Are leaves unhealthy?
Question: “Currently, a lot of leaves are falling from the trees onto our pastures and dry lots. Up until now, I’ve been clearing them once a week. However, I was recently told that leaves are unhealthy for horses, and I should remove them daily. Is that true?”
Every autumn, as the leaves change colour and fall from the trees, many of them end up on pastures and paddocks. What are excellent sources of shade for the horses in summer become sources of food in autumn, as most horses are very enthusiastic about collecting the leaves from the trees as food. Leaves are part of the normal dietary plan for horses if they have access. They provides valuable fibres for the large intestine and a high mineral content while being low in sugar, fat and protein. It is therefore a valuable supplement, especially for horses that tend to be overweight.
Sniffing around on the ground and searching for food is also natural horse behaviour. Horses are so-called ‘ trickle feeders’, they constantly move forwards in nature and sniff the plants to choose which one they will bite off next. Collecting leaves in the autumn closely mirrors this natural feeding behaviour and seems to not only taste good to the horses, but also is a lot of fun. They sometimes leave the hay to go and eat leaves.
Check what’s growing
However, there are differences in how healthy broadleaf trees and shrubs are for horses. Certain plants have leaves and/or fruits that are harmless or beneficial for horses, such as poplar or alder. Their leaves can be left in the paddock or pasture without hesitation, they are usually eaten away completely by the horses as a supplement to their diet.
Even trees and bushes with a stronger therapeutic effect, such as hawthorn or willow, can usually remain accessible to the horses – either through the fence or when the leaves fall on their paddock. Usually, the leaves of such trees or bushes are not eaten in excess and planted along the fence, ‘edible’ bushes and trees not only provide good protection from the wind and sun, but are also an activity for the horses, who like to nibble off all the shoots that protrude through the fence. Additionally, such natural hedges create important habitats for insects, birds, and other small creatures.
How much of the leaves do horses eat?
Then there are certain trees whose leaves and/or fruits can indeed exert a positive effect on metabolism in small quantities but turn toxic when consumed in larger amounts. These include, for example, walnut or oak.
When ample hay is consistently available to the horses and there are sufficient feeding stations, ensuring that every horse has continuous access to hay as needed, the leaves and fruits of these trees are usually consumed by horses only in small quantities.
However, if horses with metabolic problems such as faecal water syndrome or constant bloating as well as flatulence might indulge excessively in these trees, this overconsumption can lead to new health complications like colic and toxin induced laminitis.
In such cases, it really helps knowing your horses inside out and understanding their needs and weaknesses, close observation over long periods of time does give such information on each individual horse. If you are not sure whether the horses may ingest larger quantities after all (for example, if the hay rake is emptied overnight and the horses eat large quantities of less toxic plant parts out of hunger) or if you have frequent changes in the group and do not know every horse that well, then you should fence off access to such trees at the appropriate times to be on the safe side and remove fallen leaves and fruit daily when mucking out.
Caution with poisonous plants!
And there are trees and bushes that have no place in a grazing pasture as they are out right poisonous to horses. These include robinia (black locust) and yews, for example. If possible, these trees should be entirely absent from the premises (as a horse escaping from the stable or paddock overnight might also encounter them) and certainly not near stables, paddocks, or pastures where horses could nibble on them through the fence.
So whether you should remove the leaves that fall on the paddock every day or whether you can leave them there with a clear conscience always depends on the trees and bushes along the paddock and pastures and the feeding behaviour of the horses. More and more equestrian facilities are deliberately planting bushes and trees on or near the paddocks and pastures to provide shade, wind protection and, of course, for ecological reasons, as hedges are an important habitat.
By making thoughtful selections of plants and ensuring ad libitum access to hay, you can typically leave the fallen leaves for horses to consume. However, if you have trees or bushes that pose a potential risk – either because they are entirely poisonous, such as thuja, or because they produce toxic plant parts at specific times, like maple seeds, seedlings, or beechnuts – it’s advisable to fence them off to prevent horse access. Alternatively, during autumn and winter when trees are pruned and bushes are trimmed, branches and twigs from non-toxic trees and bushes can be provided as engaging nibbling options. When arranged as a dead hedge, these branches and twigs can also serve as a visually appealing enclosure within the paddock, additionally providing habitat for insects and small creatures.
A great overview of trees and/or bushes that can be planted around stables, paddocks and pastures can be found at https://www.offenstallkonzepte.com/giftige-baeume/.
🇬🇧 We are an experienced team of therapists specializing in feed consultation and integrated therapies for horses. With extensive experience in treating metabolic issues, we focus on natural, species-appropriate feeding and proven naturopathic remedies to enhance your horse's health. Benefit from our expertise to ensure the well-being of your horse.
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