> > > > RED MAPLE TREE LEAVES BOTH WILD AND ORNAMENTAL ARE VERY TOXIC TO > HORSES IN THE WILTING STAGE.
Sorry I'm late responding to this but it's been crazy around here and I'm trying to catch up. I felt I needed to repond to this because NC State vet school has recently published a paper and study on this and I have spent a frotune trying to clear my land of Red Maples. The thing that bothered me about this report is that according to the NC State study only about one in every 10 horses will react this way to the wilting leaves (note this isn't the green leaves or the brown, dead leaves - just the leaves in their wilting stage.) I'm sure it's possible but not likely that all horses in a herd would be that 1 in 10. I think I would be looking for other sources, also. I know there have been horses throughout the ages that have lived just fine with Red Maples in their pasture because usually they will eat grass before they'll eat the leaves. I chose to eradicate my Red Maples because my horses are in a small area that is going to have limited grass so I knew they'd be gnawing on whatever they could find. > -- > Laree
