Thuja Toxicity for Horses

Thujas are evergreen trees that grow from 10 to 60 feet high. They have red bark and green, spidery limbs; grow in a cone shape; and produce cones. These trees are very common in North America and generally are not known as being toxic to horses but instead used as a remedy.

  1. Identification

    • Thujas are tall, fast-growing and hardy evergreens. They are used many times as a blockade between property lines, for decoration and for shade.

    Theories/Speculation

    • It is believed among some equine circles that thuja is poisonous to horses. Instead, the oil is used as a holistic remedy. Generally, horses will not try to eat these trees, as they are not appetizing, but like anything else, if they do eat thuja, too much could be a bad thing.

    Benefits

    • The oil produced by thujas is used most commonly for wart removal and sarcoids in equine. Sarcoids are external benign tumors on a horse that start out as a wart and can get as large as a tennis ball.

    Forms of Medicine

    • Thuja oil is available in topical or pill form for both horses and humans.

    Fun Fact

    • Thujas were first brought to the U.S. in 1967 as a gift from Denmark and are a popular replacement for Leyland cypress trees.