Do you know what the plants in the photo above have in common? If you own horses in Virginia, you need to know that all of those common plants in the photo, which grow in your fields and around your ponds… can be harmful to your equine friends.
The Virginia Cooperative Extension, in collaboration with Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia, provides a brief guide of common pasture weeds that can cause toxicity to your horses. Levels of toxicity range from low to high, and some plants are more toxic when wet or when dry.
Below is a link to the full brochure listings for toxic plants. In each case, they’ve provided the clinical signs of toxicity, the potential for toxicity, and the treatments available to help your horses. This is a great pocket guide for all horse owners in Virginia in order to know what to do in an emergency.
