Hemlock Water Dropwort (aka Dead Man's Fingers)- DEADLY POISONOUS

[Ravenwood]

With all the rain we have had lately I have noticed a huge flourish of this plant in streams, wet meadows, marshy areas. Please beware - it is deadly poisonous to horses and humans.

Our wonderful, best in the world ever, pony died of this at pony club camp. I have never witnessed such an horrific and agonising death, never again do I want to have to tell my children that their fit and healthy pony has died - or drive home an empty trailer.

Two other ponies who had only eated the plant survived but my pony must have pulled up the plant and eaten the root which is the deadly part. He was in a paddock with no grass and had wondered into the stream and eaten it.

Please, please check your streams and make sure there is non in reach of your horse.

 

[cobwithattitude]

thanks for this - will be sourcing a picture to take with me this evening to check my fields and stream. Poor you and your family.

 

[TGM]

There is a fact sheet here with pictures - Hemlock

Looks a bit like cow parsley.

 

[*hic*]

That's a different poisonous plant. Hemlock Water Dropwort is Oenanthe crocata - I think the main difference is that it does not have the purple spots.

 

[TGM]

That is the problem with common plant names - so easy to get confused between them! They are both poisonous though - so best to be able to recognise both! Link here: oenanthe-crocata

 

[Honeypots]

so sorry to hear about your pony..thats dreadful

Thanks though for putting up this post. I have just walked around my field (which is stream bordered) and seen some which I assumed (stupidly) was cow parsley.. I walked down the lane I lead my ponies down everyday and found loads more..some cow parsley but some definitely hemlock...I also found lots of horsetail!! and am now off to find my gloves and to pull it all up...

 

[sleepingdragon10]

I can only imagine your pain at having to witness your pony die in that manner

 

[kibob]

thank you for posting this, have printed of the pics from the link and am off to see if we have any.

 

[kibob]

thank you for posting this, have printed off the pics from the link and am off to see if we have any.

 

[spaniel]

Please correct me if Im wrong but Ive always thought that the easiest way to tell the poisonous varieties from the safe cow parsley is that cow parsley has a corregated stem. I think all the others are smooth. ????

 

[Ravenwood]

Spaniel - yes it is hairless. It is very lush and bushy at the mo but doesn't flower until a bit later. When in flower it looks very much like cow parsley. I don't think horses eat it out of choice I think the danger is when they are in a starvation paddock or snatch some when out riding etc.

 

[Ravenwood]

Rocky - the day before he died. The sweetest pony ever.

 

[Chambon]

I am so sorry to hear of your loss.

I wanted to thankyou for putting this post up and bringing it to others attention. I had never seen or thought about this weed before but after reading this post earlier, when I went to get my ladies in for the night I noticed some of it growing on the path

I went past the ladies field and down to the bottom meadow (where they were out grazing until this recent rain came) and immediately spied loads of it

If I hadn't read your post I would have been none the wiser and the result could have been disastrous - so a big thankyou.

The big question though is how do I get rid of it?

 

[Honeypots]

I've just spent all morning today pulling it up by the roots. It comes out quite easily. Mine are in a starvation paddock and often try and snatch something on their way down the lane. I found loads in amongst the regular cow parsley.