# Persimmons?



## Miloismyboy (Aug 18, 2009)

We have 2 large persimmon trees in our pasture and 2 of our horses are continually ( I mean non-stop) munching on the fruit. Now with some research I've found that persimmons can be toxic to horses if they are gorged upon so the trees came down today. I was wondering if any one had any experience or knowledge of horses and persimmons and if you could... please share!... not the persimmons..the experience... :?


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I read that persimmons are not good for horses. No personal experience though (although I like persimmons for myself  ).


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## Ryle (Jul 13, 2007)

It's not that persimmons are toxic but rather that they can lead to colic because the pits can collect in the GI tract and lead to an obstruction. 

I too have persimmon trees in the pasture. They just keep coming up because my neighbor has lots of them and dogs and coyotes love to eat the persimmons as well and then deficate the pits all over the place. My horses make the daily foray over to see what's fallen off of the trees. They have done this for years as have the horses in the neighbor's pasture where the majority of the persimmon trees are. A high forage diet will help to move anything including seeds and sand through the GI tract and as mine are on free-choice pasture and as much hay as I can keep out daily in the winter I don't worry too much about it.


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## Hanblechia (Sep 19, 2009)

Yes, there was an article in the Medical section of Equus magazine about a year ago concerning a pony that gorged itself on persimmons and blocked itself. The colic was bad and might have killed it but the university where it was taken administered Diet Coke (no joke) to dissolve the fibrous fruity mass that was fermenting. 

A very interesting read though I apologize that I can't link you to the actual article or even be certain which University handled the colic. The pony had the largest persimmons mass they had recorded but was cured in a few days without surgery.


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## Sunny06 (Jun 22, 2009)

^ Read that too.

NO PERSIMMONS!


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## Miloismyboy (Aug 18, 2009)

Thanks guys!! I've spent the day falling two large trees and picking up thousands of those dang little fruit. I will be happy to never see another persimmon again!


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