Badgerfoot
New User
I find myself with an extremely angry and wrestless 17.2h 5 year old after we withdrew his access to acorns!
I suspect he is having some kind of "Acorn come down" but wondered if anybody has any experience of anything similar?!
the long version...
last week we noticed my 5 year old Warmblood had been eating acorns in his 6 acre field (which is full of lovely grass) and he shares with his friend.
We put up electric fencing around the x3 trees, he trashed this immediately and cut himself.
We then put up post and rail around one tree, a 9ft high stallion pen around the other and the remaining tree (which is a bit diseased) only had a few acorns which we raked up (and do this daily).
I think he is addicted / very angry about the situation.
Since he can't find acorns, he's taken to eating the fence posts. These are now cribboxed.
I consulted a nutritionist who confirmed his diet is balanced.
Then after coming in from his cribboxed field, he took to eating half of his lovely wooden stable (which was immaculate up until this week).
I cribboxed the stable last night and this morning celebrated that there was no further chewing.
Today, my poor exasperated yard owner called to tell me that he had charged through the main post and rail fencing (with telegraph poles) to get into the field next door.
He was brought in and extremely stressed about being locked up and has no prospect of being allowed out until we find a fencing solution. Being a 5 year old used to being out for 9 hours a day, neither of us are thrilled about this.
I can't think of any reason for this extreme / disruptive behaviour except he can't stuff his face with his beloved acorns.
All fields at the yard have acorn trees in them - he's the only interested party. I can't see moving him to an acorn free field is the solution since he has demonstrated fences are no problem.
Any similar experiences out there???
How long will this last?!?
Thanks
??
(no, unfortunately this is not a joke)
I suspect he is having some kind of "Acorn come down" but wondered if anybody has any experience of anything similar?!
the long version...
last week we noticed my 5 year old Warmblood had been eating acorns in his 6 acre field (which is full of lovely grass) and he shares with his friend.
We put up electric fencing around the x3 trees, he trashed this immediately and cut himself.
We then put up post and rail around one tree, a 9ft high stallion pen around the other and the remaining tree (which is a bit diseased) only had a few acorns which we raked up (and do this daily).
I think he is addicted / very angry about the situation.
Since he can't find acorns, he's taken to eating the fence posts. These are now cribboxed.
I consulted a nutritionist who confirmed his diet is balanced.
Then after coming in from his cribboxed field, he took to eating half of his lovely wooden stable (which was immaculate up until this week).
I cribboxed the stable last night and this morning celebrated that there was no further chewing.
Today, my poor exasperated yard owner called to tell me that he had charged through the main post and rail fencing (with telegraph poles) to get into the field next door.
He was brought in and extremely stressed about being locked up and has no prospect of being allowed out until we find a fencing solution. Being a 5 year old used to being out for 9 hours a day, neither of us are thrilled about this.
I can't think of any reason for this extreme / disruptive behaviour except he can't stuff his face with his beloved acorns.
All fields at the yard have acorn trees in them - he's the only interested party. I can't see moving him to an acorn free field is the solution since he has demonstrated fences are no problem.
Any similar experiences out there???
How long will this last?!?
Thanks
??
(no, unfortunately this is not a joke)
