The Fuzzy Furry
Old Timer
An old friend called me this morning, her neighbours newest acquisition succumbed to Acorn poisoning this weekend.
She told me that pony was turned out in a paddock which was lowish on grass, but had enough for a small pony - BUT there are large oaks bordering this paddock.
Usually my friend boots everything out of there by the end of August to prevent anything scoffing Acorns.
However, due to
Lots of rain, the branches are heavy & low
This year has seen the most mahoosive amount of acorns (I've got more on my trees than in the past 5 yrs or more)
Windy conditions on the odd day in the past week have caused many acorns to fall already
The pony is dead.
This pony had sped from being fit and well Thursday at 10am when she saw him, ok when the neighbour checked at 4pm.
Then was off colour on Friday afternoon, tho she couldn't put her finger on it - to being dead in the field at 9am on Saturday
It had obviously had the squits badly during the night, with the latter ones being blood flecked & spattered.
In hindsight, owner said the droppings were hard on Friday morning, but thought it might have been a little colicky & was now ok, she is distraught that she didn't even think about the Oaks/acorns & ought to have removed pony from the paddock.
Yes, Many of you would have gone back later to check on pony again that fri even - possibly staying at field with it anyway from the afternoon, but this was a new pony owner (been horsey for about 5 yrs & got 2 horses of her own & just got 6yr old daughter her 1st pony) - she just DIDN'T know more, not an accusation, just lack of knowledge - or even forgetting (as ANY of us here can do) about the acorns
Many of you are already aware of the lethal toxidity of Acorns & oak leaves.
This post is to remind any of you who have oaks in their grazing land - and possibly alert at least 1 new horse owner to the severity of them - and please check those trees & the height of branches - and amounts of acorns on them.
Better to be late home cos you have had to cut down branches, or sweep/rake up acorns, or put up electric tape - than to have a very sick animal for which there is no cure........
She told me that pony was turned out in a paddock which was lowish on grass, but had enough for a small pony - BUT there are large oaks bordering this paddock.
Usually my friend boots everything out of there by the end of August to prevent anything scoffing Acorns.
However, due to
Lots of rain, the branches are heavy & low
This year has seen the most mahoosive amount of acorns (I've got more on my trees than in the past 5 yrs or more)
Windy conditions on the odd day in the past week have caused many acorns to fall already
The pony is dead.
This pony had sped from being fit and well Thursday at 10am when she saw him, ok when the neighbour checked at 4pm.
Then was off colour on Friday afternoon, tho she couldn't put her finger on it - to being dead in the field at 9am on Saturday
It had obviously had the squits badly during the night, with the latter ones being blood flecked & spattered.
In hindsight, owner said the droppings were hard on Friday morning, but thought it might have been a little colicky & was now ok, she is distraught that she didn't even think about the Oaks/acorns & ought to have removed pony from the paddock.
Yes, Many of you would have gone back later to check on pony again that fri even - possibly staying at field with it anyway from the afternoon, but this was a new pony owner (been horsey for about 5 yrs & got 2 horses of her own & just got 6yr old daughter her 1st pony) - she just DIDN'T know more, not an accusation, just lack of knowledge - or even forgetting (as ANY of us here can do) about the acorns
Many of you are already aware of the lethal toxidity of Acorns & oak leaves.
This post is to remind any of you who have oaks in their grazing land - and possibly alert at least 1 new horse owner to the severity of them - and please check those trees & the height of branches - and amounts of acorns on them.
Better to be late home cos you have had to cut down branches, or sweep/rake up acorns, or put up electric tape - than to have a very sick animal for which there is no cure........
as its more likely to be the gorging dieters who will scoff acorns (as this pony did) - I say more likely, but the odd horse/pony can develop a liking to them.
Last year I had just about bu88er all 
