Plants Poisonous to Horses An Australian Field Guide

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Many plants that grow in Australia are potentially poisonous to horses. Such plants can cause considerable economic and welfare problems for horse owners.

While horses generally avoid consuming toxic amounts of poisonous plants, there are several key exceptions:

• Some poisonous plants are palatable to horses and some need only be consumed in very small amounts to cause poisoning.
• Horses may choose to eat poisonous plants when there is little alternative forage.
• Seasonal conditions may influence the toxicity levels of certain plants, making them more deadly at various times of the year.

The Plants Poisonous to Horses An Australian Field Guide designed for horse owners to help them prevent plant poisoning in their horses. The Guide idenitifies:

• Factors that influence the risk of plant poisoning and the ways to reduce this risk
• The types of toxins that can be found in plants
• Signs of poisoning that may be seen in horses that have ingested toxic plant material
• Comprehensive list of ornamental plants that are known to be toxic to horses

An awareness of toxic plants growing in Australian and an understanding of the factors that influence the risk of poisoning will help horse owners keep their horses safe. Pasture management decisions and landscaping decisions should be made with consideration to plants that are potentially poisonous to horses.