Noxious, invasive weed, hoary alyssum KILLS HORSES.
Yes, really.
How do I know? I’ve had personal experience.
Not sure what it looks like? You are not alone.
Many horses don’t find it palatable in the pasture BUT…
When baled in hay, they readily eat it, and it takes precious little to create serious problems.
Don’t believe some of the early studies and test results that state it has to be 20% or more in hay to be dangerous, new research and personal experiences find less than 10% can be deadly.
Learn to recognize it in your pastures and PULL it, double bag it and take it to a landfill (in British Columbia and other provinces of Canada landfills will accept noxious weeds for free.)
Mowing it just makes it come back stronger. The seeds survive burning, and even spraying is not 100% effective.
Give it an inch and it will take many miles.
Thanks to Sheila Wardman I learned it sometimes has a PURPLE TINGE IN HAY. She likely saved my horses’ lives.
Mature plants may have purple stalks when in the field and when dry in hay, but not always. Learn to recognize the seeds in hay too.
Only buy hay for your horses from someone you absolutely trust with their lives.
Your veterinarian may NOT yet know much if anything about hoary alyssum poisoning, symptoms include:
Lower Leg Edema (Swelling)
Lameness
Loss of appetite
Fever
Warm Hooves
Listlessness
Laminitis (founder)
Stiffness Of Joints
Reluctance To Move
A “camped Out” Stance
Abortion In Mares
Increased Digital Pulse
Red-colored Urine
Liver Damage
Kidney Failure
Neurological issues
Death
Live in British Columbia, Canada? You’ve likely seen hoary alyssum and if you’ve been aware of it before this year…
Chances are that you, like me, are appalled at how it has taken over lawns, ditches, fields, public spaces. How it’s grown exponentially year after year.
The regional district I currently live in has 231 public spaces that are completely covered with it, hectares upon hectares. And that’s not counting private properties, ditches and Crown Land.
I’ve watched as a neighbour’s 5 acre property has gone from having a few plants to being completely covered in it. Mowing only makes it stronger.
There are whole communities in B.C. complaining that they don’t have any hay available for horses that is not “infected” with hoary alyssum.
And it’s not just in B.C. It’s in North east and west Washington State, Oregon, Minnesota, Idaho, Colorado, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Michigan, and more.
Washington Lawmaker Warns Of Noxious Weed After Death Of ‘One-In-A-Million’ Horse
https://www.nwnewsnetwork.org/…/washington-lawmaker-warns-n…
“They found her down by a creek on some leased pasture land.
“She was standing on all fours, but very uncomfortable lifting her back feet up and down,” Kretz said.
She then collapsed and they had to haul her to dry ground.
“Right away you’re running through a million things in your mind, what could it be, what could she have gotten into,” Kretz said. “Is it a disease? is it poison?”
The conclusion was it was hoary alyssum.
Kretz nursed Ellie for several weeks and watched as the toxins took a toll on her hooves. She started to slough them — something Kretz said was one of the worst things he’s ever witnessed.
“I never want to see it again,” he said. “I wouldn’t wish that on anybody.”
Finally, he decided to euthanize her.”
HELPFUL PICTURES HERE:
https://bcinvasives.ca/…/iden…/invasive-plants/hoary-alyssum
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In addition Canada allows for the transportation of live horses to Japan, to be slaughtered for human consumption, and unfortunately the transportation of horses destined for slaughter within Canada, and by air, is far from humane.
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