Atypical Myopathy in horses, also known as Sycamore Poisoning, is a very serious illness for which there is no cure or antidote and is often fatal in horses.  Typically only 1 horse in 4 will survive that develop the disease. Horses tend to deteriorate very fast indeed.  If you suspect your horse may have ingested the Sycamore leaves, seeds or saplings , and is displaying symptoms, you must contact your vet immediately to give your horse every chance of survival.

The best thing you can do, as a responsible horse owner, is to prevent your horse from ingesting the Hypoglycin A (HGA) toxin from the Sycamore tree and be very vigilant to the symptoms of Atypical Myopathy so if your horse does get sick you can act very quickly.

Read stories from owners whose horses have suffered from Atypical Myopathy. Learn more about the symptoms, treatment and how quickly the disease takes hold. Often only 1 horse is effected in the herd.  Fields are often grazed for many years without a horse ever getting sick and then all of a sudden a horse will die from eating the Sycamore. The disease kills horses and fast.

A horse which has ingested sycamore is likely to present with some or all of the following symptoms;

• Lethargy – reluctance to move – recumbency
• Loss of appetite
• Brown urine
• Increased heart rate / respiratory rate
• Muscle Tremors
• Sweating / feeling cold
• Low head Carriage
• Difficulty breathing

If you suspect Atypical Myopathy call your vet immediately.  A rapid blood test  will be able to confirm if your horse has been affected.

It is very important that you can reliably identify Sycamore trees that are either in or surround your field.  Not knowing if a tree is a Sycamore could result in the death of your horse. They can be identified by their leaves, the saplings and the helicopter seeds, all of which can be poisonous to horses.