How to stop horses eating trees..

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Tronk

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As title- my oldie is intent on mutilating the trees in the paddock. We've put (unelectrified) electric fencing around most but he's now breaking through that. There's plenty of grass, he's looking in good shape, but I just can't understand why he's suddenly so desperate to eat the trees! My youngster isn't so bothered but joins in too. Is he lacking something in his diet? I'm not currently feeding them anything, never do this time of year. They were doing the same over the winter when on hay/hard feed/balancers etc. Any suggestions gratefully received! Thanks.
 
Tronk said:
As title- my oldie is intent on mutilating the trees in the paddock. We've put (unelectrified) electric fencing around most but he's now breaking through that. There's plenty of grass, he's looking in good shape, but I just can't understand why he's suddenly so desperate to eat the trees! My youngster isn't so bothered but joins in too. Is he lacking something in his diet? I'm not currently feeding them anything, never do this time of year. They were doing the same over the winter when on hay/hard feed/balancers etc. Any suggestions gratefully received! Thanks.
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In the same boat mine is reaching up and eating leaves as well.
 
They like the variety - so long as they're not posionous trees then I wouldn't worry over much. They like having variety in the diet
 
Variety is hugely important to horses. Mine all nibble the hedges and trees and flowers which I'm okay with. They can't get all the nutrients needed from just grass alone.
 
Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. The problem is not as such the eating of the leaves, it's the stripping the bark off and killing the trees that is the problem. We have beautiful old trees and the horses are intent on killing them! I don't mind them eating the end leaves off or eating the hedges- it's the bark eating that's an issue. I guess it's sweet?
 
Electrify the electric fencing? The only surefire way to stop them munching on things is to make then inaccessible in my experience.
 
The only way is to fence them away from the trees, or wrap with wire. Mine have killed an old pear tree by eating the bark.
 
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