my horse is eating acorns!!

lh1975

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I must admit, I did have some of those thoughts, I wondered if maybe Op is quite young. It's a shame that the YO isn't a bit more knowledgeable and responsible isn't it? After all, we all have to start somewhere as horse owners, and taking the horse to a livery yard where we get some support should be a good plan.
What we're saying Op, is that if your horse is enjoying eating acorns, the clock is ticking now and you might end up with no horse at all. You don't have time to hang about.

Tinypony - you're more tactful than I was ;)

I'd been riding for a year at a riding school before I got my own horse when I was 9 years old - that was 26 years ago!! I didn't come from a horsey family and obviously it was before the internet had even been invented, so... I read books - mainly the BHS Manual of Horsemanship, asked people and used common sense! Of course, you never really stop learning either.

I'm sorry but I'm often quite surprised at the amount of "what should I do.." kind of posts when the clear thing is to call a vet out or to stop doing whatever it is that's causing said problem. I know we all have to start somewhere, but sometimes it seems that people are starting a bit too early and need to gain a little more knowledge of the fundamentals.
 

doris2008

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I'm really not sure why you didnt get out there straight away with a rake and a wheelbarrow. It doesnt matter how many trees and how many hours it takes, if you value your horses health, you do it! Simples.
 

mcnaughty

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I'm really not sure why you didnt get out there straight away with a rake and a wheelbarrow. It doesnt matter how many trees and how many hours it takes, if you value your horses health, you do it! Simples.


Doris, I couldn't have put it better myself - I have, however, just had a rather entertaining half hour reading some of OP's more enlightening posts. I have just about recovered....

However, I will add though - when we lost the mare to acorn poisoning none of us up the yard had ever heard of this problem. The YO had owned the yard for 30 years prior to this! She had NEVER lost a horse before. She started to fence off the acorn trees at this time of year from then on. Oh it was a big yard by the way - good knowledgeable competition yard too.

Coming on here and asking questions is a wonderful way to learn and ANYONE who says they know it all is a bloody liar!

OP - please, please could you try googling an issue before posting on here randomly - it might make your questions a little more erm normal. Filter out some of the more "unusual" ones.
 

smudge99

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Op as a child some books are not the easiest to read. However I do suggest you get a copy of the pony club manual, it keeps everything simple and helps with a lot of your issues. Even better if you could join your local branch you would learn loads about horse management from good people in the know.

Re this issue though I would get a rake and start moving them. How many other horses graze in these fields and what are their owners doing?

Liz
 

lh1975

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Doris, I couldn't have put it better myself - I have, however, just had a rather entertaining half hour reading some of OP's more enlightening posts. I have just about recovered....

However, I will add though - when we lost the mare to acorn poisoning none of us up the yard had ever heard of this problem. The YO had owned the yard for 30 years prior to this! She had NEVER lost a horse before. She started to fence off the acorn trees at this time of year from then on. Oh it was a big yard by the way - good knowledgeable competition yard too.

Coming on here and asking questions is a wonderful way to learn and ANYONE who says they know it all is a bloody liar!

OP - please, please could you try googling an issue before posting on here randomly - it might make your questions a little more erm normal. Filter out some of the more "unusual" ones.

No one has said the forum isn't a good way to learn... so no 'bloody liars' here..! The point is that a certain amount of knowledge should be known BEFORE having a horse, and when knowledgeable people do offer advice, take it - don't just fob it off with flippant comments. I think something like what could be poisonous/fatal to any animal should be known by their owners.
 

BigRed

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A grazing muzzle will allow him to eat grass, so he will easily get an acorns through the hole. It won't solve your problem.
 

minime

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I think Op should feel free to ask whatever questions necessary as she/he is only 14 years old. We all need to start somewhere. I have had horses and worked with them for a life time but my little bundles of joy always manage to have something weird and new to me.
I agree with you all about reading, my shelves are full of BHS manuals and OP Pony Club is a must at your age, not only is it really good fun but you will learn loads and the achievement tests encourage you to keep learning more.
God I wish i could go back to Pony Club camp.
 

lochpearl

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This is a very sad post IMO, there are so many people out there who lose their beloved horses due to no fault of their own and just fate, this child is either trying to wind people up on here or worse has no care for her horse. Poor animal.
 

