# Walnut Trees and Horses....? Some questions.



## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

leave the trees alone and you'll be fine. The toxin in black walnut is in the sawdust and woodchips and irritates the feet. It isnt an ingestion threat from what I have found searching the web. 
My area has red maples which are listed everywhere as having toxic leaves. Horses are smart though and will rarely if ever eat something toxic as long as they have hay and arnt cooped up in a small spot.


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

DONT put the horses in that field until you romove the the black walnut trees they're really poison to horses! My farrier just told me all about it. He had a client that had to put their horse down because it got really sick and they didnt know what was wrong with and they got an atopsy done it should that it was because it ate the walnuts off a black walnut tree. It causes uluers and other painful abraisons in there intestines and stomach. im not to sure about the english walnut tree but i wouldnt take any chances i would remove them all and get any and all walnuts off the ground before you put in horses in that field.


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## Annnie31 (May 26, 2011)

If your horses pastures have black walnut trees you should not allow them to be on the pasture in the fall when they are on the ground, and after they finish dropping you should remove them all from the pasture before you allow the horses out there to graze.
This is one of the few plants that is not toxic when eaten. Instead, it is toxic when your horse's feet come in contact with it. The exact toxic compound in the tree is unknown.
It can cause laminitis.


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## poundinghooves (Aug 5, 2010)

So if I remove the black walnuts that have fallen to the ground (all the walnuts and leaves have fallen off the trees) then I won't have to worry about cutting it down untill next spring when it's getting the walnuts and leaves back?


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## AmazinCaucasian (Dec 10, 2010)

Yes it's standing on the walnuts that have fallen. All the horses I've seen founder from walnuts were in a pasture that only had a walnut tree for shade. Can't help you with the question about if both species are toxic though.


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## Annnie31 (May 26, 2011)

As a rule of thumb I was always taught that NUT trees and horses do not mix so I would remove all NUT trees from any pasture. Once you have cleaned up the leaves and nuts (after the trees have finished dropping them) it is safe to pasture there for the winter. Periodic checks for any nuts that you may have missed or have fallen after cleanup is a good idea.


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

Annie31- black walnuts are poisoness when horses eat them did you not read the story my farrier told me they cause ulsers and blisters there insides! and yes my horse has foundered before that what brought it up in the first place and the farrier said to remove the trees if we had them in field anywhere the horses could get to them.

PoundHooves- I would remove them completely before putting horses in that field. It just not worth risk. Now is a good time to cut them anyway cause if you wait til spring they'll be blooming again which causes seeds which will cause new trees to grow.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

if you do cut them make sure the sawdust and chips get picked up and dumped, not left in field or used as bedding. Standing on the sawdust is the worse part of the problem


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

As others have said, its standing on the sawdust that is the biggest concern. In addition to the laminitis already brought up, walnut can cause pregnant mares to abort.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

I have run horses in pastures with both Black Walnut and Pecan trees for many years. I worried about them at first, but years later, I have not had a single problem. I always make sure they get plenty to eat. I don't want them to be hunting for food. I was told that only hungry horses eat them, but I have seen and heard my horses eat native pecans, shell and all. Still had no problems. I had a pasture leased for three years (took horses off this past March). It was 160 acres with probably 100 or more huge pecan trees and at least 30 big black walnut trees. I made sure that I did not have mineral feeders or feed tubs near the Walnut trees, but had feeders right under a big Pecan tree. I had 15 to 20 horses on that pasture for three years and not a problem one. 

I would be real Leary of having horses in a small area with Black Walnut trees. I would sure never let a horse get hungry or run out of hay if there were walnuts around to try to eat.


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## poundinghooves (Aug 5, 2010)

Someone said it would probably be more dangerous to cut them down because of the sawdust. What do you guys think? I am really baffled about what to do. One one hand, I just want to cut them down and forget about it but then I worry about the sawdust!


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## John Steed (May 5, 2017)

I will leave some of the contradictory information to speak for itself. As far as cutting down the black walnut trees, most trees are easier to deal with before they have leafed out. The nuts do not fall, until the fall. Also, black walnut wood is particularly beautiful, and you might find someone willing to pay you good money for your trees. Had a friend decide he just "had" to cut down a tree in his back yard, and although I counseled against it, I did profited by getting the firewood, he found out later that he really lost a lot of money in the deal.


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