Can you pick out the toxic plant?

After several days it became apparent that there were only a couple affected horses and the problem did not seem to be spreading at all. My natural curiosity and tendency toward risk aversion prompted me to investigate what had made the horses sick in order to protect my aged gelding.

I researched the signs I had observed: isolation from the rest of the herd, depressed stance with head lowered to within an inch of the ground, labored breathing, weakness, long periods of laying prone and not rising even when approached by myself and my dog, wobbly gait which included tremors of the legs, shoulders, neck, and head.

It seemed to be a fairly obvious case of plant poisoning. What was not so obvious was the precise source. The herd in question was occupying a pasture my own horse and friends’ horses had occupied for several years prior. So what new evil botanic infiltration had occurred?

Upon searching the Internet I found a lot of information about Rayless Goldenrod and White Snake Root which caused problems with livestock in Arizona. But upon walking the pasture, I was unable to locate these plants, so it was back to the computer. I had picked a variety of the “weeds” that were growing in abundance out there—the same weeds I’d been seeing for several years—and brought them home with me so I could try to discover which, if any, might be toxic to horses.

Silverleaf Nightshade aka Purple Nightshade aka Horse Nettle

What I found, was that which we so often admired—”Oh, look at all the pretty purple flowers!” Those pretty purple flowers turned out to be Silverleaf Nightshade. What had never caused a problem before when we had four horses in the pasture, had caused serious problems in a herd of twenty. The plants had always been there. The equine population size is what had changed. The pasture was at that time being overgrazed and at least some of the horses were eating plants they would normally have avoided.

The Silverleaf Nightshade has beautifully scallop-edged elongated oval leaves in a sort of dusty-green color. The gorgeous purple flower opens to reveal bright yellow tubules (stamens). I found mention of some plants producing white flowers, but in this pasture, they were all purple.

The toxic agent is called solanine and is contained in both the leaves and the fruit (tiny round yellow berries) at all stages of maturity, but the ripe fruits are the most toxic. (The plants were not in fruit at the time I observed the signs of plant poisoning in the horses.)

The toxin affects horses, sheep, cattle and humans. Goats seem to be resistant. In controlled experiments performed by Texas A&M University, goats were not poisoned by the plants. These results would suggest that mixing goats in with other livestock may be beneficial to your overall pasture maintenance. There are herbicides that can be used on these plants, but this particular ranch was associated with an organic orchard so there were no chemicals used anywhere on the property.

Besides the signs that I observed, this toxin is also reported to produce excessive salivation, nasal discharge, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting (obviously, not in horses), and diarrhea–sometimes with blood. I did not observe any of these symptoms in the horses I encountered. I am told the herd owner had checked the temperatures of the affected horses and found them to be normal.

The information I found about treatment through the Texas A&M University Agricultural extension was not very encouraging, Vets reported only “some success” administering pilocarpine or physostigmine once the animals were removed from the source of the toxins. It seems the main course of action is to remove the animals from the source, but not to allow the animals too much movement (best to retrieve them with a trailer), and provide good quality hay and fresh water.

The horses involved were pastured in a fairly isolated, remote area. This resulted in signs not being noticed until the poisoning was well advanced. Two horses died and one recovered after being moved to a different pasture. As far as I know, no other intervention was made, other than removing the animals from the source of the toxin. At the time the horses were moved, I do not believe the owner knew what had caused the illness, but simply moved them to a new pasture that offered more forage as he did routinely. A slow growing season onset that year probably contributed to the delay in moving the herd to better forage and caused the overgrazing and resulting poisoning.

The moral of this story is twofold. Know what is in your pasture, and take necessary steps to maintain adequate quality pasture forage. In cases of insufficient forage and no alternate pasturage, supplemental feeding of hay is necessary to maintain the health of the grazing herd.

Supplemental Note: Ivermectin Connection

In researching Silverleaf Nightshade’s toxic properties, I found information on studies conducted by Texas A&M University regarding a dangerous interaction between the dewormer ivermectin and Silverleaf Nightshade. While ivermectin is generally considered a safe and effective tool against equine intestinal parasites, researchers found a link between ingestion of Silverleaf Nightshade and ivermectin toxicity in horses.

According to the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, “Silverleaf Nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium) appears to have the ability to alter the characteristics of the blood brain barrier and allow more ivermectin into the brain, where high levels can be fatal. It should be remembered that not all horses are affected and many can and do recover. Some do not, however.”

It may be advisable to pay closer attention to your pastures and your hay quality (as some exposures occur when Silverleaf Nightshade is baled in with cut hay) when using ivermectin in your regular deworming rotation.

I have also had a lot of success with a product called B-L pellets. This devils claw mixture is both an anti-inflamatory and a pain reliever, and does not cause the intestinal side effects one risks when using “bute” long-term. Plus, while horses sometimes strongly object to being “tubed” or “pasted” with “bute,” they will happily eat B-L pellets right from your hand, making it a lot easier to administer. B-L is also available without perscription—another plus. I give a scoop at least one half-hour before riding my twenty-three-year-old gelding to help keep him comfortable. I have found B-L to work as well as other products which carry much higher price tags.

