Poisonous Plants In Your Pasture: Know The Risks!Poisonous plants can make your horses sick. Symptoms can be as mild a belly ache or as severe as a life threatening equine founder. Your horse pasture seems safe: you've made sure the fence is secure, removed anything sharp or dangerous and made sure your horses have adequate shelter and quality feed and hay. But are they still at risk in the pasture? If you haven't checked for poisonous plants, they may be. Red maples are a common culprit. They are toxic during the growing season and even more so after the leaves fall, causing anemia and kidney damage. Just a few leaves from the Japanese Yew can be fatal. Other common trees and shrubs on the "bad" list are oak, black cherry, black locust, azalea, rhododendron and oleander. Check here for an excellent
list of plants that are poisonous to your horse.
Many (but not all) poisonous plants do not taste very good and horses will need a good reason to eat them. If your horse is not getting enough to eat or the nutritional quality of his feed is poor, he may experiment. Accidental poisoning can also occur through contaminated hay and grain or by offering certain tree and bush clippings. Do not allow your horse to graze a pasture that has been recently sprayed with an herbicide. The compounds found in some herbicides may make plants more palatable to your horse and increase the concentrations of natural plant toxins. Treatment If you suspect your horse has ingested a poisonous plant, take steps to prevent further exposure. Remove your horse from the pasture and put him into a stall. If you suspect contaminated hay, grain or bedding, remove all from the stall. Contact your vet immediately. Try to determine what and how much has been eaten. In general, toxicity depends on several factors: the soil, climate, and growth stage of the plant; the horse's age, weight, and individual tolerance; plus how much other feed was in the stomach when the toxin was consumed. Since there are many different kinds of poisonous plants, there are many different signs of poisoning. The most common signs of toxin ingestion include the following: difficulty swallowing or breathing, colic, founder, hyperexcitability, seizures, uncoordination, limb edema or photosensitivity and even collapse and sudden death. Often these symptoms are similar to diseases caused by infectious, nutritional or age-induced problems. Owners should not attempt to treat poisoning themselves but should contact their veterinarian immediately, which could mean the difference between life and death. Prevention Prevention is the best option. Know the common poisonous plants in your region of the country, including the time of year they are the most palatable or the most toxic. You can limit pasture time during the 'more toxic' times of the year and make sure your horse is well fed before turnout, but this only reduces the risk, it does not eliminate it. Do not overstock pastures with too many horses per acre. Proper pasture maintenance also reduces undesirable plant growth. Provide the best quality horse hay and grain possible, checking each flake of hay and scoop of grain carefully before feeding it. Hay should be green and smell pleasant. Grain should not have any corn fines or screenings which can contain a compound that causes moldy corn poisoning. If you have any doubts about the quality of your feed, have samples tested. For help with poisonous plant identification, consult your veterinarian or county agricultural agent. Local nurseries and greenhouses can also be a help. Poisonous pasture plants can cause discomfort, short or long term illness or death. Identify and remove any suspect plants and follow a sensible feeding and turnout schedule.
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