[nw_arizona_granny]

Ping, different set of horse deaths.

[Calpernia]

Have you ever been told to keep your horses away from white snakeroot?

[Endeavor]

What kind of feed do they eat? Mixed locally? Where's it kept? Any rain lately? Change in feed or hay recently? What were the symptoms of the ones who got sick? Any bloodwork done on the sick ones? On any meds? What else is in the pasture? I'd sure scour it because it does sound like a toxicity problem. Recently treated with pesticides (the pasture or a field nearby)? If it's an infectious organism, it's pretty hot to kill that quickly.

Could be the white snakeroot. I'd have thought that there might be something left in the stomachs of the horses that could give a clue. Snakeroot poisening can be cummulative though and it can also kill w/in 1-3 days. I would like to see stomach contents analyzed. Very interesting case. Very sorry about the loss of the horses.

[wildehunt]

At this time of year, frost on the wild cherries or chokecherries can cause the leaves to produce cyanide..

http://web.vet.cornell.edu/CVM/HANDOUTS/plants/cyanide.html

*keep off dangerous crops if frost or too young or crop damage or animals hungry - feed hay before turn out
*don't leave cherry branches in field

[Cvengr]

Dr. Watson: Simply Brilliant, Holmes,....but do tell ,..... exactly how DID you know the horses were playing?....

[DouglasKC]