cheat hay

[PatriotsDreamer]

What the heck is it and how does it affect horses?

[vicklynn]

never heard of it??

[cheval]

If it gets in their mouths it can cause serious damage. We had a horse where I board that had over $600 vet bill trying to get it's mouth cleaned up from that nasty stuff. It's pretty painful for the horse too.

ETA: we call it cheat grass here.

[Kaitlyn]

I'm still confused lol.

[cheval]

The best way I can describe it is nasty sharp little seedling type things. They under the gums and between the teeth and create a nasty infection. It's really really really bad.

[PatriotsDreamer]

What does it look like exactly?

[cheval]

This will tell you more with a picture. Somehow it can get mixed up with hay and if your horse gets enough, it can really do damage.


http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~plants-c/forage/chea.shtml

[vicklynn]

Is this is Cheval??
http://extension.usu.edu/range/Grasses/cheatgrass.htm

[mtnmollie]

If it gets in their mouths it can cause serious damage. We had a horse where I board that had over $600 vet bill trying to get it's mouth cleaned up from that nasty stuff. It's pretty painful for the horse too.

ETA: we call it cheat grass here.

Yep- short little wimpy skimpy grass with a v shape seed that hooks in the mouth-
it does not make it to the belly.

Some horse in Lewiston quit eating. He had a mouth full of cheat grass seed-
it had to be cleaned out.

[cheval]

Yep vicki, that's it.

We didn't know the horse had it until the mouth was all infected. The owner noticed a horrid smell coming from the horses mouth and looked inside and it was the grossest thing.

The BO threw out 1/2 ton of hay to avoid risking any other horses.

[Kaitlyn]

Ewwwwww. I get it now. Yuck.

[Gypsy Rose]

Yuk! Glad I don't have that here!

[mare]

Darn stuff. It looks like you have loads of grass in an area and it's dangerous. That's where it got it's name. Sheep and goats can eat it while it's still green. Horses and cattle can too, for that matter. Some ranchers will hire a goat herder to bring a bunch and have them eat it down. They fence an area off with snow fence and move when the goats have grubbed it off.

[Miracle Whip]

Years ago my Dad had to buy hay from out of state - Nebraska I think. There were burrs or something in it, the tiny little hard green burrs. We had nothing else to feed the horses. They got sores in their mouth but no infection, mostly it just really ripped up their lips. If we feed them a lot of it they could pick through it. Gave most of it to the cows I think.

Don't buy hay sight unseen. Or out of state if you can help it. Buy early in the year. To this day I always make sure I have 6 months worth of hay. ALWAYS

[Kowgirlkate]

holy cow, I never even heard of such a thing. Sounds awful!

[pandorasmom]

holy cow, I never even heard of such a thing. Sounds awful!

Ditto.