What To Do

Prevention is the best course. Do not let horses have access to black walnut trees at pasture and never use black walnut shavings or sawdust for bedding. Know what type of wood your shavings are made from. Always inspect the bedding, and discuss any concerns you have with the dealer or miller where the shavings originate.

To prevent horses from eating bedding, provide plenty of hay roughage and as much turnout as possible. If they continue to eat shavings, they may need to be muzzled when stabled, or a different type of stall bedding may need to be used (paper shavings).

It is not always easy to tell if shavings or sawdust contain black walnut, especially if several types of wood have been mixed. Black walnut shavings are comparatively dark ranging in color from purplish-black to dark brown. However, other wood shavings are also dark, so color alone is not a reliable means of differentiating. Exposure to Black Walnut is mostly a regional concern. The tree is found throughout the eastern U.S. and in parts of Europe.

If your horse is eating a substantial amount of their bedding or if you believe your horse has ingested black walnut tree shavings, contact your vet with your findings and concerns.

What Not To Do

Do not use shavings containing wood from the black walnut tree. Do not allow horses to consume large amounts of bedding.