Horse owners warned over sycamore poisoning risk

Weather conditions have resulted in a high number of sycamore seedlings germinating across the country in spring 2023

Horse owners have been warned by vets that a bumper crop of sycamore seedlings this spring could lead to their animals being poisoned.

Millions of saplings have grown as a result of the weather providing "perfect conditions" for the seeds, according to tree experts.

The seedlings are harmful to horses and North Yorkshire vet Phil Cramp lost one of his animals after it ate a sapling.

He has urged horse owners to be careful about where their animals graze.

Equine vet Phil Cramp lost one of his horses after it ate a poisonous sycamore sapling

Mr Cramp said his horse Dermot was turned out in a paddock that he had used many times before when he ate the seedling.

The animal quickly developed atypical myopathy, a condition that can cause fatal muscle damage, and had to be put down.

"The horses get very weak, they become unable to stand and eventually the toxin overpowers them," he said.

"The disease has a death rate of around 75%, so if they get it, they are normally dead within 24 hours."

Horses can develop a potentially fatal condition if they eat sycamore seedlings, the Royal Veterinary College has warned

John Grimshaw, from the Yorkshire Arboretum at Castle Howard, said sycamore seeds had germinated "in enormous numbers".

"It was a mild spring [last year], the flowers set seed and then it was a warm summer so they ripened well," he said.

"There's been perfect conditions for the seeds to be prepared to germinate and then as it's warmed up, they have come up by the million."

The Royal Veterinary College has warned horse owners to be "especially careful and remove horses from contaminated pastures".

John Grimshaw from the Yorkshire Arboretum said millions of sycamore seedlings had germinated