
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, April 2, 1990                   TAG: 9004020208
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

DON'T FEED GRASS CLIPPINGS TO HORSES

LAWN-MOWING season is here again, and many people are faced with what to do with several bushels of perfectly good clippings every week or so. One thing not to do is take them to the nearest stable and hand them out as horse munchies. This seemingly generous act can be deadly - or at least very painful - to the equine recipients of such snacks.

Oh, but horses eat grass, don't they? Yes, but a grazing horse nibbles a much smaller amount of grass over a longer period of time than if he scarfed down wads of clippings. A horse has a very small stomach and narrow, twisting intestines. Wads of damp clippings can pack up in the intestine, causing painful colic.

The same clipped grass has already started its decomposing process before the horse gets it and will add to the problem by producing gas - another painful problem for the horse. Too much new spring grass can cause a carbohydrate overload, and the horse can founder - a condition that can render the horse useless.

If a pregnant mare is fed fescue - the favorite lawn grass in our area - the aflatoxins often present can cause the uterus to thicken and the mare will have difficulty conceiving.

Giving treats to a large number of horses also poses a threat to the treat-giver. Horses will compete with each other for goodies - sometimes very forcefully - and the treat-giver may be bitten, kicked, or trampled in the process.

If you really want to give treats to a horse, stop in and introduce yourself to the barn manager or horse owner, who'll usually be happy to show the horses off for you and provide you with an acceptable treat. What do you do with your grass clippings? How about a nice compost pile?\ BECKY MUSHKO\ ROANOKE

by CNB