The Following is a List of Plants known to
be Toxic to Horses
African Rue: Mexican Rue
Alsike Clover
American Bittersweet
Apple: seeds contain cyanide and are harmful in large quantities
Arrowgrass: Triglochin palustris
Asters
Atamasco Lily: Easter Lily
Autumn Crocus
Bagpod
Beefsteak Plant: Perilla Mint
Black Locust: False Acacia
Black Walnut
Boxwood: Common Box
Bracken Fern: Eagle Fern
Broomweed: Resinweed
Buckwheat
Buffalo Bur: Kansas or Texas Thistle
Bull Nettle: Horse Nettle
Bunchflower
Burning Bush: Spindle Tree
Buttercup: Crowfoot
Castor Bean
Cherrylaurel: Mock Orange
Chinaberry: Bead Tree
Cocklebur
Coffeeweed: Coffee Senna
Common Nightshade: Deadly or Black Nightshade
Corn Cockle
Cotton
Coyotillo
Crimson Clover
Dallis Grass: Rye Grass
Day-Blooming Jasmine
Death Camas
Dogbane: Indian Hemp
Eve's Necklace: Texas Sophora
False Hellebore: Indian Poke
Fanweed
Fern Palm: Florida Arrowroot
Fescue
Fitweed: Corydalis
Foxglove
Golden Chain; Golden Chain Tree
Ground Hemlock: Japanese Yew, Western or Pacific Yew, English Yew
Ground Ivy: Creeping Charlie
Groundsel
Hairy Vetch: Betch
Horsechestnut: Fetid Buckeye
Horsetails: Foxtails
Hound's Toungue
Hydrangea
Indian Paintbrush
Inkweed
Japanese Pieris: Pieris floribunda
Jimmyweed: Jimmy Goldenweed
Jimsonweed: Datura
Johnson Grass: Columbus Grass
Juniper
Kleingrass
Kochia: Mexican Fireweed
Larkspur: Poisonweed
Leafy Spurge: Snow on the Mountain
Locoweed: Milk Vetch
Lupine: Bluebonnet
Marsh Maarigold: Cowslip
Mescal Bean: Texas Mountain Laurel
Mesquite: Honey Mesquite
Milkweed
Mistletoe
Mock Azalea: Fool's Huckleberry
Monkshood: Crowfoot
Mountain Laurel: Dwarf Laurel
Oak
Oleander
Onions: Garlic
Pacific Labrador Tea: Western Labrador Tea
Peach
Ply Poison: Staggergrass
Point Locoweed: Point Vetches
Poison Hemlock: Spotted Hemlock
Pokeweed: Pigeon Berry
Prince's Plume: Desert Prince's Plume
Privet: Ligustrum
Rape: Canola, Mustards
Rattlebox: Crotalaria
Red Clover
Red Maple
Rhododendron: Great Laurel
Rosary Pea: Crabs-Eye
Rutabaga
s-39-Lantana
Sacahuista: Beargrass
Saltbush: Orach
Silverlearf Nightshade: Trompillo
Singletary Pea: Sweetpea
Sleepygrass
Sneezeweed: Bitterweed
Squirrel Corn: Staggergrass
Squirreltail Grass: Fowtail Grass
St. Johnswort: Klamathweed
Sweet Clover
Tarweed: Fiddleneck
Texas Nightshade
Tobacco
Water Hemlock: Musquash Root
Whitebrush
Wild Cherry: Black Cherry
Yellow Bristle Grass: Foxtail Grass
Yellow Jessamine: Carolina Jamsine
Yellow Star Thistle: Russian Knapweed
Symptoms of Plant Poisoning:
Poisoning by a toxic plant can produce a number of different
symptoms depending on the plant eaten, the amount ingested, the
period of time over which it has been eaten, and even varies from
individual horse to individual horse. It is often very difficult
to diagnose poisoning in a horse primarily because many of the
symptoms can mimic those of other conditions.
Plant poisoning is often extremely serious and even fatal. For
this reason it is important to contact a veterinarian as soon as a
horse begins exhibiting any abnormal behavior thought to be
caused by the ingestion of a toxic plant.
Some symptoms include, but are not limited to, lack of control
of body functions due to the attack by the toxin on the nervous
system, disorientation, unprovoked frenzy, tremors, muscle spasms,
and difficulty swallowing.
In addition, the horse may show signs of colic (abdominal pain),
respiratory distress, excessive salivation, or may even suddenly
collapse without warning.
These symptoms are general, and,
again, they vary from plant to plant and horse to horse.
If you know of any other plants
that are poisonous to horses
please let us know so that we can add it to the list.
A
Special Note of Thanks to:
Thank you Crystal for adding Black Walnut to the list!