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Sherman wrote:
> Potatos & tomatos are listed in the nightshade group as toxic to horses 
> with a note that the toxic alkoloids are destroyed by cooking.

Here is a site that lists poisonous garden plants (I assume they mean poisonous to 
humans).  For the tomato, the parts listed as poisonous are vines, sprouts and 
leaves.  For the potato, GREEN and spoiled potatoes, sprouts and unripe berries.
http://chppm-www.apgea.army.mil/ento/PLNTGRDN.HTM

According to http://www.felinefuture.com/nutrition/tomato.php, the fruit of the 
tomato plant contains very small amounts of the alkaloid Solanine which is not 
harmful to humans but can be toxic in relatively small amounts to cats.

According to Cornell University, 
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/steroid.html, solanum-type 
glycoalkaloids found in potatoes and tomatos CAN NOT be destroyed by cooking or 
drying at high temperatures.  [My note:  perhaps boiling leaches some portion of the 
alkaloids out of the potato into the water?]

According to the University of Maryland, 
http://www.life.umd.edu/classroom/bsci124/lec30.html, potato tubers contain solanine 
but the toxic dose for a human is about 100 potatoes.  Greened or damaged potatoes 
are much more poisonous and can cause death.

http://www.yourhorseshealth.com/health_care/vet_tip1004.html discusses horse treats, 
including bananas, potato chips, hamburgers (safe) and potato or tomato plants, 
mustards, peach pits (poisonous).

Purdue University: http://www.vet.purdue.edu/depts/addl/toxic/plant42.htm
Nightshade plants are moderately poisonous because though the plant is very toxic, 
they taste so badly that most horses won't eat them and "In one report, one to ten 
pounds of plant material was potentially lethal for a horse".  And later, "Sprouts 
and sunburned (green) or spoiled potato tubers should not be mixed in feed because 
they also contain solanine. Vines of tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum, nightshade 
family) contain similar glycoalkaloids."


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