Remember, that movement is key to keeping your old horse comfortable. Low-level exercise is good for your arthritic horse. He’ll be much more stiff and sore from standing around in a stall than from some nice easy going movement, be it trail, arena, turn-out in a skimpy graze area (so he has to walk a lot to find tidbits) or even hand-walking or hand-grazing. Just be sure when you ride to warm up gradually. A good ten minutes of walking to start with will help keep you from aggravating your old one’s joints.

Happy riding!

Top facilities which provide run-in covered pens with 24-hour access to pasture have the luckiest horses, to be sure. That is truly the ideal situation where horses have plenty of movement, are able to graze at will as nature intended, have the companionship of their fellow pasture mates—also as nature intended—and still have shelter when it suits them. Horses being horses, they’re usually easy to “catch” as they’ll run up to the pens when they hear the supplement bins being opened and the rattling of buckets. Very few metro boarding facilities have such a setup. You will usually find stalled or penned horses that are turned out for an hour or two daily at best.

Pasture Board

Pastured horses enjoy socializing.

Then there’s “pasture board.” Usually only available at the perimeter of metro-areas and the cheapest of boarding options, in most cases, pasture board is great for horses but generally provides the most challenge for owners.

Assuming you have a well maintained pasture, with good water, supplemental hay is fed during the months when fresh grass is unavailable as a food source, and the pasture population doesn’t often change, it’s the healthiest way for your horse to live. I mention the population because too many new horses coming and going from the herd will cause stress and fights as the “pecking order” of the herd will be in constant flux. Many facilities introduce new horses into an adjoining pasture first in order to keep fighting to a minimum.

So now that your horse is in heaven on earth,  just how happy is he to see you? Some horses will still run to the gate when they see the “supplement wagon” approach, while others will run off and hide behind their herd-mates not wanting to be caught. Give this a little time before you throw up your hands and go back to the stall. Some horses will be excited at first over their newfound freedom and resist being caught for the first week or two. Once they figure out they get to come back to the pasture again, most will stop resisting, and some will even meet you at the gate.

Remoteness and no tack storage can be a factor.

The other challenge in pasture boarding is turning your vehicle into a rolling tack room. If you have a trailer with storage space and are a veteran hauler, this will be nothing to you. I have one friend with a mini-van who carries all her tack, gear, pelleted feed, and supplements in her vehicle at all times so she’s always at the ready and never forgets an important piece of equipment.

The remoteness of some pastures can give one pause. Supervision may or may not be part of the package or may be minimal. You’ll have to assess the pros and cons to decide if you want to risk having your horse unattended for long stretches of time.

My own experience with pasture boarding has offered some unique challenges!

Finally, you must consider your own safety in this equation. If your horse is pastured with many herd-mates, you must exercise caution when entering the pasture to fetch him. NEVER bring a bucket of feed into a populated pasture. ALWAYS have some sort of rope, whip, or training stick with you in the event of horses mobbing you or fussing with each other near you, so you can effectively shoo them away to keep yourself out of range of flying hooves.

This concludes my series on choosing a boarding facility. I hope you have found it helpful and I welcome any pertinent comments on experiences you may have had in boarding your horse that you would care to share.

Since horses are expensive to maintain, we need to prioritize income producing activities. If there are children, they must come before horses (obviously). If we put spending time with the horse above spending time with our spouse, that’s going to lead to trouble! I think this may be why a lot of horse owners are not the best housekeepers. Eventually, you have to let something go to make time for your horse activities. Housework has always been pretty far down on my  list. I’m more likely to put off washing the floor in order to run out to the stable, than the other way around.

Working from home has been a God-send when it comes to allocating precious time resources. I can run out to the stable in the afternoon, and still do additional income-producing work after dark.

The worst thing you can do, however, is to be in “hurry mode” when you are with your horse. So when you do grab those precious hours to run out to the stable, be sure to check your hurry mode at the gate! Your horse will respond better for you when you do.

1. Safety

How safe is the environment for your horse?

Containment: Is the facility perimeter fenced in? If a horse gets loose, will it be contained, or will it be able to run out into traffic or other hazardous areas?

Fencing: Is the fencing in good repair? Is it horse friendly or barbed wire? Is there electric fencing? If so, how do you feel about that? Is your horse experienced with electric fencing? Are you prepared to handle it yourself if need be? Are the gates easy to operate with one hand?

Hazards: Are there any apparent hazards visible in the common areas? Any agricultural machinery or other equipment with sharp edges about? Any stray boards with nails on the ground? Coiled wire? Aluminum sheeting that might cause injury? Junk piles? If there are aluminum roofed sun shades, look closely at them to make sure they are in good repair and not likely to come down in an average storm. Are grain and concentrated feeds closed up in a separate shed, room, or empty stall, or are they stored where a loose horse might gain access to them? Many horses are capable of removing garbage can lids to get to grain.

Peaceful: Look around at the current activities. Are things pretty quiet and under control,  or are there horses tied up that are agitated, or owners who seem to be at the end of their lead rope? Observe any riders in the arena for signs of out-of-control riding. Sometimes its the current boarders who cause the hazards, and not the facility itself.

