Choose plants for your horse’s safety: There are several species that are poisonous to horses such as yew, laurel and privet. But some common trees are--and then tend to be the ones that landscapers love. A huge consideration is the potential of certain trees to poison horses when foliage, branches, flowers or nuts are mistaken as food. Since shade is important for all animals as protection against summer's heat, removing poisonous varieties of shade trees like red maple, oak, cherry and plum trees from your pastures or paddocks can leave you with a dilemma. Field Maple, Hornbeam, Hazel, Hawthorn, Beech, Bay laurel, Ramanas rose, Rosemary. No, willow tress (like the one shown above) are not toxic to horses. I'm worried that they may be poisonous but addictive like oak trees. Then take a walk around your property. Plants have co-evolved with and are eaten by bacteria, insects, fungi and grazing animals. The following plants can produce good hedges in their own right or as creative mixtures for non-toxic hedges and trees safe for horse enclosures. Horse Friendly Trees. texensis (Texas redbud) In the … Study the photos closely. I don't know about the Ash although I had many Ash trees around me in VT and they weren't toxic to horses, BUT if it is an ornamental, it may hold different hazards as many ornamentals tend to do. Silver birch, Aspen, White willow and Common lime. I've got two ash trees in my field and my horses go mad for the leaves. For smaller trees that are safe around horses, plant a Western redbud (Cercis orbiculata) or California ash (Fraxinus dipetala). Walnuts, which includes the butternut tree, aka the white walnut, release a substance called juglone from their roots, which is toxic to many other trees and plants. Guidelines for Shade Trees in a Pasture for Horses Shade Trees Recommended: Ash - grow fast; nice fall color White Ash- purple leaves in fall Green Ash- yellow leaves in fall Shade Trees that may be OK, but have some/low risk of toxicity : Sugar Maple- no known reports of toxicity; but may be some risk since Red Maple is toxic While many plants can be poisonous if eaten to excess, there are some poisonous plants for horses that should be avoided at all costs. Some tree and shrubs species are toxic to horses and should be avoided around and within horse pastures/paddock. Are these trees anywhere your horses graze? Check with the University Extension Service to ask them, or maybe a call to a nursery/landscaping business would yield an answer for you. They have more than enough grass to eat so they are not hungry. Many plants are poisonous to equines; the species vary depending on location, climate, and grazing conditions.In many cases, entire genera are poisonous to equines and include many species spread over several continents. We also recommend the following trees as they provide good shelter and shade for horses. Here are the most common ones. Here are a few recommendations for native trees and shrubs for north central Texas that are not toxic for horses: Carya illinoinensis (pecan) Cercis canadensis var. ... ve also been told Desert Ash is a good one to plant as a shade tree as it’s not toxic to horses. The decision behind choosing the right trees for horse paddocks and enclosures is more than just selecting something that is big and wide for shade. Print Download Email Share Tweet Reply. Hardy in USDA zones 7 … Trees That Are Toxic to Horses. Unfortunately, there are many large shade trees that are harmful to livestock like horses, cattle, sheep, goats and swine. 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