An equestrian helmet is a form of protective headgear worn when riding horses. This type of helmet is specially designed to protect the rider’s head in the event of falls from a horse, especially from striking a hard object while falling or being accidentally struck in the head by a Read more…
Horse chestnuts, also known as conkers (seeds of the Aesculus Hippocastanum tree) are toxic to dogs. Never let your dog eat horse chestnuts. It is also important to remember to only give your dog plain nuts, never any with added salt, sugar, or seasoning on them. Are chestnuts from a Read more…
The majority of domestic horses have chestnuts on all four legs, as does the Przewalski’s horse, but a few horse breeds are reported to lack chestnuts on the hind legs. Do horses have chestnuts? Most horse people know that our horses have Chestnuts and not quite as many people know Read more…
Ergotism is a worldwide disease of farm animals that results from ingestion of sclerotia of the parasitic fungus Claviceps purpurea, which replaces the grain or seed of rye and other small grains or forage plants, such as the bromes, bluegrasses, fescues, and ryegrasses. What causes ergot on horses? Ergot poisoning- Read more…
If someone has unintentionally eaten part of a horse chestnut, you can help them by doing the following: Gently wipe out their mouth. Have them rinse with water and spit to remove remaining plant material from their mouth. They can drink a few small sips of water to rinse the Read more…
The horse chestnut seeds contain a chemical called triterpenoid saponin that wards off pesky pests. Place fresh conkers in among your clothes and as they dry out they emit the moth-repellent. Pick up some conkers on your next woodland walk for all your household needs. How do chestnuts repel spiders? Read more…
American chestnut is in the beech family (Fagaceae), along with beeches and oaks, while the horse chestnut is in the soapberry family (Sapindaceae), and most closely related to our native buckeyes. What is another name for horse chestnut? conker treeAesculus hippocastanum, the horse chestnut, is a species of flowering plant Read more…
Are horse chestnuts poisonous to animals as well? They are. Cattle, horses, sheep, and chickens have been poisoned by eating poisonous conkers or even the young shoots and foliage of the trees. Even honeybees can be killed by feeding on horse chestnut nectar and sap. Are horse chestnuts poisonous to Read more…
Sweet chestnuts are edible, but horse chestnuts are poisonous. If eaten, they can cause digestive problems such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and throat irritation. What should I do if I eat horse chestnut? Raw horse chestnut seed, bark, flower, and leaf contain esculin and are unsafe to use. Signs Read more…
What are they? A common parasite of equids, including horses, donkeys and mules, these small yellow dots are the eggs deposited by bot flies. Egg removal and de-worming will assist in protecting your horse against these irritating parasites. What do bot eggs look like on horses? In appearance, the adult Read more…