22 March 2022 16:33

How long are acorns poisonous to horses?

Rapid decline. Clinical signs of acorn toxicity develop extremely rapidly. A horse can progress from normal to severely affected in less than 12 hours, with death occurring within a further 12-24 hours.

Can horses get sick from eating acorns?

It has long been known that acorns are poisonous to horses (cattle and dogs too)1, 2, 3 they contain a substance called “tannic acid2” which when eaten in sufficient quantity (this may be different for each individual horse) the tannins can cause liver and kidney damage, droppings containing blood, colic and diarrhoea.

How do I stop my horse eating acorns?

So trim any trees adjoining your fence lines to prevent both branches and acorns from falling inside the pastures. If you have oak trees in your pastures, consider building fences around them, far enough away so that your horses can’t reach the branches by leaning over them.

Can horses eat acorn trees?

Acorns are poisonous to horses. This is because they contain toxic substances called Gallic Acid and Tannic Acid. These acids can cause liver, kidney and intestinal damage to horses eating acorns, oak leaves or branches.