Can prickley pads hurt my horses?

Question

I have just bought land on the river and there are small cactus everywhere. We tried to dig them up but there are just too many. Will they hurt my horses? I am worried about the spines getting into their frogs.

Answer 1

There are lots of prickly pear type cactus, some with fine hair-like needles and some with large sharp spines.  I think the hair-like type can be very uncomfortable if your horse tries to eat it or even sniffs at it because the tiny spines are irritating much like fiber glass.

The prickly pears with the larger spines might be able to penetrate a horse's frog, but I grew up with horses in the desert, and I never saw a horse seriously injured from stepping on cactus, so I don't think they pose a real problem.  

Wish I could help you more.