With its yellow flowers and frilly leaves this tall native weed is pretty easy to spot. It is common in meadows and hedgerows, spreads easily and can pop up anywhere. It attacks the liver and can be fatal, so shouldn’t be eaten by horses and ponies at all. Most will avoid it when it is fresh as it is pretty bitter tasting but is more palatable once it is dry in hay.

Make sure you check for it regularly, dig it up and burn it if you find any near or in your field. It is best to use gloves when handling it.

Most horses won’t eat fresh foxgloves but they are more palatable in hay when dried, and eating a tiny amount can be fatal. They are bi-annual plants meaning they only come up every other year, so it’s worth checking for them every year. They have large pointed leaves and contain digitalis that is also toxic for horses and humans. 

There is a condition called Atypical Myopathy (AM) which is often fatal, a fast killer and triggered by horses eating the sycamore tree seeds, leaves and seedlings. The twirling “helicopter” seeds drift on the wind,so if you have sycamore trees near your paddock watch out for drifting seeds and leaves in the autumn, and seedlings popping up in your paddock in the spring. Fence off any trees close to your grazing. Symptoms of AM include muscular stiffness, muscle tremors, difficulty standing, sweating, depression, fast heart rate and dark urine. 

The tannic and gallic acids in acorns can damage a horse’s digestive system and kidneys, as can eating the leaves and bark. In fact, all of the oak tree is toxic to horses and you should fence off any oak tress in your paddock so they can’t be reached. It is thought that some horses can become a bit addicted to eating acorns, which can cause colic and poisoning if lots are eaten, so be vigilant in the autumn.  

The fallen needles and berries of the yew are toxic to horses and ponies so watch out for them blowing into your paddock if growing nearby. Fresh leaves, berries and branches are also lethal in quite small quantities so ensure any yew hedges or trees are fully fenced off and inaccessible. The poisons in yew are fast acting and cause a heart attack. Prior to this you might see muscle trembling, breathing difficulties and convulsions. Take no chances!

Privet is another hedge plant fatal for horses in quite small quantities. If your neighbours have it, make sure they understand the risk to your horse and don’t dump cuttings in your paddock.