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After around 500 valuable racehorse foals died of a mysterious disease
earlier this year, University of Kentucky scientists are feeding caterpillar
faeces to horses to see if the bugs could be the culprit. Many of the foals
seemed to show classic signs of cyanide poisoning and many had been grazing
close to cherry trees. Cherry leaves contain prunasin, a compound related to
cyanide. Investigators now believe that frost in March drove eastern tent
caterpillars that feed on the trees onto pastures, where horses ate them or
their excrement. “Of all the working hypotheses this is the best one,” says
Thomas…