Sycamores and Horses

[Nick Connell]

Hi chaps,

 

One of my customers today said that this year for some reason that the seeds off Sycamore trees are poisonous to horses?

 

Anybody heard of this?

 

Thanks

 

Nick

[woodyguy]

Yep its true. see below

Toxins from the seeds of the tree Acer pseudoplatanus are the likely cause of Atypical Myopathy (AM) in Europe, concludes a new study published this month in the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ)1. The common name for this tree is sycamore in the UK but it is also known as the sycamore maple in some other countries. There is further potential for confusion because a completely different tree, Platanus occidentalis, is known as the sycamore or American Sycamore in the USA. The new research follows hot on the heels of a study in the USA earlier this year that has linked toxins from the box elder tree (Acer negundo) with Seasonal Pasture Myopathy (SPM), the US equivalent of AM2. The discovery marks an important step for the future prevention of this fatal disease.

 

Atypical Myopathy is a highly fatal muscle disease in the UK and Northern Europe. In ten years, approximately twenty European countries have reported the disease. Incidences tend to occur repeatedly in the autumn and in the spring following large autumnal outbreaks. Horses that develop AM are usually kept in sparse pastures with an accumulation of dead leaves, dead wood and trees in or around the pasture and are often not fed any supplementary hay or feed. SPM is a very similar disorder, prevalent in Midwestern USA and Eastern Canada that is now known to be caused by the ingestion of hypoglycin A, contained in seeds from the box elder tree.

[Scott Walker]

Had a call last week from a lady to fell a row of hedgerow sycamore as they are poisonous to her horses and her friends had two die from esting the seeds. Never heard of it before this tho.

[daltontrees]

Soneme would say that horses that have to resort to eating sycamore seeds are possibly being malnourished by poor pasturage. Hows about doingthe tres and the horses a favour and re-assess the adequacy of their grazings?

[IVECOKID]

Soneme would say that horses that have to resort to eating sycamore seeds are possibly being malnourished by poor pasturage. Hows about doingthe tres and the horses a favour and re-assess the adequacy of their grazings?

 

 

Yep that is how i would see it .

 

 

 

Ste

[se7enthdevil]

Soneme would say that horses that have to resort to eating sycamore seeds are possibly being malnourished by poor pasturage. Hows about doingthe tres and the horses a favour and re-assess the adequacy of their grazings?

 

well said sir...

 

anyone who has this problem could be accused of not feeding their horse enough of the right stuff so it goes to eat the wrong stuff.

 

they've lived together for thousands of years so there is no major threat in my opinion.

[Stubby]

We recently felled 2x big forwarder loads of syc next to a horse paddock . The grazing was good ( I know we have a horse ) . One of the horses was touch and go for several weeks and one died . Horses don't need, nor should have " cow grass " . This can lead to colic and laminitus ( the latter being crippling and some times fatal ) So what might seem to others as inadequate grazing can sometimes be just right as long as there are no sycamore keys . When you say "they have lived together for thousands of years so there is no threat " is because its always happened but only recently found to be the sycamore keys .

Edited November 4, 2014 by Stubby

[se7enthdevil]

We recently felled 2x big forwarder loads of syc next to a horse paddock . The grazing was good ( I know we have a horse ) . One of the horses was touch and go for several weeks and one died . Horses don't need, nor should have " cow grass " . This can lead to colic and laminitus ( the latter being crippling and some times fatal ) So what might seem to others as inadequate grazing can sometimes be just right as long as there are no sycamore keys . When you say "they have lived together for thousands of years so there is no threat " is because its always happened but only recently found to be the sycamore keys .

 

by keys, i take it you mean seeds?

 

i said there was no "major" threat...

 

horses will die if eating it kills them and if it's always happened and we've only just found out the reason then it's no major threat to the species.

 

that's what i meant...

 

 

still plenty of horses about.

[Stubby]

by keys, i take it you mean seeds?

 

i said there was no "major" threat...

 

horses will die if eating it kills them and if it's always happened and we've only just found out the reason then it's no major threat to the species.

 

that's what i meant...

 

 

still plenty of horses about.

 

Ok .

[Chris at eden]

Yep its true. see below

Toxins from the seeds of the tree Acer pseudoplatanus are the likely cause of Atypical Myopathy (AM) in Europe, concludes a new study published this month in the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ)1. The common name for this tree is sycamore in the UK but it is also known as the sycamore maple in some other countries. There is further potential for confusion because a completely different tree, Platanus occidentalis, is known as the sycamore or American Sycamore in the USA. The new research follows hot on the heels of a study in the USA earlier this year that has linked toxins from the box elder tree (Acer negundo) with Seasonal Pasture Myopathy (SPM), the US equivalent of AM2. The discovery marks an important step for the future prevention of this fatal disease.

 

Atypical Myopathy is a highly fatal muscle disease in the UK and Northern Europe. In ten years, approximately twenty European countries have reported the disease. Incidences tend to occur repeatedly in the autumn and in the spring following large autumnal outbreaks. Horses that develop AM are usually kept in sparse pastures with an accumulation of dead leaves, dead wood and trees in or around the pasture and are often not fed any supplementary hay or feed. SPM is a very similar disorder, prevalent in Midwestern USA and Eastern Canada that is now known to be caused by the ingestion of hypoglycin A, contained in seeds from the box elder tree.

 

Great post mate. Very informative.