Horse Breeds at  Question of the Week: Fruit Trees in the
Pasture  Is it possible to safely keep a horse in a pasture full
of fruit trees?   Printer Friendly  Mini HorseQ: I have a nice
pasture at my house and I’m thinking about bringing home a
Miniature Horse. However, my pasture has various fruit trees,
including apple, fig and black walnut, among others. Is it safe
to keep a horse in a pasture with trees that drop fruit, or is
there any way to make it safe?  A: Fruit trees and horses do not
mix, especially the types you have listed. First and foremost,
black walnut trees contain a toxin that causes laminitis and
although it is usually encountered when black walnut shavings
are used to bed a stall, the bark on a black walnut tree may
still contain enough of this toxin to cause problems in a horse,
especially a miniature horse, if ingested.  Secondly, given the
size of a miniature horse and the bounty produced by a single
apple tree, not to mention multiple apple trees, I would not
trust the mini to not gorg