Poison Question

[Bramblehill]

I 've looked on Cornell and Purdue sites for poisonous plants, but am still a little confused as to whether dead oak leaves and acorns are poisonous to horses. It says that they usually won't eat them but I don't want to take any chances.

The best place on our land is under a big oak tree for shade and shelter,and I just fenced in that area. Please tell me that it'll be okay!

 

[Farmhand]

http://www.newrider.com/Library/Misc_Tips/...us_plants2.html

http://www.mytoos.com/harmfulplants.html

 

[Hosscrazy]

Adding Univ. of Minn link:

UM Link

Liz R.

 

[virginia]

I don't know what the books say, but I have several Oaks in my field and have never had a problem. I do see them eating the leaves and ocassionally the acorns with no adverse effect. JMO

Ginny StP

 

[shminifancier]

I also have several oak trees and never anything happen with them eating.. In fat when I had Arabians I had so many Oaks trees that I named the farm 5 Oaks ranch.. Never had any problems even back then.

I don't know what the books say, but I have several Oaks in my field and have never had a problem.  I do see them eating the leaves and occasionally the acorns with no adverse effect. JMO
Ginny StP

530263[/snapback]

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[Bramblehill]

Thanks for the replies! It seems that the sources say that they are toxic and the "home folks" don't seem to be having much trouble from them(leaves and acorns.)I'm still a little confused! Can't decide if I should use that fence that I just built to keep the horses inside or away from the oak tree!

 

[Marty]

I think it depends on your particular kind of oak trees, and your location and contributing factors such as time of year come into play.

What I have here is most definately toxic and has killed horses in the area and one cow that I know of. They are fenced out of that area and we have cut down the rest a few years ago after said inncidents.

 

[Toyhorse]

Like others have said I have no problem with Oak Trees so I am going to let them be.

Well for over many years we did not either. But that changed

At the time Mom was raising Morgans. One of the mares and her foal kept getting colic on fall.

We did not know why and had sent for blood test and kept them in the barn so that we would know if they ate anything they should not. Well test came back normal so out to their shaded area they went. Again colic with in 24 hours. So back in the barn they came. Again the vet came out. Walk them and keep a close eye on them we were told. This time the filly did not recover and she became evan sicker. When she died she was sent to TUFF's and they said that she had a lot of acorns in her large bowel. That she was both tosick and had a blockage do to the acorns.

So do what you want but I would not place a horse of any size under Oak Trees.

Just not worth it to me all of my horse are to close of friends.

Toyhorse

 

[Sue_C.]

We do not have oak trees, as I have always been told to avoid them with horses. A good friend does have them, and after several colic episodes with her Haflingers, she now rakes up the fallen leaves, and acorns. The damage done by them may not manifest itself for a long time, and with some horses, perhaps not at all...but they are toxic, and can do damage. I prefer to err on the side of caution.

 

[shminifancier]

There is different kinds of Oaks some are I guess some are not,, Just depends on what grows in your area I guess...I have used shavings now for the last 30 years, and I know for a fact there are from oak trees well..that is all I can say..Dry leaves, acorns, eating bark off oak trees, eating the trees themselves, I don't know but as in shavings,, I know at times I have seen them munch on them,, not much, but some,, I have lots of squirrels around so I am not sure how much acorns have been downed over the years. I know some small trees have been "debarked", by my critters..I don't know I just don't worry much about trees..nice shade though..

 

[Happy Valley]

The problems occur if your horses acquire a taste and eat too much. A little won't hurt, but a lot will.

 

[Marty]

Toyhorse, how ironic that you mentioned Morgans.

A wonderful lady here is a morgan breeder.

She lost a couple of very valuable morgans to these acorns and leaves. They did a necropsy and the toxic levels were tremendous. Thanks to her because she called us to let us know what had happened and we learned something very important that we would have not otherwise known.



The problems occur if your horses acquire a taste and eat too much. A little won't hurt, but a lot will.

I would respectively disagree with you Happy Valley. How would you know when too much is too much and when to draw the line before it becomes deadly?

 

[rabbitsfizz]

No, I think that is actually about right- I have Oak trees, and I do not have the privilege of cutting them down, or the choice as all trees over twenty years old are protected by law (unless you are wealthy property developers, then you just pay the fine and do it anyway) My tree is over a hundred years old so it stays where it is, no choice. A friend of mine had a mare who nearly killed herself eating acorns- the Vet said this happens sometimes, they get a taste for them and then there is no option but to keep the two parted, so the mare had to be stalled whilst the acorns were falling. Very few horses will eat them once they are on the ground and starting to rot or germinate, it is only when they are fresh and tasty (well, if you are a crazy horse or a squirrel!! or an organic back to the earth traveller, grinding them for coffee) that they are a real danger. I keep my horses away from the main fall out area with an electric fence, for what I consider to be the danger time, and so far we have been OK. My friends mare was here for breeding and she was OK too, with this management. It's the same as buttercups- we all know they are potentially poisonous but a horse would have to really go at them to cause itself harm, and they taste horrid. I cannot eradicate my buttercups as I have three water meadows and in the first place I have to very careful what herbicides I use that close to water, and secondly, they keep coming back!! I keep the meadows well mowed.....BUT a few years back I had one mare who decided buttercups were manna from heaven and chowed down on them to the point where she dropped and died- no sickness, no signs, literally as right as rain one minute and dying the next. Autopsy showed all her intestines had virtually turned to soup!! My Vet said look for poisonous plants- I suggested the buttercups and Yes, the books agreed.

Almost anything in excess can cause problems, it's just that the toxicity levels in some plants are higher than others- Spring Grass can be fatal, Elderberries can be fatal (Nitric Acid)- Yes, I had a horse nearly kill itself eating Elderberries- Sorry this has got so long but, as I said, there are few things that, when eaten in excess are not poisonous to some degree.

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

I don't know for sure but am wondering if it is the amount they eat... like if the pasture and feed is good, there may be no need to eat a lot of oak leaves and acorns. The horses may live in a field for a long time without any trouble, then maybe a drought happens... no grass and they start eating oak leaves and acorns in greater amounts then get sick??