[lazybee]

Poisonous plant list for horses.


    * Acorns
    * Alder Buckthorn
    * Black Bryony
    * Black Nightshade
    * Box
    * Bracken
    * Broom
    * Buckthorn
    * Buttercup
    * Celandine - Greater
    * Charlock
    * Cherry Laurel
    * Chickweed
    * Clover
    * Columbine
    * Corncockle
    * Cowbane
    * Cuckoo Pint
    * Darnel
    * Deadly Nightshade
    * Foxglove
    * Ground Ivy
    * Groundsel
    * Hellebore
    * Hemlock
    * Hemlock Water-Dropwort
    * Hemp Nettle
    * Henbane
    * Herb Paris
    * Horse Radish
    * Horsetail
    * Iris
    * Laburnum
    * Larkspur
    * Lily of the Valley
    * Linseed
    * Lupin
    * Marsh Marigold
    * Meadow Saffron
    * Melilot
    * Mercury
    * Monk's Hood
    * Oak
    * Pimpernel
    * Poppy
    * Potato
    * Privet
    * Ragwort
    * Rhubarb
    * Rhododendron
    * Rush
    * St Johns Wort
    * Sorrel
    * Spurge
    * Thorn Apple
    * White Bryony
    * Woody Nightshade
    * Yew

The message here is know your plants. There are many more plants here than just Ragwort and lots of them are quite common. Many on this list are much worse. everyone seems to be hung up on Ragwort (medium risk)? My biggest problem is Acorns, Iris also buttercup some years.

[OhLaLa]

I need to read the list more closely - but clover? I went to Agricultural College, did all the grass mix stuff in lessons, clover is a good one, just not too much in the overall grass mix.

...but I'll double check... it never hurts to double check...

 

Ok, had a quick mooch - could be opening a can of worms here, but, research appears to say that grass sickness (EGS) has been linked to too much White Clover. Other views are that White Clover is fattening. Some opinion says White Clover is the worst - others say Red clover.

I think without getting too much into the scientific nutritional values here (which will conflict with each other anyway), I'd say just try to be sensible when feeding and/or choosing a grass mix for a new paddock.

[lachlanandmarcus]

to me theres 3 categories - toxic things like acorns which can make a horse really ill but normally only if they gorge on them, moderately poisonous things like cherry laurel, which horses shouldnt have access to, and cumulative or highly toxic things like yew and ragwort which really must be nowehere around.

A horse might live ok for years with oak trees but if they eat a mouthful of yew they could die,

[OhLaLa]

Oh, and just spotted Linseed on the list.

Linseed is another goodie BUT needs to be soaked overnight and then boiled.

Linseed is rich in Omega 3 and amongst other benefits is good for a nice shiny coat and healthy skin. We used to add it to the feed of the high level dressage horses at a livery yard I worked at. Several major horse feed manufacturers add it to their mixes.

Again, feed sensibly. Don't overdo it.

 

I'd better add some say no need to soak overnight, but we did.

[Daisy]

or buy linseed meal ready for eating much eaiser than all that boiling