Content
- Ingestion of toxic plants for horses
- List of toxic plants for horses
- Other plants and foods toxic to the horse
- Learn to recognize poisoning
- How to avoid ingesting toxic plants
Health can be defined as that complete state of well-being that allows us to enjoy an optimal quality of life, not only for us humans, but also for animals, and of course, this state of health is of special importance for those animals that live with us or with whom we create a special bond.
Sometimes the disease state comes from changes in the proper physiology of a living organism, but on many other occasions what compromises health is an exogenous agent, which is not always a pathogenic microorganism, since in some occasions the cause of the disease is a substance that is potentially toxic.
Our horse is also susceptible to getting sick from the accidental ingestion of a harmful substance, so in this article we show you what the toxic plants for horses.
Ingestion of toxic plants for horses
Although we keep our horse's most immediate surroundings in the best possible conditions, when going out for a walk, our animal can expose itself to multiple dangers that entail serious health consequences.
In this case we are talking about berries, plants and herbs that our horse can easily access and that are dangerous not only because they can be poisonous, but also because this animal has a delicate digestive tract, and the ingestion of certain substances can cause cramps and complications. It is important to review the area where the horse usually grazes to identify those plants that are toxic.
List of toxic plants for horses
Let's see next what are the toxic plants for horses which are moreover easily found in meadows and pastures:
- Black wattle: Causes anorexia, muscle weakness, depression and cramps.
- Acorns: They are poisonous only in large amounts, although they can cause cramps, constipation, abdominal pain, and kidney damage.
- Oleander: It has great toxicity and can cause cardiac arrest in the horse.
- Horsetail: It is toxic because it destroys vitamin B in the horse's body.
- Hemlock: It is a highly toxic plant as it contains a deadly poison that affects horses, other animals and humans.
- St. John's Wort: It is toxic to the horse's liver and causes specific liver damage that ends up translating into hypersensitivity to sunlight that causes sores in non-pigmented areas of the skin. A strong intoxication can even be fatal.
- Blonde: Blonde intoxication can manifest itself through vomiting and diarrhea, but it can affect the heart, in which case it is deadly.
- Rhododendron: This plant contains a toxic substance called grayanotoxin that can cause death within hours of ingestion.
- Senecio Jacobaea: It is a very poisonous plant that specifically affects the horse's liver to progressively destroy this important vital organ.
- Yew: The yew causes poisoning as lethal as it is fast, with cases in which the animal died with the presence of leaves in its oral cavity.
- Algae: They are found in ponds and their intoxication causes tremors, difficulty coordinating movements and hypersensitivity, the horse can die in a few hours.
- Belladonna: Belladonna poisoning causes cardiac arrhythmias, dilated pupils, muscle tremors, blindness, and seizures. It's deadly.
- Bluebell: The bluebell (Digitalis purpurea) is a plant that has an important action on the heart, so when it affects a vital organ it can cause the horse's death.
- Thistle: To show intoxication by this plant (Carduus carpetanus) the horse must have consumed large amounts for a minimum of 30 days. Intoxication can be analyzed through facial paralysis and edema, the cause of the animal's death.
- Broccoli and Cauliflower: They are not poisonous vegetables but can cause gas and colic in the delicate digestive tract of the horse, causing intestinal changes.
- Santiago wort: It is highly toxic and causes irreversible damage to the horse's liver.
- Bryonia: Causes diarrhea, convulsions, sweating and increased urination.
- Sudan grass: Affects the horse's respiratory system until death from respiratory paralysis.
Other plants and foods toxic to the horse
Previously we saw the main toxic plants for horses, however, we can mention a few more, as well as other foods that should be kept away from this animal:
- Adelfa
- absinthe
- Dryopteris filix-mas
- Laburnum
- Ranunculus
- Buttercup
- Aconite
- Privet
- Tomato
- Potatoes
- pepper
- Onion
- senecio jacobaea
- Glechoma Glechoma
- Thuja
- henbane
- Trumpet
- Conifers
- plums
- Fir
- Saffron
- viola string
- Peas
- Hydrangeas
- Lupine
- red clover
- Lilies
- Euphorbia
As we see, there are many substances that can negatively affect the horse, so it is important to know these plant species and prevent the animal from ingesting them.
Learn to recognize poisoning
If your horse has been poisoned by a harmful plant, it will probably show some of the following symptoms:
- loss of balance
- excessive salivation
- Apathy
- Somnolence
- loss of appetite
- Skin rashes
- abdominal cramps
- Diarrhea or constipation
- edema
If you notice any of the symptoms mentioned above in your horse you should contact the veterinarian urgently.
How to avoid ingesting toxic plants
To avoid ingesting plants that are toxic to horses, we must offer our animal a environment where you can safely graze and extreme precautions when we change the pasture area.
The following advice will be very helpful:
- Learn to identify plants that are toxic to horses
- Remove these plants from the horse's environment, pull them out by the roots and cover the holes with salt so that they do not grow back
- Extreme precautions if you identify trees with berries, since most are poisonous
- Offer her a fenced and secure enclosure
While identifying plants when they are not yet flowering is a truly complex task, you should think that it is the most effective way to protect your horse's health.
