Mounted search and rescue

["Patty Montoya" <riverrider@bak.rr.com>]

Irv is right about the  problem with weeds, or non native plants, spreading 
through animal droppings, although since I am a "horse person" I prefer to 
blame birds for spreading the "bad seeds".  ;-)  But just another thought 
about our wonderful horses enjoying the wonders of nature and grazing in the 
wild.  Although I don't believe there is another animal as beautiful as the 
horse, they don't always make good choices.  (Notice I didn't say they are 
sometimes as dumb as a log, because I wouldn't want my horses to know I said 
that...)  But, because they will eat "almost" anything available, we need to 
be familiar with the toxic plants in our area.  Fiddler weed is just one of 
many in my area and although I have been told they would have to eat about a 
bale to get sick, my luck my horse would take one little bite and end up 
keeling over.  Then you have to worry about the horse who founders when you 
reward her by letting her graze in knee deep pasture.  I'm able to control 
what, and how much my horses get in their pastures, but when I travel I'm 
always keeping my eye out to see what they can find.
Patty
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "irvin lichtenstein" <ilichten1@verizon.net>
To: "Mounted search and rescue" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2006 8:11 PM
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Feeding SAR horses certified weed free


> It is not that the horses won't eat it, it is just that some land managers
> don't want weeds or worse invasive plants in their neatly manicured 
> fields.
> In one state park the brambles are so bad that a volunteer uses a tractor
> mounted brush hog to open trails each season, the brambles are not native 
> to
> the region and the volunteers can't cut them out fast enough. Don't know 
> how
> they got there but we sure don't want them now. It is weed seed going
> through that weed free seeks to avoid. The alternative is
> diapers...............
>
> Irv Lichtenstein


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