Anyone else fighting with panic over the Sycamore issue?

Cortrasna

Cortrasna

Grumpy old nag
Aug 5, 2009
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Is it just me? I have fenced off any parts of the most likely areas of the fields.....but still obviously at risk from seeds and leaves blowing in, nothing more I can do as I have absolutely nowhere available to me that is sycamore free.

I scour the internet daily looking for more knowledge, but all is still very confusing and nothing certain to make a sensible judgement on just how big or small the risk is to individual horses.

This afternoon I went to bring her in for her supplements, unusually she didnt come over to me, I had to walk over and get her. As I slipped her headcollar on and turned to walk away I felt her weight resisting on the end of the rope, I looked around at her and jiggled the rope, she refused to walk forward. My heart sunk, I felt like my world was crashing down around me (and I do not exaggerate that awful sense of impending loss and panic:() - I went to walk towards her head to check pulses and gum colour etc......she lifted her tail, had a huge fart and then defecated, sighed loudly (usual sign that she has finished her ablutions) sauntered in, wolfed down the supplements. Put her back out, she bucked and farted her way up to the field waiting for me to move the fence line.:eek:

I really wish they would come up with some sort of indicator that at some point we can stop worrying - I am longing to hear a few hard frosts will take the danger away from the seeds and leaves.

Please tell me other people are struggling to not panic over this latest scare?
 
I think it's an awful thing and has become scarily on the rise. We do have them all over the place here but always have. I'm trying not to panic and just doing what they recommend,make sure they have hay or grass and full bellies and the risk is lower as they don't apparently freely choose them over other things.
I take no pride in saying this as I know just how worried you would have been at the time, but you did make me LOL when I finally read Dolly basically just needed a nice big fart and a crap!!!!!
On a serious note though, I do wonder what all of a sudden has caused these reactions in horses from them as it's not as if it's a new species of tree or seed. I do often Think the climate changes could be having weird effects on things though.
 
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We don't have sycamores but do have a lot of oaks, I rake or Hoover up what I can and make sure they have full bellies but I still worry, my vet tells me not to but still.
Rossdales Emily haggett (she's lovely, treated jess when she got sick this time last year) is running a talk on EAM, grass sickness and dentistry later this month I'm hoping to get a place at, I'll happily report back.
 
I understand that the RVC in Hertfordshire are also having a public meeting about this tonight, I had got someone going for me to
let me know their thoughts on it all, but unfortunately they aren't able too go now. Hopefully any new information from them will filter through to the internet very quickly.

Thanks for the link cwb - but I have actually already read that report. Unfortunately it doesn't tell us anything new does it - not sure if we can be told anything new as they really just don't know anything for certain about it.:(
 
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Not really - I might go to the Rossendales evening. The key seems to be a bit like ragwort - they tend only to eat the seeds if there is nothing better. Doesn't stop us worrying about it though! Actually, what with flu, AM, rag, colic, etc., etc., it is amazing that horses survive at all! :)
 
I was reading on a facebook page of a lady with a 2yr old and a 3yr old both gone down with serious colic/illness within 24hrs of each other. It seems when I last read it that sycamore poisoning was suspected.
 
Gimp said:
I was reading on a facebook page of a lady with a 2yr old and a 3yr old both gone down with serious colic/illness within 24hrs of each other. It seems when I last read it that sycamore poisoning was suspected.
Click to expand...

That is dreadful and typical of what I am reading on a daily basis. I can't imagine how their owner must be feeling.:(
 
I wonder why now too. Sycamores are not new after all. Yes they spread like wildfire and grow really fast - is this problem something to do with other prominent species like elm and chestnuts and ash falling prey to disease and dwindling?
 
I am chatting with a vet at the moment - they are none the wiser as to why the sudden apparent increase - possibly the windy weather has spread the seeds wider than usual - here in the south east we have lots of sycamores and lots of horses so there has been a concentrated outbreak of the disease.

Its name - atypical - means it doesn't present in a consistent way so all we can do it be vigilant 8-(
 
It may be a coincidence of the time the seeds fall with some strong winds - we had some big lows come through recently - that would have carried seeds over a greater than normal area and into the fields where horses have hoovered them up with the grass
 
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