Oak Trees in new Field

[cavalier123]

Hi All, I am in the process of moving to a new field all of my own, but it has 4 Oak trees along one edge, within the hedge and i know they can be poisonous if horses eat large quantities of acorns/leaves. I understand they can be fenced off, but is that all year round of just certain months, my field isn't that big and can't afford to loose too much space - can anyone confirm when they should be fenced off please? Many thanks!

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

Your horse might not eat them, some don't - especially if they have plenty of grass in the rest of the paddock.

Mine thought acorns were a delicacy and gorged themselves on them and one lived 25 and the other is still going strong!!

 

[cavalier123]

Your horse might not eat them, some don't - especially if they have plenty of grass in the rest of the paddock.

Mine thought acorns were a delicacy and gorged themselves on them and one lived 25 and the other is still going strong!!

Hi Nugget, thanks for your reply! I should have added more detail, he will definitely eat them because he is a fatty and will be strip grazed with hay so anything else around to eat he will have a go at.Yes, my vet had said some horses are susceptible to poisoning from them and some not and that's it.. but rather not find out the hard way, so was looking to find out if I need to fence them off all year round or just (I think maybe) October and November???

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

The acorns will still be on the ground all year round, especially with more than one. You will need to get a spring rake and rake them up in the winter so you can use the grass.

 

[cavalier123]

The acorns will still be on the ground all year round, especially with more than one. You will need to get a spring rake and rake them up in the winter so you can use the grass.

Thanks again. I'm okay to do that as long as it's manageable, got the time, but no idea how many acorns leaves, do you know is it manageable? I really don't want to give up on this field, it's a place completely on my own, peace and with excellent hacking, long term at a reasonable rate, so hard to find really! I'm paying to rent it already but haven't moved there yet as just got a few concerns, nearly all sorted now and hope this is the last worry to get over and I will be on my way!! By the way the pony in your picture is gorgeous! Notice you are from Cheshire as am I.

 

[Tobiano]

my horses are at livery and their field has 3 big oak trees right in the middle. I manage this by clearing the acorns daily during autumn when they are falling (or paying other people to do so as part of assisted livery). In this way I hope / assume that there will never be enough on the ground for them to eat and do themselves damage. There is lots of other grazing and they have ad lib hay when in so I feel this is good enough. Fencing off is difficult IMO because the acorns may not necessarily just be immediately underneath the tree canopy.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Hi All, I am in the process of moving to a new field all of my own, but it has 4 Oak trees along one edge, within the hedge and i know they can be poisonous if horses eat large quantities of acorns/leaves. I understand they can be fenced off, but is that all year round of just certain months, my field isn't that big and can't afford to loose too much space - can anyone confirm when they should be fenced off please? Many thanks!

We have many many oak trees, some over 100 years old. We won't cut them down but we do rake the acorns up and have since brought a vacuum from argos for the future. We have never had a problem with acorns despite them eating some

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Hi All, I am in the process of moving to a new field all of my own, but it has 4 Oak trees along one edge, within the hedge and i know they can be poisonous if horses eat large quantities of acorns/leaves. I understand they can be fenced off, but is that all year round of just certain months, my field isn't that big and can't afford to loose too much space - can anyone confirm when they should be fenced off please? Many thanks!

I sugges when the acorns are about to fall, you fence them off and vacuum them up with one of these, problem solved http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/1878932.htm