Frequently (and not so frequently) Asked Questions
BRIEF: Are buttercups dangerous to horses?
QUESTION:
My question concerns buttercups. I have been told that these are
harmful to horses, and I have a great deal of the creeping variety that has shown
up in my pastures this year, while my horses have been away. Can you confirm
that these are indeed dangerous and if so, what can I do? Would mowing them be
sufficient?
ANSWER:
It can be a real pain, literally, to your horse. The protoanemonin causes a
mustard-gas like effect, blistering the lips and mouth and, if ingested, causes
severe GI disturbances. (I don't mean it releases a gas, it doesn't, but the
blisters look a little like mild mustard chemical
burns)
Fortunately, it is so irritating that most animals don't eat enough to get
sick.
If this makes up enough of your pasture that you think this might become a
problem, then you need
to consult some weed control experts at your location to see how to reduce the
amount of
Rannuculus in the
pasture.
I don't have an exact dose, but if by "a great deal" you mean the horses have
nothing else to
eat, then at least mowing and overseeding with the appropriate forage grasses
might be worth it.