2. Space

Movement is important to a horse’s health. What kind of space is allocated to each stalled or penned horse? Some stalls have attached runs that allow the horse to move about, at least at walk and trot. Other facilities may have small stalls or pens, but will see to it that each horse is allowed turn-out every day into an arena, turn-out pasture or dry lot. If this is the case, you’ll want to assess whether there is sufficient turn-out opportunity for the number of horses kept on the facility. If a facility has three turn-outs, but a dozen or more horse owners who regularly show up about the same time as you (i.e. 5-6 on weekdays and Saturday and Sunday afternoons), you may find yourself with little opportunity to let your horse enjoy some running and rolling time. Some facilities offer to turn your horse out for you during the day while you are at work. They have a regular schedule and all horses get a couple hours of turn-out per day. You’ll want to know if that service is included in the board or if it carries an extra fee. This is the preferable situation so that your horse has sufficient movement every day whether you make it to the stable or not.

In areas where summer temperatures regularly reach triple digits, access to shade is an important consideration. While you will often see horses with access to shade choosing to stand in the sun, it is, nevertheless important for your horse to have the opportunity to seek out shade.

3. Feeding and Watering

As obvious as this topic sounds, there is in fact, a great diversity of services involving the feeding and watering of boarded horses. In my area, it runs the gamut from do-it-yourself to full service three-a-day feedings. I don’t like the feed-’em-yourself places because there are always those owners who think it’s okay if they miss feeding their horse one morning, or one evening, or who don’t feed enough (in my opinion) or maybe they just buy cheap hay and their horse looks poor. It can be upsetting to say the least. Better to steer clear of places that don’t include feed as part of the board fee.

Considerations on feeding are how many meals per day are fed, and what type of feed. Horses are designed to graze, so free choice grass hay is optimal. Short of that, frequent small meals are best. Twice a day feeding is common, and the absolute minimum. Three times a day is better, but not as commonly offered.

You should do your own research on equine nutrition and make your own judgement about whether your horse (considering his work load) is better off with grass hay or alfalfa (or other hay), or whether or not you want supplemental feed added to the forage.

Many people believe feeding hay pellets is just as good, or better than hay. I am of the opinion that horses are better off with the more natural forage. Many facilities prefer pellets because there is less manure to dispose of from pellets than from hay. There is some question as to whether pelleted hay offers the length of fiber needed to keep a horse’s gut healthy. These are issues you should decide on ahead of time so you may add them to your list of assessments when choosing your horse’s new home.

When it comes to water, there are a couple of options to consider: automatic waterers vs. water barrels, and in the case of do-it-yourself, how far away is the closest water source and how far are you going to have to drag a long, long hose? The advantage of a water barrel is that you know how much your horse is drinking. One of the first signs of a problem is when a horse stops drinking. If there are automatic waterers in use, be sure to check EVERY TIME YOU VISIT YOUR HORSE to make sure the waterer is working. The disadvantage of the water barrel is that they must be periodically emptied and cleaned. If the staff cleans them regularly, there is no disadvantage. If you do it, well, let’s just say it’s a labor of love. I personally prefer a water barrel. I clean them with Listerine (generic) because it does a great job, kills germs, smells good, and if I don’t get every last drop rinsed out, it won’t bother the horse. I also don’t have to worry about where I’m dumping the water like you would if you were cleaning the barrel with a bleach solution.

4. Hygiene

How many times a day are stalls cleaned? Once a day is the minimum. At the do-it-your-self facility, I went twice a day to clean and feed. If you’re going to require your horse to stand in a small area all day, the least you can do is make sure he spends as little time as possible standing in his own manure and urine. It’s definitely not good for their feet, and of course, the more manure laying about, the more flies it attracts.

If you’re looking at a do-it-yourself facility (some do all the feeding but still ask boarders to do their own stall cleaning), you should assess the manure disposal system. In other words, how far do you have to cart the manure once you’ve scooped it up? (Farther is actually better, unless covered cans are provided.) Does the facility supply you with scoopers and wheel barrels, or do you need to supply those items yourself?

5. Supervision

Is there someone keeping an eye on things 24/7? If your horse becomes ill or is injured, will someone be there to see him and call you or call for emergency care? This is a situation that should be decided upon at the time you sign a boarding agreement. Do you authorize the facility to call a vet on your behalf and make you responsible for the bill? Or do you want to be called, and make the decision yourself whether or not to bring in a vet? Either way, it is vitally important that someone is there to note the condition of the horses throughout the day and night and to respond to any emergencies. If the facility is run by knowledgeable people, they will often intervene in time to prevent the necessity of calling a vet. Be sure you meet the actual caretaker who will be responsible for the welfare of your horse when you are absent.

The above should make up the first five areas of assessment on your checklist when looking at boarding facilities, before considering other amenities and extras. If these five are not properly met, there’s not much point in assessing any further.

Be sure to check back for Part 3 in this series, which discusses the pros and cons of pasture boarding. If you have not already read Part 1 of this series, please check the archives.