yard, stable ‘n’paddock Poisonous - or just a nuisance?


Poisonous plants can kill a horse or pony and if a horse or pony is suspected of having eaten poisonous herbage, the vet should be called immediately. With this in mind it makes sense to know how to identify the most common plants you will potentially find growing in your grazing pasture.


Ragwort at the rosette stage should be dug up and burnt


Everyone knows about ragwort, pretty yellow flowers and deadly. It is usually avoided by grazing horses when fresh, but it becomes palatable when dried in hay. How many other poisonous weeds do you know about? Buttercups are poisonous if eaten fresh, but become totally harmless when dried in hay. Large quantities would have to be eaten to have a significant effect on a horse’s health.


Chickweed is a smothering, fast growing weed and unpalatable. It is best removed by spraying when in the seedling stage. Nettles are harmless if eaten, indeed some horses relish them if they are cut and allowed to wilt for a few hours. Nettles grow rapidly between


April and September and should be treated during this time to eradicate them. Nettles spread easily and can soon take over a paddock, so don’t allow them to go to seed. Bracken is normally avoided by grazing horses, but on some commons and hill land it is so abundant that quantities are ingested, causing internal bleeding. The effects are cumulative, as bracken contains a vitamin B1 antagonist resulting in poor growth, loss of condition and incoordination. Treatment includes the administration of large doses of B1. Deadly Nightshade is not normally fatal to horses although it can cause narcosis, dilation of the pupils and convulsions. The quantity needed to produce the


symptoms depends on the animal’s health and condition at the time of ingestion. Foxglove (above) is not usually eat fresh although becomes more palatable if eaten in hay. A quantity as small at 100g (¼lb) will prove fatal. The symptoms of foxglove poisoning include contracted pupils, convulsions and difficulty breathing, followed by death only hours later.


Hard rush is found in wet soils and is very tough and


usually only eaten if the rest of the pasture is bare. It can be difficult to control and is best treated with glyphosate in a weed wiper, then cut 4-6 weeks later. Hemlock (below) is fatal when a quantity of 2.5 – 5.0kg is eaten. Though up to 2m tall, it has more delicate looking (fern-like) leaves and white flower umbels than many of its carrot family relatives (cow parsley is probably most similar). The key diagnostic is its hollow, cylindrical, red spotted stems. It has an unpleasant mousy smell. Symptoms include narcosis and paralysis, with death a few hours later. Horsetails are common on wet soils and large amounts eaten in hay are very dangerous. Poisoning shows as wasting and loss of control of the muscles. Horses and ponies will rarely eat the plant as it grows. Laburnum is very common in gardens and quantities as small as 0.5kg will prove fatal. Although the whole tree is dangerous, the seeds are the most toxic part. The symptoms of laburnum poisoning include convulsions and coma, with


Logic ground driven spreaders


The LDS range of ground driven spreaders are simple, robust and reliable. They are perfect for general spreading and can be towed by any suitable vehicle. The smallest in the range, LDS120DS has a capacity of 120 litres or approximately 115kg and is suitable for small acreages or top dressing strip grazed areas. Larger models, the LDS240 is 240 litres or approximately 230kg capacity and the largest model LDS380 is 380 litres or approximately 365kg capacity and are more suited to smallholdings or upland farms where an ATV or UTV does most of the work, especially on hilly ground. These spreaders are designed with a generous wheelbase to ensure they have a very low centre of gravity, making them safer to use on


Equine Page 46


hillsides. Other features that make this spreader a firm favourite are that there are few moving parts and maintenance is minimal. The galvanised finish ensures the chassis and mounting frame will last for many years. The adjustable flow control can be operated from the driving position on an ATV and the disc drive engagement is extremely simple and can be disengaged when not spreading. All models have low ground pressure wheels to allow use in soft conditions and the filling height is not excessive when using bagged products. An added bonus is that these spreaders will handle de-icing products in winter time, to keep driveways and access roads free from icy problems.


Prices start at £1755.00 for the LDS120DS model which includes a robust weather-proof lid. For more details, contact Logic North (of the M62) 01434 606661, or


South 01285 720930. Visit the Logic web site LogicToday.co.uk where many more interesting products are to be found.


Logic LDS120DS Ground Driven Spreader www.theequinesite.co.uk


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