Fall beauty & Autumn horror – Red maple poisoning

Many horse owners are unaware that these red and dark purple leaves are toxic to horses.  Some horses develop a taste for these leaves and when some quantity of these leaves are consumed they lead to irreversible changes in the blood which permanently damages the kidneys and leads to the death of the horse.  By the time symptoms are noted by the horse owners it is too late; there is no treatment for horses with this condition – death usually occurs within 24 hours. 

Horse people should be aware of this condition and inspect pastures and surrounding areas for trees or branches that will shed leaves into these areas.  In the fall when pastures are less productive horses will consume these leaves out of curiosity.  This condition also occurs at other times of the year, for example after storms remove branches from trees landing them in the pasture, providing horses with an outside source of red leaves. Prevention of this condition is in taking care to remove these leaves from pasture areas. 

Another fall related condition associated with trees is acorn toxicity in horses.  Some horses develop a taste for acorns which may lead to many problems.  The worst of these problems is an impaction of the stomach due to the poor digestibility of the acorns. Even surgery for this condition is extremely difficult and only rarely attempted by surgeons. 

Finally, for those considering feeding round bales, be sure to think about the following factors. 

1.    Feeding round bales to a small population of horses (1-3) is generally not recommended since winter weather often spoils the hay before it can be consumed by the horses.  This spoiled hay in its mildest consideration may effect consumption and nutritional value. It can also lead to various types of colic.  Round bales fed to larger populations should be checked prior to and throughout feeding to insure that rotten or spoiled portions are removed.

2.     Horseman should be advised that there is also an increased risk of horses contracting botulism from consuming hay in which small animals were inadvertently caught up in during the production of the hay.  These animals spoil while the hay is curing, producing the botulism toxin which is consumed by accident when the horses ingest hay contaminated with these spoiled animals.  This toxin is one of the most deadly known toxins and there is no treatment or cure once clinical signs have developed.  A vaccine is available which can be given to horses to prevent the development of this disease, but must be given to the horse in a time that allows the horse to build immunity from the vaccine.

If you have any questions or concerns about any or all of these conditions please do not hesitate to contact our office.