Can horses eat acorns? I thought they were toxic?
The acorn is a dense food that is also high in protein. If Dobbin only ate a couple of hands (hooves?) full, there would be little problem. But no . . . Once the acorns start falling, he has to see just how many he can take in. The sudden intake of so much dense, high protein food brings on the stomachache which in horse is called acute gastritis. The response to protein is similar to an allergic reaction. The lining of the stomach and small intestine becomes very inflamed, red, and swollen. This irritation results in the bowel becoming hyperactive and Dobbin starts cramping. They are often so sick they will be breathing with flared nostrils.
