Poisonous Plants
Horse Pasture And Grazing

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Poisoning of Horses - Horse Poison

Poisonous Plants
Good field management will help you to achieve the correct grasses for horse pasture, however there are many plants that are poisonous to horses and knowing how to spot them and how to eradicate them is a very important aspect of horse care.

Buttercup
This pretty yellow flowering plant, usually flowers in April and May but can continue to flower throughout the summer months. The buttercup can have all yellow petals or white petals with a yellow centre.

Horses Symptoms When Eaten
Buttercups are not poisonous when cut and dried, however when eaten fresh they can cause blistering within the mouth, excessive salivation, diarrhoea and colic. Due to the buttercups unpleasant taste, horses will generally leave them well alone unless it is there only source of food.
Buttercups Can Be Found
Buttercups can be found throughout United Kingdom and also in parts of the United States.

Bracken
Bracken is a type of fern which commonly grows between two and six feet high. Bracken dies back during the autumn and cold winter months and starts to come through again in the spring and summer months.

Horses Symptoms When Eaten
Bracken can cause a deficiency in vitamin B1, symptoms can include a lack of appetite, general weakness and disorders of the nervous system.
Bracken Can Be Found
Bracken can be found worldwide, especially in good draining areas such as woodland and hill tops where it is especially successful.

Buckthorn
This is a shrub which grows to approximately 4 to 15 meters high with black berries and green leaves up to 15 cm in length.

Horses Symptoms When Eaten
Rise in temperature, diarrhoea and cramps.
Buckthorn Can Be Found
Buckthorn requires subtropical conditions such as found in parts of Africa and North America.

Cherry Laurel
This is an evergreen shrub which can grows to around 6 meters high. The Cherry Laurel produces white flowers around April and then small cherry like berries which turn black around Autumn time.

Poisonous Parts
Due to the Cyanide that is contained within the Cherry Laurel, the leaves and berries are poisonous when eaten by the horse.
Horses Symptoms When Eaten
Cherry Laurel can cause the horse to have breathing difficulties and general fatigue.
Cherry Laurel Can Be Found
This shrub can be found throughout much of Europe and is often in hedges and woodland areas.

Foxglove
This beautiful plant produces purple bell like flowers and can grow from between 1 to 2 meters high. It flowers throughout the summer.

Poisonous Parts
It is the flower, seeds and leaves which are poisonous to horses affecting in particular, the heart.
Horses Symptoms
Symptoms can include irregular pulse and digestive disorders such as diarrhoea and colic.
Foxgloves Can Be Found
Foxgloves can be found throughout much of Europe.

Horsetail
These plants can grow to around 1.5 to 2 meters high and look like spiky bristles on a brush.

Poisonous Parts
The whole plant is poisonous to the horse.
Horses Symptoms
Horsetail causes the destruction of vitamin B. Horses symptoms can include lethargy, weakness, in coordination and a lack of appetite.
Horsetail Can Be Found
Horsetail can be found in a number of soil conditions

Hemp Nettle
Hemp Nettle produces small red flowers.

Horses Symptoms
General depression, digestive upsets and a lack of appetite.
Hemp Nettle Can Be Found
Hemp Nettle can be found throughout the United Kingdom in varying soil conditions.

Iris
The Iris can be a number of different colours.

Horses Symptoms
Iris poisoning can cause digestive upsets and general weakness with a rise in the horses temperature.
The Iris Can Be Found
Iris can be found throughout United Kingdom, North America and parts of Europe.

Laburnum
A tree which produces beads of yellow flowers around May and June time.

Horses Symptoms
The horse may have a rise in temperature and be lethargic or unsteady, often with digestive upsets such as diarrhoea and/or colic.
The Laburnum Can Be Found
Laburnum can be found throughout the United Kingdom and southern Europe.

Linseed
Is another name given to the Flax plant. The Flax plant has five pale blue petals with brown seeds within and grows to approximately 1 meter in height. These seeds when boiled are no threat to the horse however untreated are poisonous.

Horses Symptoms
Symptoms of linseed poisoning are a rapid heart beat, breathing difficulties, excessive salivation and difficulty in standing and in coordination.
Linseed Can Be Found
Linseed can be found throughout much of Europe.

Lilly Of The Valley
The Lilly of the valley grows to approximately 15 to 20 cm and produces small white bell shaped flowers amongst broad green leaves.

Horses Symptoms
Symptoms can include digestive disorders and a rise in heart rate.
Lilly Of The Valley Can Be Found
Lilly of the valley can often be be found in woodland areas throughout much of Europe.

Larkspur
The Larkspur can vary in height from 15 cm to 1 to 2 meters. It produces several small flowers which have five petals surrounding the centre which forms a spur shape. The Larkspur can be a number of different colours such as purple, blue, white and yellow and all parts of the plant are toxic.

Symptoms
Breathing and digestive problems such as colic and diarrhoea also in coordination and general weakness and reluctance or difficulty in standing.
Larkspur Can Be Found
Larkspur can be found throughout much of Europe.

Monkshood
This is a vibrant blue flower which has big hood like petals.

