Horses eating acorns - advice please...

[Ginn]

If you are aware that some horses are out 24/7 in a field with a big acorn (oak?) tree and the ground is littered with acorns but the owner of said horses will not do anything about the situation is there anything that can be done?

 

[polaris]

Acorns are toxic and what's worse is that horses can 'develop' a taste for them and actively seek them out.
I shall put up some links if you care to print them and show the owner who is pitifully ignorant. Try to fence off the tree and get them to rake up as many as they can as a compromise.
Best of luck.
http://www.horseweb-uk.com/features/plantmain.htm#o

http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/sccwebsite/sc...er?opendocument

http://www.patrickkempe.co.uk/Training_Tips.htm

 

[Ginn]

Thanks - sadly I've pointed out to the owner the dangers (infact she was the person who first made me aware of them all those years ago when I was just starting to ride!!!!) but she is refusing to do anything about it!

 

[Murphs_Mum]

Well we've fenced off the trees at work - haven't noticed any of ours near them but better safe than sorry - had a pony in the village die once, it was being fed Yew by some passing children, absolutely awful so I'm paranoid poisonous things.

 

[pagancluf]

Definately fence off the area - acorns contain tannin that is poisonous.

 

[Tinkerbee]

have spent part of my day clearing a filed of acorns...thankfully there werent many!

 

[fletcher]

theres a pony on our yard that eats akons and nuts

 

[RachelMcTimoney]

i have had to fence off trees in muy field with electricx there are loads of acorns this year apparently it is a bumper crop this year, great! my hporses all seem to try and eat them and have a taste for them so i then had to pick them up by hand too!!! what fun!

 

[milliepup]

My friends horse went down with colic yesterday and vet said it was due to acorns. Luckily I had already fenced of a tree that mine were taking a lot of notice of!

Better to be safe than sorry.