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  Discussion on Walnut Trees in Pasture
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Posted on Saturday, Nov 18, 2000 - 2:40 pm:

Hello, I know that it can be deadly to a horse to be put into a stall with walnut shavings. I'm wondering if it is dangerous for them to be in a pasture with black walnut trees that DrOp their nuts on the ground where they can walk on them.

Barbara

Posted on Sunday, Nov 19, 2000 - 9:14 am:

Deadly may be a bit strong. The shavings contain toxins tha cause founder but in the one case I have had: removal from the shavings and the horse recovered in 24 hours. However a higher percentage of bw or longer exposure we may not have been so lucky. Most parts of the tree, including the nuts, are considered toxic, so there is a risk. I cannot find any reports of poisoning of horses in pastures with these trees.
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Nov 19, 2000 - 9:33 am:

I would not suppose to suggest that dry black walnuts in a pasture would pose a major risk to the horse, unless the horse, due to lack of adequate forage, developed a taste for the shells. Such can happen with acorns, or various dried leaves, for instance. It is this "taste preference" that poses the greatest risk surrounding acorns. Without it, horses co-exist with acorns on the ground just fine.

However, there is another potential risk related to rains, drainage, ponds, etc. Black walnuts used to be used for fishing. One would fill burlap bags with black walnuts, place them into ponds to numb or kill fish which would then rise to the surface for easy gathering. It is my understanding there are actually laws against this practice.

Black walnuts which are fallen in the course of a pond without adequate water volume to move the toxins through pose risks to fish. It would be my SUPPOSITION (not knowledge) that if your pasture permits collections of water where the walnuts could soak and leach toxins, and your horses then drink that water, your risks could be increased.

To help identify this risk, I would be inclined to gather a quantity of nuts, place them in a pale of water, and see if the water turns blackish. If it does, then you have a visual reference point to then watch for such water collecting in puddles in the pasture.

I once considered planting a grove of black walnut trees along a creek to my pond for long-term investment purposes. My research led to the above findings, and I abandoned the idea. You could learn more by doing a thorough web search on black walnut.

Posted on Saturday, Nov 25, 2000 - 10:09 pm:

We moved to our house last year and had a lot of yard clean up to do as it had been abandonded previously for a few years. There are three large black walnut trees in the yard by the house, but we cleaned up all of the walnuts on the ground and put them in a pile which of trees/debris which we had burned/buried in what is now part our horse pasture. I am wondering if these trees start to sprout what kinds of symptoms I may need to look for in my horses. There are lots of little trees sprouting up and I would like some of them to grow for shade so I don't really want to mow but my horses will be out grazing so I was just curious what some of the problems may be if they eat them. I had not thought of this problem before. Thanks.

Posted on Monday, Dec 4, 2000 - 9:47 am:

Go to Equine Diseases: Poisons , Venoms & Poisonous Plants and link to the Canadian site on poisonous plants. You will find a very complete article there on symptoms and toxic principles.
DrO
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