Windbreak shrub that is safe for horses

[TheHappyHorsewife]

I’m hoping someone might be able to provide some insight about shrubs safe for horses…particularly ninebark and gray dogwood. Our house and barn are up on a hill and we get gusty wind. I want to create a 6-10’ tall windbreak around my outdoor arena and I was looking into some shrubs. I want them to be safe for horses because they will have access to it. I live in Wisconsin and I’ve been reading about ninebark, gray dogwood, and American hazelnut. They seem to grow well in our area, be sturdy for a windbreak, and they are the appropriate height. I’ve read that they are safe for wildlife, and they even provide food for birds, but I haven’t been able to find them on any lists stating whether they are definitely non-toxic to horses. Does anyone know anything about these shrubs?

Thanks!

[goodhors]

If the horses can access the shrubs, they will probably chew them or break them down. I don’t know toxicity for the ones you name. If horses can’t reach them for chewing, you have a wider selection.

I am not far from Lansing, have local wild roses, honeysuckle growing that horses chew on with no problems. Both form dense thickets if not trimmed. Amur Honeysuckle is invasive, but other kinds are not listed that way. We are listed as zone 5, but might not be quite as cold as your area. Lake Effect makes us usually warmer than the west side of the Lake.

You might check with the local Conservation District, part of the Extension Service run by your State. See if they can help with toxicity, along with cheap plants in quantity. They are huge on developing windbreaks, animal habitat, sell trees, bushes and shrubs of all kinds at low prices. Going with a “layered effect” or double/triple row planting with alternating trees. This could be really attractive and protective if animals don’t run thru there to mash them. We have some very nice looking windbreak plantings around houses, along roads, that we drive by, made of several kinds of trees and shrubs. Lovely fall color is a bonus.

[Bluey]

Here, most use some kind of cypress or cedar trees for that, as a windbreak and noise and visual barriers, but we are in the SW.

I agree, ask your local Natural Resource Office for more on this, generally located with your USDA Farm Service Agency office.

[Scarlet_Gilia]

Ditto - check with your extension service.

FWIW, a list from CSU of Cultivated Trees and Plants Potentially Poisonous to Animals.

Also, a discussion on dogwoods.

[goodhors]

The list from CSU is not very long, so don’t consider them to be the only toxic trees, shrubs, perennials, that can affect horses.

Other sites are better with more names, but the CSU does give the Latin names, which is real helpful when some places only give a variety name like Blaze or Sunset Maple. Latin tells you this is the Acer Rubrum which is the poison Red Maple, who is not red at all until Fall. The Latin names will be the same, whatever the Variety, to pinpoint the poison families. Jugalone, is the family name that Black Walnut is in, along with Butternut and other trees that are ALL bad for horses.

Get the Latin name for sure, then you can do choices of things to plant which is not poison. Variety name really is not much help on the poison angle, gets changed ALL the time by local sellers.

[TheHappyHorsewife]

Thank you everyone. A lot of good insight! I will check my local Ag extension, too.

[Mozart]

Caragana is not the most attractive shrub around but it is dense, the right height, hardy and fast growing. It is frequently used as part of a shelter belt on the prairies.

[Scarlet_Gilia]

I would do some research before planting Caragana.

It is considered an invasive species in Minnesota and Wisconsin

[Mozart]

[QUOTE=Scarlet Gilia;8127460]
I would do some research before planting Caragana.

It is considered an invasive species in Minnesota and Wisconsin[/QUOTE] Interesting. Thank you for posting that. It is the go to shrub around here and when the federal government (Canada) used to provide it free of charge to farmers planting windbreaks (before they disbanded the whole free tree program a few years ago) I guess the take home message would be to exercise vigilance and make sure you do not let it spread, or choose something else. The hardiness and fast growth were definite advantages though.

[TheHappyHorsewife]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! So happy to get everyone’s opinions. I’m starting to think maybe I should go a different route. Something not edible.