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Creeping indigo is a real issue. It is a plant that affects horses and donkeys and all such animals,” Ferrell said. “But it is one of the many toxic plants and some of these other plants we'll see more often.”

Ferrell said it is uncertain what causes the plant to grow more vigorously one season over another and only recently has it received more attention, especially from concerned horse owners,

There is no single solution to keeping the weed under control and therefore out of the horse's diet, Ferrell said. Rather, it takes a multi-pronged approach.

• First identify the weed.

• Apply a herbicide shown to be effective against the weed, such as GrazonNext, Banzel or 2,4-D.

• Rotate the horse from pasture to pasture to allow grass to grow back and not give the weed space to grow.

• Consider re-seeding grass or adding fertilizer to ensure grass is plentiful.

• Routinely check your pasture for the weed.