Plants Toxic to Horses

blood pressure
seizures
colic
weakness
death
Milkweed
Milkweed is a very common pasture plant. Elliptical shaped leaves branch off of a central stem. Within the plant is a white sticky sap. The flowers grow in a ballshaped cluster and when in full bloom can range from a pink to purplish color. The pods develop to about 3 and in fall split open to release brown seeds that float through the air on downy white fluffy fibers. All parts of the plant are toxic. Green fresh plant material and dried plants accidentally baled into hay are toxic. Like most toxic plants horses will avoid milkweed unless they have no other food source. Signs of milkweed poisoning are1
weakness
seizures
respiratory difficulties
coma
death
Milkweed is the host plant for the important pollinator the monarch butterfly. So although it should not be present in hay fields safely planting this flower in beds away from grazing livestock is acceptable
Pigweed

Deadly Nightshade

Deadly nightshade can thrive even in dry conditions. It yields a bellshaped purple flower and the small round fruit looks like a large black currant of a deep shiny blackpurple color. All parts of this plant are toxic to humans and pets. The fruit is somewhat sweet therefore adding to its danger The leaves are dark green and smoothtextured somewhat similar to that of a tomato plant. It belongs to the same family as the tomato potato and pepper plants Typically horses accidentally may ingest a toxic plant because it has been baled into the hay. Signs of nightshade poisoning may include1
coliclike symptoms
loss of muscle control unable to rise
disorientation stumbling or other neurological signs
dilated pupils
death if consumed in large enough amounts

Buttercups
Paul Mansfield Photography Getty Images
The flowers are yellow and cupshaped and plants have sharply lobed leaves. The grass around buttercup plants may be well grazed. If there is more desirable feed available horses will generally avoid eating buttercups because of their acrid taste and tendency to blister the mouth. After a hard frost or if dried in hay buttercups are no longer toxic Buttercups may cause1
irritation of the mouth area such as blisters drooling
Bracken Fern

Bracken fern is very common as it can be found growing along roadsides in fields in light bushy areas and even gardens. In the spring fiddleheads unfurl into triangular fronds. Bracken fern dried and baled into hay is still toxic. If a horse eats a large quantity of this fern the toxins can cause a vitamin B1