Know the Symptoms in your horse!

Wild Parsnip

V Redness on skin

V Skin swelling

V Serum oozing from skin

V Hard skin crusts from dried serum

Pigweed

V Respiratory distress

V Severe pain when touched

V Photosensitivity that causes a sunburn on light colored skin

“At Tara Farm, we successfully maintain a large volume of show horses, broodmares, foals, stallions, and also retirees that are well into their 30’s. Mule City always delivers fresh feed according to our schedule. Other trainers and breeders ask about our grain supplier due to the health, condition, and longevity of our horses and we are proud to let them know it is from Mule City.”

This plant, also known as flatweed, is often mistaken for the common dandelion because it has multiple basally clustered leaves with irregular shapes and multiple lobes. The leaves can be up to 12 inches in length and hairy. Flatweed has multiple branching flowers on stems up to 18 to 24 inches in height. Each stem has a single yellow, dandelion-like flower. Usually found where soils are sandy or gravelly and on over-grazed pastures. Horses grazing on flatweed can develop lameness that resembles stringhalt, a spasmodic contraction of the lateral flexor tendons in the hind legs, which presents as a sudden flexion of one or both hind legs. False dandelion causes the breakdown of the myelin sheath that covers nerves, causing damage and muscle atrophy. Horses that are less severely affected may show signs of incoordination or dragging of the hind hooves. Horses chronically consuming false dandelions may also experience muscle atrophy. Removing the horse from flatweed grazing generally results in recovery over a period of months.

V Bluish/gray mucous membranes

V Weakness

V Tremors

V Reduced appetite

V Rapid heartbeat

V Diarrhea

V Coma

V Colic

Annual Buttercup

V Blisters on the skin

V Lesions in the mouth

V Swelling of the face

V Drooling

V Colic

V Diarrhea

V Blood tinged urine

If you suspect that your horse may have ingested or come in contact with any toxic plants or bark, it is important to seek veterinary care right away.