# Hay Gone to Seed and Horses



## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

Had a horse customer that got some hay last year from someone, second cutting, with foxtail in it and after a vet bill, they bought hay from me.

Is foxtail seed the only seed that can damage a horse's mouth? We've got some mixed grass hay coming this year, probably everything in it from early maturing/seeding bluegrass, orchard grass, fescue, a lot of sweet vernal grass - pretty much anything a broadleaf herbicide won't kill.

All of the above have their own maturing dates and some will go to seed before cutting.

Aside from foxtail, are any of these other grass seeds harmful to a horse?


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Cheatgrass can be damaging to most livestock if the seeds get mature.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Teslan said:


> Cheatgrass can be damaging to most livestock if the seeds get mature.


cheat grass is damaging to your hayfield as well if you let it go to seed.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Hayman1 said:


> cheat grass is damaging to your hayfield as well if you let it go to seed.


Nah it just adds to the adventure of haying. LOL. just kidding.


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## zandstrafarms (May 1, 2015)

Really pretty much most things are harmful to a horse, unless you sell seed then everything is safe 

Most seed sellers won't don't know the research on horses and hay, but thistle is generally considered ok, dandelion in small amounts, brome, timothy, orchard, possibly teff, and most native grasses (not garrison foxtail, switchgrass and canary reed grass). I believe bluegrass is ok if in a mix.

But everything else including clover is toxic to a horse. Not to say people don't feed the bad stuff because they do. Most people don't bother to look up recent studies on grasses and horses. It will take many hours of online searching 

But that, in a nutshell is what's safe without a doubt (as long as it's correctly harvested)


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