[Arabians4ME]

Okay apparently I was having a 'duh' moment today and learned a bit at the vet.

Apparently there are several horses that are owned by the same person being treated for poisioning from some sort of tree that had blown down in their pasture. One had already died and I think another was in serious condition and the others were hanging on.

However this got us to talking about Maple Leaves. I SWEAR that I read somewhere that it only affected mares and was politely informed that it affected all horses (which makes sense, and seems to me that was what I was thinking when I read that article) and it's only Red Maples or Acer Ruberum not any others.

It was an eye opener for me I felt that I should post it here. Probably makes me look like a goof ball but that's okay!

Luckily we only have one Red Maple and it's in my front yard all the others are Silver Maples.

OK, I feel better now that I told someone else about it!

[Equineluver]

thanks for the info. i will go check the pature

[kellidahorsegirl]

Yep, red maples
When I was really young, I remember we planted a red maple right next to the horse pen...THEN found out it was apparently poisonous.....well its been there for probably ohhhh 15 or 16 years? I don't know if the horses ever ate the leaves, but they've not gotten sick from it.

I wonder if certain horses aren't effected by it (like some people aren't bothered by e-coli or whatever).

[Dawn]

I've never heard of people not being affeted by e.coli, that's interesting.

The leaves have to be at just the right stage to be poisonous, but when they are they are extremely toxic. I don't think it's something I would want around them even if there never had been an issue before.

[kellidahorsegirl]

Well I was talking more of a resistance to it. As in, e-coli is in all the meat really,,,,but some people can be more easily effected by it. Like here, we eat RARE meat all the time, even store bought and don't have problems (mind you the meat coulda been healthy too ).
Just mainly talking about how some toxins effect some while not others.

[sugarsgal]

I believe the leaves are toxic in any stage (fresh on or off the tree and dry) But I could be wrong but alot of sites will say different things bout all trees.

Also speaking of tree, so is the Black Walnut (all parts) the roots being the most toxic. My mare at the leaves and I was lucky that she only coliced from it but man her mouth stunk!!

[Lindsayanne]

I have a black walnut and a red maple in my front yard.

[kellidahorsegirl]

your horses are gonna die LA!!!!!!!!!!

Generally I find that keeping GOOD hay and feed in front of your horses prevents them from wanting to go find leaves to eat to fill their tummies.

[Lindsayanne]

Originally Posted by kellidahorsegirl

your horses are gonna die LA!!!!!!!!!!

Generally I find that keeping GOOD hay and feed in front of your horses prevents them from wanting to go find leaves to eat to fill their tummies.

Oh, I'm not flipping out over it. With 15 acres of pasture between 2 or 3 horses tops, nobody's going after fallen leaves.

Actually my squash plants overflowed from my garden to send vines into the pasture and my horses have oh-so-neatly weeded around them without tuching a hair of the squash plants.


I've also been told that some horses somehow know the native plants that aren't safe to eat. He thought it was regional but I think my horses, which all have mustang no more than 2 or 3 generations back, are savvy in that regard even though they are from all over the US. My vet told me a story about a farm locally where the guy had raised all sorts of horses for years and years and years, and then went and brought down three Clydsdales from Canada and 3 days later they were all three dead from eating something in their pasture!!! Weird that the other horses never touched it, huh?

[kellidahorsegirl]

^^ weird LA. I think horses tend to know whats bad for them too. Not to mention apparently a lot of the bad plants taste like YUCK too


*and I was kidding about your horses dying...I know you know how to take car eof them HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA the second part was a general statement to the thread

oh and wait....clydesdales...they'd have to eat a LOT of the bad weeds! oopsie