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Veteran
Posts: 278
 
Location: Whitney, NE | I am moving from ND to NE, and the lot I would like to put my horses in has cheatgrass in it. It was our calving lot, so it is grazed down a bunch, but there has been a LOT of rain so it's going to come back. Any input would be great! Our neighbor told us to be careful of founder on it. I'll talk to the vet too, I'm just curious if this is a big issue? |
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Blessed 
 
Location: Here | Not sure about founder but the kind I know about has little spear heads Had one stick in a horses eye one time the heads like to stick in everyting |
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Veteran
Posts: 278
Location: Whitney, NE | Good to know! Thanks! |
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  Ms. Potato Head
Posts: 9162
Location: BFE, Idaho | Fine to eat while green and soft, total mess with your horses gums, teeth and soft exposed skin after it is dry and dead. Mostly just nasty stuff. Hard as he)) to kill also. |
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 Triple Extra-Ordinaire
Posts: 4244
Location: Okla | Once it's dry, it can be a mess. Those sticky heads can stick to the horse's gums and cause ulcers. I have seen horse's with seed ulcers so bad that they refuse to eat. It is hard to kill. Would be best if you could till or disk the lot then spray to try to kill it. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1094
Location: Idahome | We deal with it a lot here in the desert. Like others have said it is fine to eat when green, but once it dries out either take horses out or burn it. They will imbed in the gums and cause ulcers, or get in the eyes or ears and all over in their tail. Watch if you have dogs as well. I have a doxie that gets them in his ears occasionally and it if they get too far down, I have to take him in to the vet to be removed. |
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Sideways Riding Expert
Posts: 11371
Location: ND--it snows, it floods, it snows, it floods | Is it true Cheat grass or what everyone else calls cheat grass? |
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Veteran
Posts: 278
Location: Whitney, NE | Well, thats a good question- I am completely unfamiliar with cheatgrass, we don't have it up here. I am not sure what type of cheatgrass it is, I just know it came up in the part of the lot they farmed last year then summerfallowed. The rest of the calving lot and the pastures don't have it. Since I don't know much about it, I will take any info I can! Thanks to those who answered:) |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 629
Location: Roping pen | What part of Nebraska are you in?
You can roundup it to kill it, and that will help control it some. If the timing is right, (the day it starts a seed head), you could get by with just one spraying. That will allow the warm season grasses (if rain comes) to start. The best is a fall application of a herbicide but you need to talk with the local crop service person to see what is allowed in your area. You have better control of it in the fall. In the spring, all you can do is kill it but it will come back.
I graze my pastures with downy brome (actual common name in our area -Northcentral NE-that everyone calls cheatgrass) in late fall, and early spring hard...try to get off once the warm season grasses start to germinate. I will never get rid of it, but I do get some good out of it.
The biggest risk is a bale in a bale feeder with cheat in it. Do not allow horses to feed on it in a bale feeder. Causes a lot of eye problems. I unroll any bales I have and make sure it is spread out very well. The seed heads causes a lot of problems. I have never had a horse get a sore mouth, but have seen cattle have problems. Never heard of a horse foundering on it, but, with horses, anything is possible.
Best use of it, IMO, is to allow it to head, than bale it. Roll the bales thru a blowout....really heals a blowout up.
It does not like competition, so almost any planted crop will help keep it under control. Best way to get rid of it for good is 2-3 years of a warm season crop (corn or alfalfa) with herbicide applications. But if it is a "sacrifice" area, ie a calving lot, probably just have to learn to live with it.
Good luck. |
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Veteran
Posts: 278
Location: Whitney, NE | Thanks! We are in Whitney, between Chadron and Crawford. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1432
Location: Never in one place long | Idaho - 2014-05-12 10:52 PM
Fine to eat while green and soft, total mess with your horses gums, teeth and soft exposed skin after it is dry and dead. Mostly just nasty stuff. Hard as he)) to kill also.
I agree with this, we have a lot of cheat in our pasture when we moved here, our neighbors told us to make sure and bale it when it's GREEN because once it browns out not good anymore. Haven't had any collic problems after 5 seasons here. I've heard it is hard to kill also though, we haven't tried. The heads to STICK to everything like crazy!!! |
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