Have a turnout I want to use, but covered in oak tree leaves. Is there anything to worry about when horses go to town on them? Thanks! Just not sure…
Here you go,
www.thehorse.com/articles/12962/which-trees-are-toxic
Oak trees are near the bottom of the page.
Good link, thank you!
Some horses gobble up acorns and have no problems. Some horses gobble up acorns and have big problems. I had oak trees at my last property and there was no way I could go around and pick up every single acorn. I don’t know anyone who ever had problems with them, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen. Kind of hard to stay away from them in California!
My horses over the years have eaten acorns with no issues,but when acorns are in abundance, i keep horses off pasture that has them. Have a friend who’s horse died due to eating acorns 2 or 3 falls ago.
Agree with Sassy45. Years ago I had a paddock in full use by a bunch of geldings. Switched them out for the mares for some reason. One girl ate herself into a lovely case of laminitis which took 7 weeks to get her out of the woods.
I wouldn’t risk it. Rake the paddock, cut the tree/s or just close the paddock down while the acorns are fresh and palatable.
Thanks all! It’s actually not the acorns, squirrels took care of them already, but the dropped leaves that I can’t believe haven’t broken down yet from Fall, and we’ve had a wet wet wet winter. I would think brown leaves wouldn’t do much harm but haven’t wanted to risk it. Likely will rake up what I can and only turn horses out for short bits of time until they’re all eaten. Dirt lot, no grass to entice them otherwise.
It must be the type of oak tree - I have five huge ones in my pasture - either pin oaks or white oaks (not sure), and over 40 years have never had a problem although the horses do eat them…both by reaching up for green ones, or eating fall leaves. They are very leathery and do not break down easily until the new grass has grown through them. I think the squirrels eat most of the acorns, because I’ve never noticed a horse munching on them
