation of this thistle. Dense infestations of musk thistle compete strongly with grass or other desirable plants for water, light and nutrients.

What happens if you touch thistles?

Both the stems and the leaves of stinging nettles are covered by structures that look like hairs but are delicate and hollow. These “hairs” act like needles when they come into contact with the skin. Chemicals flow through them into the skin, which causes a stinging sensation and a rash.

What do thistle leaves taste like?

Those are tender and taste the best. Children in south Louisiana say thistles taste kind of like celery, only a little sweeter. They love the freedom of running through pastures in search of the spiky plants. Adults sometimes slice up the thistles and toss them in vinegar and salt and pepper.

What part of thistle is medicinal?

Milk thistle also supports healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Traditionally, the young stalks and seeds were used but today the seeds are most commonly used. It is gentle and safe to use long term.

Is the thistle plant good for anything?

Thistle is a very beneficial plant for pollinators. Bees, flies, beetles, and butterflies all like the nectar of the thistle flowers.

Does thistle have medicinal properties?

It may have protective effects on the liver, preventing damage. There’s some evidence that milk thistle can treat cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis, which can be caused by alcohol abuse, autoimmune disease, or viruses.