Toxic Temptations

Did you know? Cherry trees, peach trees, and chokecherry bushes contain cyanide in their leaves, twigs, and the fruit’s pit. As little as 1 or 2 cups of leaves on an empty stomach could kill your horse within minutes.

To prevent him from snacking on these deadly morsels, make sure trees are pruned or planted out of reach, or that fences are tall enough that he can’t stretch over and snatch a mouthful. After pruning, be sure to dispose any of those poisonous leaves or twigs well away from your horse’s pasture—wilting increases the cyanide content.

For more information, check out this handy online guide to poisonous plants: http://www.vth.colostate.edu/poisonous_plants/

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