Side-effects of grazing on St. John's Wort?!

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mollymurphy

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Went to a yard today that is near my dads work. It used to be a nice little yard, but now it's full of horses and ponies that belong to gypsies. The owner of the yard took us to see a 6week old filly and her mum. Mum was a VERY underweight 14hh coloured cob, about 3 years old. As soon as he brought her out, we noticed her skin - it was all coming off, along with the hair. All over her body and legs. The YO said it was because they'd been grazing in a field that had St. John's Wort growing in it and "it has that effect on coloureds". Is this true? I've never heard of it before.

If it IS St. John's Wort, how would/should it be treated? The owners have just brought them in and left them in the stable, which is a bit mean on the foal IMO.

Just wondering really because the mum was so itchy and i felt really sorry for her.
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If it's treatable, maybe i could go back and recommend something.

Also, if anyone's looking for a project horse/pony, there are plenty there!!!
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I really need to win the lottery!

Thank you for any tips in advance!

Lou. x
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Aww poor things!! Stick the coloured mare and foal in the post for me.. id be happy to get the vet out and treat them!

Sorry but I dont know the symptoms of grazing on St. Johns Wort, although i know what it looks like and i no theres none in my field!! x
 
St Johns Wort can make the skin extremely photosensitive. I have pale freckly skin and was warned by my pharmacist that I could end up having a reaction if I took SJW and then went out in the sun.

I wonder if this is what has happened to this horse.
 
Very laid back horses (I take SJW when I think I'm going to have a bad day) It is known to be a cause of photo-sensitivity, so exposure to sun can cause rashes etc.
 
I've just been googling and found quite a lot on photosensitivity, so it sounds like it might well be that doesnt it?
One site says: "Normally signs of disease only occur when up to 75% of the liver has been severely damaged." So if she's showing physical signs, does that mean her liver's damaged?
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"Symptoms may include: Photo-sensitisation where the skin becomes sensitive to sunlight and develops small lesions on its surface which may allow infection to set in. Loss of appetite, debility, staggering gait and coma."

I've never actually seen such a skinny cob - they're normally such good-doers, so maybe she HAS lost her appetitie? Surely this will be bad for the milk quality though?

All sounds quite serious really! But i know for a fact these owners couldn't give a c**p about their horses, so i doubt very much i'd be able to convince them to get a vet out! Will print a load of info out and take it to the YO. He's lovely, but he's not all there (been kicked in the head twice - both very serious injuries!), so i dont know if the owners would take any notice of him.
Wonder if the owners would notice if i stole them.........?!
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Oh dear. Not sure Id want to be a foal ingesting milk from a mare in that state.

Hopefully you might get through to him!
 
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