Before you know how to fix a grass affected horse, it is important to understand exactly what it means. 

What does a grass affected horse mean?

A grass affected horse refers to a horse that is eating a diet that is negatively affecting their health and possibly causing erratic behavior. Although this can certainly be caused by your horse eating wild grass, a horse can also become grass affected by eating other things such as hay or any other type of foliage. It is common for horses to become grass affected when their food supply has been contaminated by fertilizer or pesticides. Parasites can also cause a horse to become grass affected if they are present on their food and are consumed by the horse. A horse that is grass affected will display a wide range of symptoms, including sweating, changes in appetite, lack of movement, aggressiveness, and excessive drooling.

How to fix a grass affected horse?

The main ways to fix a grass affected horse is by finding the source, move pastures, change food, increased hydration, avoid riding. 

Finding the source

The best way to fix a grass affected horse is to find the source of the food that is causing the problem. You can do this by observing your horse in the pasture, and taking note of what and where she is eating. Once you find which portion of grass your horse is eating, check to see if there is any chance that pesticides or fertilizers are present in this area. You should also look for signs of water or small streams which could carry these substances into the grass. 

Move pastures

A simple and easy way to fix a grass affected horse is to move pastures. This should be one of the first things you do if you have access to more land. Hopefully after a few days in the new pasture, your horse will start to recover. 

Change food

Another option is too offset a grass affected horse by changing the food you give them. A grass affected horse is usually consuming too much potassium. Therefore, you should feed your horse mature grass hay which is usually very low in potassium. If you go with hay, you should check out my guide on how to chop hay. You should also check out my review of the best slow hay feeders for horses.

Hydration

Another great way to help a grass affected horse is to ensure that they are drinking enough water. You should always have a fresh bucket of clean water available for your horse. The increased intake of water can help flush out the toxins which are causing your horse to be grass affected in the first place.

Avoid riding

It is imperative that you do not ride a horse that is experiencing symptoms of a grass affected horse. Riding your horse can make them extremely weak, and it will make it much harder for their body to fight off the disease.