Equestrian Life May 2018 Issue

feed and veterinary
UK plants that are poisonous to horses
It is really a good idea to
always take the time to
walk round a new field or
paddock to check for any
poisonous plants that could
either make your horse ill or
even cause death.
Remember that plants are
seasonal so what is seen to be
growing may change dependant
on the time of year.
There are many plants found
in the countryside and in our
gardens that are toxic. It is
useful to know what they look
like and what they do. Some of
these plants have been used as
medicines – but in controlled
amounts. They can be lethal if
a large amount of the plant is
ingested.
• Yew - Commonly grown in
churchyards and parkland.
Traditionally used to make the
English Long Bow for Archers
way back in history. This tree is
extremely toxic to all animals.
The toxins contained within it
are very fast acting and cause
the horse to have a fatal cardiac
arrest. Prior to this the horse
may become unco-ordinated,
have breathing difficulties and
convulsions. Often the animal is
found dead with the leaves still
in their mouth.
Morley Veterinary
Practice Limited
24 hour Emergency Service
WE OFFER: Yard visits or examinations at our clinic
Vaccinations • Microchipping and Pass-porting
Digital X-rays – at clinic or mobile • Ultrasound
Lameness work-throughs • Endoscopy• Vettings
Surgical facilities • Opthalmology • Stocks
Holiday livery for your horse • In-house laboratory
Parking for trailers & horseboxes
Also small animal practices at 28-30 Lower Stanton
Road, Ilkeston 01159 329322 and
261 High Lane East,West Hallam 01159 326056
Equine Clinic, Bull Pit Lane, Duffield,
Derbyshire, DE56 4FQ T: 01332 843323
The plant has a bitter taste
which usually stops horses
eating it but the risk from yew
clippings from gardens being
dumped in fields is very high.
• Sycamore
- These trees
are abundant
in the UK and
were previously
thought not to
be a problem to horses. But the
condition, Atypical Myopathy,
seems to be triggered by
ingestion of the seedlings, seeds
or leaves. The mortality rate is
between 75 and 90%.
The symptoms are similar to
Tying up Syndrome. Muscular
stiffness, dark urine, sweating
and difficulty standing so
the horses are often found
recumbent with a rapid heart
rate. In Autumn when the
seeds drop off the trees they
should be removed, along with
the seedlings in the spring.
Alternatively the area around the
tree can be fenced off.
• Oak - All
of this
magnificent
tree is toxic
to horses,
including the
acorns. They affect the bowel
and the kidneys causing weight
loss, colic, dark urine and
oedema (fluid), in the limbs.
One of my clients has found a
novel solution to the problem of
having an Oak tree in their field.
They have fenced off the area
around the tree and it is now
home to several pigs who like the
acorns. Also their ponies are all
Pig Proof!
• Bracken
- A fern like
plant found
on moorland
and in woods.
Horses will
only eat it if they do not have
enough grazing. It has to be
eaten for months to cause
problems. Symptoms are
neurological causing ataxia
(staggering), circling convulsions
and blindness. If caught early
enough your Vet can treat with a
Thiamine supplement.
• Ragwort -
This yellow
flowered plant
is extremely
toxic due to
the Alkaloids
contained in it. When it is
growing it has a bitter taste so
unless the horses have sparse
grazing they generally will
not eat it. But once it dries the
bitterness goes and they will eat
it especially in hay. So, using
a topper on a field of ragwort
is also a bad idea. If you find
ragwort in your field dig it out,
roots and all, and burn it. Always
wear gloves as it is toxic to
humans too. Ragwort poisoning
in horses causes weight loss and
liver damage. The results can be
collapse, neurological symptoms
and death. Early detection and
treatment can save the animal
but prevention is better than cure
in this case.
DEFRA issues regulations
concerning the plants’ removal
from land but it seems like a
losing battle when you see land
ready to be built on covered with
ragwort.
• St Johns
Wort - A yellow
flowered plant
often found in
damp hedge
bottoms.
Ingestion causes areas of
unpigmented skin ie. Flesh marks
and white haired skin, to become
photosensitised when exposed
to sunlight. These areas become
inflamed and tend to peel. The
liver is usually affected too.
Professor Derick Knottenbelt
stated at a lecture that if the
plant had yellow flowers it was
likely to be toxic. A good rule of
thumb.
34 May 2018 Equestrian Life