Persimmons are a type of edible fruit which come from Diospyros trees.Unripened persimmons are not easily digested by horses, and if ingested, can polymerize and form a gluey coagulum referred to as a phytobezoar. Phytobezoars are usually very hard and can cause a blockage in the intestines, causing a horse to colic.

Horses have also been known to like the taste for persimmons, causing them to consume large quantities, if they have access to a persimmon tree in their pasture. The fruit hangs on the branches long into the winter, which can increase the risk of a horse ingesting them, since available pasture may be scarcer in the colder months.