To clear land for an equestrian facility site in a wooded area, or when horses are allowed to graze in a wooded area, care must be taken to eliminate poisonous plants that are harmful to the horses which they reside. While horses tend to avoid toxic plants because of its taste, it can still be affected by food, especially in sparsely populated areas or in times of drought.
Cornell University lists the following species of plants that are of particular interest to horse owners:
Red maple, Fiddleneck, locoweed Thistle, Yellow Star, Crown Vetch, Datura, Horsetail, Buckwheat, St. John's Wort, Mountain Laurel, Fernando sensitive Cherry, Black, sour cherry, Choke Cherry, Pin Cherry, Bracken Oaks Fern, rhubarb, rhododendron, castor, Black Locust, Grounsels, Common Nightshade, Black Nightshade, nettle, Fishing, Buffalo Bur, Potato or Milo sorghum, Sudan grass, Johnson grass and yew, as well as molds of various kinds in various foods.
In the case of yew and fir, if the entire plant or just a few cuts, a small amount can kill a horse within hours as a result of heart failure. The above list is not exhaustive and there are a number of other toxic plants that can be researched on the Internet.
Equestrian landscape architecture and site planning must take this factor into account to ensure that landscapers eliminate dangerous plants during installation. Landscape Architect should walk the space provided, along with the installer of landscape and verification of dangerous plants and mark them for deletion. In specifying proposed planting locations for the equestrian site, the landscape architect must assure that toxic plants are not placed in a position where horses can come into contact with them.
Landscape architects must be licensed by the State in which the practice and are often members of the American Society of Landscape Architects, ASLA.
Landscape architecture encompasses the analysis, planning, design, management and administration of natural and built environments. The national professional association is the American Society of Landscape Architects, based in Washington. ASLA full members have graduated from a landscape architecture program accredited, have obtained 7 years of education and / or professional experience and licensed by the state. In Michigan, as well as all other States, a period of three (3) day LARE examination administered by the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards is required to spend to get the state license.
Landscape designers do not have these professional credentials. Many state and local governments require designs to be stamped registration status landscape architect.
As social landscape architect in the State of Michigan and chief architect of Sexton Ennett Design, LC, a landscape architectural firm in southeast Michigan, I am particularly aware of poisonous plants. See: http: / / Www.sexton-ennett.com.
I am also a breeder of champion Oldenburg warm blood horse sport and am sensitive to issues of poisonous plants related to equestrian facilities. View: http://www.markimfarms.com.
Enjoy your equestrian activities, while ensuring the protection of the health of their horses. An ounce of prevention is all you need.
Pasture is the main source of toxic plants, but hay can be another. In fact, hay is suspected as a toxic source in cases where there is no pasture. However, we must be aware of what they eat. Check this to fully understand the importance of awareness in horses.
ReplyDelete