Have you ever heard of this!!!

Chazzy · Feb 17, 2009

I'm a college senior at Arkansas Tech University and am taking Organic Chemistry II. Our professor was talking about a chemical today that is toxic and is found in the seeds of some fruit. For instance, a cherry. Well, he started talking about how a few years ago a lot of race horses were losing their babies early and they could only trace it to the fact that there was a cherry tree near the pastures. The horses must have eaten the seeds and gotten some of this chemical called amydalin. I know that all of us who have horses know about cherry trees with pregnant mares, but he mentioned something more about this chemical. He said that some children ate a lot of apple seeds and died because this seed contains the chemical amydalin.

So, just wanted everyone to know that it probably is not wise to feed our horses apple seeds especially if they are pregnant. Since the minis are so small I would think that it would have more of an effect on them than the larger breeds. Some minis are the size of children, and i'm sure it could harm them just as it did the children.

Just be sure and remove any seeds from your apples when you feed them to your horses, pregnant or not!

Chasta

Minimor · Feb 17, 2009

I did know that apple seeds contain some cyanide compound that is poisonous if the seeds are consumed in large enough amounts and if those seeds are pulverized/chewed before they are swallowed. According to snopes, it would take a huge number of apples to be poisonous: http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/apples.asp

As you can read in that same article, cherry, peach and apricot seeds also contain amygdalin--the latter two in large enough doses to be harmful...thankfully not many of us consume the pits of those fruits.

Hmmm, and it seems we'd better all hope that our tapioca is properly processed before we cook it up for pudding...

jleonard · Feb 17, 2009

I too had heard that a horse would have to consume a huge amount of apple seeds to be toxic. Was your professor refering to the Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome? I know that they had originally thought that the mares were eating tent catapilars which had eaten the cherry leave which contained cyanide. I believe they eventually determinied that it was the hairs from the catapillars that were puncturing the intestines resulting in the loss of the foals, and not the cyanide. It is certainly somethin to be aware of though, and it never hurts to be on the safe side and remove the seeds.

Chazzy · Feb 17, 2009

No actually it was the caterpillars droppings. The caterpillars can resist the amydalin in their digestive system and pass it through to the ground where the horses eat the grass.

But the whole point of my little spill was that we need to be careful with pregnant mares and apples. I know that a lot of people feed just slices of apples to their horses and don't worry about the seeds. I wouldn't want anyone to lose any babies due to an error as this.

But yes, it is actually the amydalin that is toxic. Not any hairs that I have heard of.

jleonard · Feb 17, 2009

I decided to do a search on MRLS because I could not remember what the final determination was (though I should have since durring high school I worked with the professors from UK on a presentation for the National Science Teachers conference. How quickly I forget.

) I found this site which I thought was interesting that goes into detail about it MRLS Website I've always been very interested in this subject!

I understand your point and agree that it is better to be safe than sorry.

Nathan Luszcz · Feb 18, 2009

As jlenard said, MRLS was caused by the physical damaged caused by the spines of tent catapillers free floating through the mare's blood stream, causing damage to the placental membranes.