The attractive oak is found on almost every farm in South Africa. Its beautiful branches give shade to many farm animals and their owners. The oak tree is native to England. It is a tree that can live for many hundreds of years, but it should be noted as a health hazard to horse owners.
Before you go grabbing the axe, try to work a way around your oaks. Maybe put a fence around the area that would have the acorns or fallen leaves in. Oak bark or “tanner’s bark” is used for tanning leather. An extract from the tree can be used medicinally for the treatment of diarrhoea. Very often, the nut galls are crushed into a fine powder and used as an astringent in the treatment of surface tissue, especially where a limited circulatory effect is required. A surface wound that was gushing blood would benefit from the powder.
Even though most horses relish the oak and the acorn, it contains a highly toxic substance called tannin. This is an accumulative poison. It is important to remember that many horses eat the acorns and show no signs of poisoning, but there is no doubt that fatalities have occurred after eating any part of the tree or acorns. It is most common to hear of poisonings around autumn when the acorns are more abundant. The condition and overall health of the horse will determine exactly how severely your horse will react to the acorn poisoning.
The symptoms of poisoning are varied. Constipation and blood-stained faeces, refusal to drink, weakness and staggering, and a slow erratic or irregular heartbeat, pale mucus membranes of the eye or gums and watery eyes. It is similar to colic. In extreme cases, the horse can sustain kidney damage.
The best cure is prevention. If you suspect poisoning it is best to contact your vet. It is then safe to feed the horse large amounts of parsley and liquorices root. This will help the body recover from the toxins. Keep your horse away from fallen leaves and acorns. – Kim Dyson Contact Kim Dyson on 082 888 6511. |fw
