Bracken poisoning: plant dead or/and alive?

[LuandLu24]

Hi,

I know Bracken ferns are poisonous to horses but recently our field that was being rested for the winter has been topped killing all the bracken that was high in one corner of the field. This part will be fenced off with electric fence when the horses go back into this field but just out of curiosity, does dead Bracken have the same effect on horses as live bracken? I would have thought it would have so i'm planning on collecting it all up and getting rid of it before the horses come back into the field incase they get through the electric fence (we have 2 "bulldozer" horses who don't respect fencing).

Thanks

 

[FfionWinnie]

It all comes down to relative palatability. If there is something better, they aren't likely to eat it. If there isn't, they might. Dried up dead bracken is probably not particularly palatable but I think you are right to remove it. It may also be more of a temptation at the wilted stage.

I rented a field with rhodedendron bordering it for ten years without issue. Then in the bad winter of 2009 despite having adlib hay and pellets, the long (long long) deep snow cover and no grass drove the sheep to have a go at the rhodies. Sheep had been on the estate for as long (probably longer!) than the plants without issue. It was just an unfortunate set of circumstances that made them relatively palatable.

 

[propercornishmaid]

I read up on this a couple of years ago after YOs pony got ill with bracken poisoning. She is a particularly greedy pony and gorged on the live growing fronds while out on the moor. She did recover. The other ponies in her herd would not eat it and were not affected. ( unsuprisingly none of them go on the moor any more). The information I gathered generally agreed that dead and cut bracken leaves are still toxic so I would remove them especially if they are greedy or sensitive horses or grazing is restricted. My own vet also advised that bracken commonly harbours ticks.