(For a list of other articles - go to the bottom of this page)
Do you know what kind of flowers are shown in these two pictures? If you live in Minnesota,
you probably should be able to recognize these and other flowers that have the same effect
on horses if they are eaten. The pretty flower on the left is Hoary Alyssum and the cute
little flower on the right is White Snakeroot. The symptoms from injesting either of these
two weeds include: depression, swelling of lower legs, fever, short term diarrhea, labored
breathing, tremors, nausea, or DEATH!
Drought and Weeds
If 100 percent of all weeds are not drought-resistant, then a significant number of weed
varieties are. During the drought in parts of Minnesota this summer, people who stopped watering
their luscious lawns witnessed the thick grass being taken over by all manner of spreading
weeds. The edges of paddocks and small pastures that had been eaten down were also populated
with noxious plants. Most horses will avoid poisonous plants until their choice of food
is severely limited. Who's to know when any given horse considers his/her choice of food
severely limited to the point that they decide to nibble on these tasty looking flowers.
Preventative Measures
According to an article published on the University of Minnesota Extension website, if your
horse exhibits any of the aforementioned symptoms poisonous plants should be given consideration
as the potential cause, especially if the following situations exist:
Forage supply in a pasture is sparse due to overgrazing, drought or poor early season growth.
Animals have recently been moved into a new pasture.
Animals have been released into a new pasture when hungry.
Herbicides have been used to control weeds.
Pasture has recently fertilized with nitrogen.
A new forage source has been fed.
This includes hay that the horses are eating as supplements in
the summer or hay eaten during the winter. The poisonous properties of noxious weeds are still
present after the weeds have been cut and baled along with the rest of the hay that you may have
purchased.
Anything that adversely affects a horse' nervous system can lead to bouts of laminitis or founder.
Even if a horse has just a mild bout of laminitis, it will have sore feet. If there seems to be
a high incident of foot pain with the horses at your barn during a period of drought, it may be due
to the hard dry ground, but it would be wise to investigate the possibility that noxious weeds have
been eaten either in the pasture or in a hay bale.
But first you have to be able to identify weeds that could cause problems and the symptoms they produce.
Go to Plants Poisonous to Livestock where the U of M has
a chart of useful information on this subject.
Other Posted Articles
How to Keep Your Farrier Coming Back
What to Expect of Your Farrier
Fat Horse - Foundered Horse - Maybe Worse
Hoofcare for your Foal
Helping Your Aging Horse
Are Your Hooves to Wet or Too Dry?