What parts are poisonous
All parts of the plant are poisonous.
Monkshood Can be found
The Monkshood can be largely found throughout the Northern Hemisphere and can be found in sunny or shady areas from the end of June, through the summer.
Horses Symptoms
Symptoms of Monkshood can cause breathing difficulties and depression and skin irritation.

Northern Water Hemlock (NA)
Poison Hemlock can be identified by its reddish purple spots on the smooth stems with a white flower on top and can grow to approximately 2 meters.

Horse Symptoms
Poison Hemlock can cause circulatory disorders, respiratory failure and affect the nervous system with signs such as excessive salivation, tremors and seizures being visible.
Hemlock Can Be Found
Hemlock can be found in Europe and North America in both wet and dry areas.

Oak Tree
A beautiful tree that can live for hundreds of years that in the Autumn produces an ever increasing number of Acorns with each passing year. Horses that like the taste of the leaves and Acorns will try to seek them out so fencing off the Oak tree and surrounding overhang is the best option to help prevent poisoning.

What Parts Are Poisonous
The leaves of the Oak tree and also the Acorns are poisonous to horses.
Oaks Can Be Found
In many parts of Britain and the northern hemisphere.
Horses Symptoms
It is the Acorns that can cause digestive upsets such as diarrhoea, lack of appetite and colic, other symptoms can include depression and lethargy.

Oleander
This is a evergreen shrub, which can produce small white, pink, yellow or red flowers.

Oleander Can Be Found
Throughout much of the mediterranean.
Poisonous Parts
The entire plant is poisonous to horses, regardless of the plant being alive or dried.
Horses Symptoms
Symptoms can include severe circulatory problems such as arrhythmia and cardiac arrest as well as diarrhoea, colic and breathing difficulties, skin irritations and general overall weakness.

Poppy
The poppy produces a vibrant red flower which has black seeds in the centre. The Poppy flowers for a few months in the summer.
Flowers between June and August with the foliage staying green the rest of the year.

The Poppy Can Be Found
The Poppy is often found in meadows and verges throughout much of Briton.
Horses Symptoms
Symptoms of Poppy poisoning can cause an increased breathing rate with excessive salivation.

Privet
A dense shrub that produces white flowers around July and August and black fruit in the autumn.

Can Be Found
In the sun or shade all over Britain.
Horses Symptoms
Symptoms of Privet poisoning can cause a rapid pulse and respiratory rate often with in coordination, staggering and even paralysis.

Ragwort
Alive or dead, all parts of a Ragwort plant are poisonous to horses, due to its taste it is generally avoided when it is in the field unless it is the only source of food, The most common danger comes when Ragwort is mixed in with grass that is due to be cut for hay making.

Horse Symptoms
Symptoms of Ragwort poisoning are liver damage, digestive problems, overall weakness and in coordination that looks like the horse is staggering.
Ragwort contains poisonous compounds which once eaten will be broken down further in the liver of the horse. It is during this time that the liver damage occurs. The horse would need to have consumed Ragwort fairly regularly for the liver damage to build up and cause the damage. Good field and stable management to ensure that only excellent quality hay is provided and to check for and safely remove and destroy any Ragwort plants from the field, will help to reduce the damage that Ragwort can cause on the horses Liver.
Ragwort Can Be Found
Throughout much of England

Rhododendron
This is a tree or shrub which can have a variety of different coloured flowers.

Can Be Found
Throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere.
Horses Symptoms
Symptoms of Rhododendron poisoning can cause the horse to have difficulty in standing and breathing along with digestive disorders a weak pulse and the horse can also collapse.

Russian knapweed
This is a fairly small plant which produces small, most commonly white flowers.

Knapweed Can Be Located
Knapweed can be found throughout much of America.
Horses Symptoms
Symptoms of Russian Knapweed can include

Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
The Red Maple is a beautiful looking tree, especially in the Autumn due to the leaves turning red in colour. The Red Maple Maple has green deciduous leaves and the bark is gray in colour.

What Parts Are Poisonous
It is when the leaves start to die, that they become are poisonous to horses.
Horses Symptoms
Symptoms of Red Maple Poisoning include rapid breathing and increased heart rate, dehydration, lethargy and depression. Red Maple poisoning is very severe due to the massive destruction to the horses red blood cells.
The Red Maple Can Be Located
Throughout much of Eastern North America.

St John's Wort
This is a bright yellow flower between June and September which stems gives off a bright red juice when broken.

Can Be Found
In Britain, often found in hedge banks and verges
Horses Symptoms
St Johns Wort can cause photosensitivity which is a sensitivity to sunlight and this will cause the horse to become very sore, itchy and sensitive when the skin is exposed to sunlight.

Yew Tree
This is an evergreen tree which produces red berries.

Yew Can Be Found
Yew trees can be found throughout much of Europe.
What Parts Are Poisonous
The berries, bark and foliage.
Horses Symptoms
Can vary from mild to severe digestive upsets, increase in heart rate, in coordination and complete collapse of the horse. If left untreated death will occur.

Poisonous Plants Horse Pasture And Grazing

Poisonous Plants
Horse Pasture And Grazing