horserider0912

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ok, I will go up the yard everyday and rake the acorns up.
Do you reckon it would help if i put him in a field alone and put hay in the field as there is not alot of grass any way?? ( Might be a stupid question but at least im trying) Maybe if he saw a the hay he wont bother with the acorns? Just a thought. I might be completly wrong but please don't have a go at me! :(
 

Tinypony

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You have to get him away from the acorns. As people have said (several times) some horses and ponies get a real taste for them. In those cases I doubt putting hay in the field would help. If the only way you can get him away from acorns is to put him in a field alone, then go for it if you can. If that field has acorns in then fence them off or rake them up. If that field has no grass at all and your pony doesn't need to lose weight, then put hay in.
Now, a question, if you're 14, do you have someone who is keeping an eye on you and your pony and helping you out with routine things like this? Where do your parents stand on your pony being kept where the YO isn't intersted in stopping him eating acorns and potentially causing him to become very ill, or worse, with the accompanying vets bills?
 

MrsMozart

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OP - keep the pony in the stable whilst you go and rake up the acorns.

Tell your parents that the acorns are poisonous and your YO won't listen/isn't knowledgeable enough. Get them behind you.


And for the rest of you sanctimoneous lot, how many of the readers knew that acorns were poisonous/addictive? Once again, we have someone coming on and asking a question and once again we have people jumping down her/his throat. The OP didn't know! The OP asked advice! Where is the OP to buy something at that time of day? eBay??? Going to a shop today will get a muzzle sooner than ordering one on-line!

I'm getting sick of reading these where people go on the attack.

Provide help, guidance, explain in words of one syllabul, be firm, but don't attack!

I wonder how many people are put off asking the questions because they see how these sorts of posts go.

Either there is a large bunch of children on here, who if this sort of thing went on at their school they would cry 'Bully'! (and quite rightly too), or some adults need to grow up, learn/understand/accept that teenagers do come on here asking what appears to the adult to be a numpty question and who will react in fairly typical teenage fashion. It doesn't mean they are bad people/owners, they will go and do what is needed, but it won't come across in any way eloquent.

No, the horse world isn't perfect. Not all people who own horses are born knowing everything. Not all people who own horses have the support of the adults in their lives.

I'm off before I say something too strong.
 

Groom42

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I noticed earlier you said all the fields have oak trees/acorns in them. If you share the field can you not work out a routine for acorn and poo-picking with the other person? In fact, is the other person aware of the very real dangers of acorn ingestion?
Also, TP is absolutely right in the above comments. The responsibility of owning and caring for a pony is considerable, and can be daunting at any age. Therefore at your tender age it is quite important (and reassuring for you) to have someone older and more experienced to support and advise you.
 

nativetyponies

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Yes we all know acorns are potentially lethal, however does anyone know how the New Forest ponies get on this time of year?

Pannage...pigs are put out on the forest to eat the glut of acorns..

in my previous reply, my pony was bought the year of the bluetongue scare, so no Pannage that year :(
 

horserider0912

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ok, i am going to move fields, rake up the acorns or fence them off if the owner has spare electric fencing, put hay in the field. I am trying to get hold of the owner but she has not text me back yet and she is not picking the phone up.

Is that good enough?

i can't keep him in as he will kick the door down. he does not like being in the stable in the day. He is the type of horse thats wants to gallop around and graze.
 

SarahWeston

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The pigs are out on the Forest at present but they aren't making much of an impact on the acorns. There are ponies eating them all over the place and I watched ponies running from one tree to another to get to the acorns when I was out with the camera the other day. Fortunately, very very few seem to get in trouble doing it. My horses are all very keen on eating them and I am doing my best to limit their intake, however, my ponies that are out on the Forest can eat as many as they want to. It's a real worry.
 

Cinnamontoast

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ok, I will go up the yard everyday and rake the acorns up.
Do you reckon it would help if i put him in a field alone and put hay in the field as there is not alot of grass any way?? ( Might be a stupid question but at least im trying) Maybe if he saw a the hay he wont bother with the acorns? Just a thought. I might be completly wrong but please don't have a go at me! :(

I would stick him in a field with as little grass as possible (strip grazing) and no hay. It sounds like your boy doesn't need the hay and would benefit from not having lots of grass.
 

PennyJ

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Yes we all know acorns are potentially lethal, however does anyone know how the New Forest ponies get on this time of year?

Some of them die from acorning, :( I know of one that died yesterday from it. There'll be more sadly. The trees are absolutely groaning with them down here, they have extended the pannage season (pigs turned out to eat the acorns up) but the pigs have got their work cut out this year...
 
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