Should I section off sycamore / maple trees in horses new field?

[MagicMelon]

Will shortly be moving 2 of my horses to my own place from my mums, so I've been finishing off their stables and sorting the fencing. The field has trees in places round the edge, most are just fir trees so they're fine but there are a couple of trees that my mother (a gardener) says are either sycamore or maple (hard to tell this time of year). Having heard of several horses in my area dying from apparent poisoning of which they think *might* be poisoning from ingesting the seeds from these particular trees, I'm a bit worried. I've read up on it and am not sure what to do. So just to be safe, should I fence these trees off or just be done with it and chop them down (they're about 7ft tall)? Opinions please!

 

[Love]

Think it was last weeks issue of horse an hound that stated the link between sycamore trees and atypical myopathy. I would make sure they can't get to them for sure.

 

[Nudibranch]

Hmm, that's an interesting one - I have kept horses in fields with sycamores for 25 years and never had a problem. Current grazing has a 500m row of mature sycamores down the middle from an old field boundary, and a hedge of them down one side! I have no intention of fencing them off or removing them, they are good shade in summer and great scratching posts/climbing frames for the youngster. Then again I may be completely in the wrong, I've never heard of them being poisonous!

 

[EstherYoung]

Its the seeds that are linked to AM. I have sycamores along one edge of my field and there's not a lot I can do about them. Outside seeding time you're relatively safe I think. Since the link was announced I brought the fence in a bit during seeding time, made sure the pones had plenty to eat, and raked up stray seeds where I could. The seeds fly everywhere though, its not like oaks that just dump acorns in a handy pile. I would imagine most urban fields have sycamores within seed flying distance. There's been seeds all over the local roads and gardens.

 

[tankgirl1]

Think it was last weeks issue of horse an hound that stated the link between sycamore trees and atypical myopathy. I would make sure they can't get to them for sure.

Me too, I don't know how high a risk factor they are, but if something happened and I hadn't fenced them off I would never forgive myself

 

[Kokopelli]

Fence them off. I lost a horse to AM before the link was apparent and it was horrific for both me and the horse. I would hate to see any other horse or person to go through it when it can be prevented.

 

[hobo]

I would be incline to say if they are only 7ft tall get rid. If you will be keeping at home for a long time why have the worry.

 

[sarahann1]

A vets near to me are suggestions getting rid or fencing off Sycamores. http://www.thrumsvet.co.uk/Equine/HomePage

I do wonder how many cases of this have happened and it's been passed off as severe colic? I had never heard of this until relatively recently, just wondering if awareness in vets is much better than say 10yrs ago, so diagnosis is more reliable? Makes me then wonder if folk have unknowingly had a horse go down with this.

I'm normally fairly relaxed about stuff, but I have to admit this concerns me. I really hope there are no sycamores near my horses fields

 

[Adopter]

I have Field Maples in our paddock and they have never produced seed in the 27 years we have been here so you might want to wait till the trees are in leaf to check exactly what they are. If they are Sycamores, it is probably worth replacing them with varieties of tree that will not cause you any concern in the future. I had Oaks with acorns this year and at least acorns are relatively easy to collect, seeds are much more difficult.

 

[EstherYoung]

PS If you are looking at removing them, get someone professional to do it and do it at the right time of year. Sycamores have a habit of going absolutely mental at reproducing if their roots or trunks are exposed, and they will shed spores everywhere. One of my neighbours cut his down and there are now far more sycamores growing in at area than there were before he cut down the main tree. They are like weeds and they grow like weeds if threatened. Mine are several hundred years old and are huuuuuge, so removal isn't an option.

 

[Booboos]

It's one type of sycamore that causes a problem so make sure you identify your trees correctly and it's the seeds which can fall outside the fenced off area so keep an eye out for that. If you google it there are loads of articles identifying the trees, showing photos of the seeds, etc.

 

[TGM]

The problem is with the seeds and it seems to occur when vast quantities are brought down in one go (hence the cluster of cases after the autumn storms this year). I suspect this is why horses can live happily in fields with sycamore trees for years, and then suddenly succumb to this terrible disease - presumably they can ingest a few seeds without noticeable problems, but given a sudden deluge of seeds and a greedy horse or pony who gorges on them, then you have a recipe for disaster. You have various options - fence the trees off at seeding time, remove the trees, reduce the risk factors by feeding ad lib forage and perhaps part stabling in the autumn. I would be particularly wary of grazing dieting animals in that area of field whilst seeds are around.

 

[MagicMelon]

Thanks everyone, think I'll wait until its in leaf and I can try and identify it properly, it if is a dodgy one then I'll probably just cut them down - don't want to worry about it to be honest and there's other trees in the field anyway (and stables will be left open so its not like they need them for shelter).

 

[charlie76]

I've fenced mine off and spend two hrs daily picking them off the ground. Mine have loads of hay and grass and are only out for four hrs but I still worry. I have another field with leas grass and no sycmores so I alternate which field I use so they aren't exposed to them too often.

 

[Abby-Lou]

I am setting up a new field at the moment and I have identified some sycamores in the hedge and they are coming up this winter ! young plants so shouldn't be difficult. My current field has five oak trees and just getting over clearing up acorns and leaves its been a bumper year.

 

[Goldenstar]

I recently asked my vet about this and was told with my management , good grass covered paddocks , horse fed daily winter and summer and stabled part of every day they where at no risk.

 

[Rose Folly]

Same as Nudibranch. We have sycamores in the hedge and two field maples. I've kept horses on this pasture for 20 years and never had a problem. Oaks now - that's another matter!

 

[gwniver]

Well I am really worried now I never new they were poisonous !!

I have my horses in a field quite close to a sycamore and the seeds are everywhere !! Do you think they will be ok ..... I am really panicking now . The sycamore is outside the walled garden quite far away .

 

[gwniver]

bump

 

[RobinHood]

I recently asked my vet about this and was told with my management , good grass covered paddocks , horse fed daily winter and summer and stabled part of every day they where at no risk.

Sorry this is very dangerous advice. A friend of mind lost her pony yesterday to AM / sycamore poisoning and his field mate is extremely ill. They had plenty of grass cover and came in every day.

 

[Adopter]

Sorry this is very dangerous advice. A friend of mind lost her pony yesterday to AM / sycamore poisoning and his field mate is extremely ill. They had plenty of grass cover and came in every day.

So sorry to read this and devastating for your friend.

 

[springtime1331]

Fairly sure I lost one of mine to it a few years ago. He was in at night with ad lib hay and fed hard food twice a day.