Resident mouse has stolen my hoof oil brush!

[Fools Motto]

I can't find the brush anywhere! lol

I keep all my non valuable yet useful daily 'stuff' in my old rice trailer parked in my field. My horses live out, we have no stables. I have my full grooming kit, a bale of hay or 2, my medicine box, a few buckets and 2 metal feed dustbins plus some rugs stored within. The feed consists of a bag of pony nuts and a bag of veteran moli chaff. Both bins have lids. Also currently have a couple of carrots.

Anyway, 2 days ago, I noticed some mouse droppings on top of my sealed medical box. Cleaned them off. Yesterday noticed my hoof oil brush had been moved and had most of its bristles chewed. Left it deliberately in the middle of the trailer floor to see what would happen.
Opened the jockey door - and not there. I've searched, and it really is nowhere. No droppings, no evidence it's been chewed up. The old trailer does have a rotten small hole in the floor by the front ramp, but even outside I can't see anything.

Question is, .. if I use hoof oil - which they seem to love, will my brushes always be liable to be chewed!??
Never happened before. Been there a year. Equally never happened when I have had stables. (had mice, but not chewed brushes).

Have any mice chewed yours?

 

[Archangel]

The mice chomped their way through a tub of Sablene one winter but never touched the brush - you must have exceptionally naughty mice.

I have mice in my greenhouse - they have eaten my peas, broad beans and sweet peas. The deer have eaten my tulips so all in all the wildlife is taking the mick here!

 

[Shooting Star]

I've had that before too but as well as chewing the bristles they dragged it to the back of the shelf then tried to squeeze it down the gap at the back ... Where it got totally stuck and required brut force to remove it, cheeky *******!

 

[Feival]

I have a metal filing cabinet in my shed for my grooming kit and the resident mouse called Maurice has eaten my hoof oil brush in the past. I use silver feet and he seems to like the taste.

 

[ElleSkywalkingintheair]

I have a metal filing cabinet in my shed for my grooming kit and the resident mouse called Maurice has eaten my hoof oil brush in the past. I use silver feet and he seems to like the taste.

We had a mouse called Maurice in fact last count we were on about Maurice 7. Don't currently have one in tack room as is new and mouse free but sure Maurice 8 will be along soon

Ps Must be pronounced More-reece

Pps, none of Maurices' 1-7 had a hankering for hoof oil brushes but I have brushes that screw into little pots now which would foil them anyway

 

[wench]

I watched a tv programme years ago that I'm sure that said that mice are attracted to anything that can be used as a food source. They can apparently live off candle wax if needs be. I would suspect hoof oil is very tasty for them

 

[WelshD]

I use Kevin Bacon hoof ointment which mice love. I use the hoof oil brushes with the cap and hang them from hooks to keep them away from mice

 

[DD]

sweet little mouse perhaps its making a nest out of the bristles.

 

[Sukistokes2]

I have to keep my food stirrer attached to the table by baler twine, otherwise the rats nick it , I am then without until I replace or find where they have dumped it!!! I never found my wooden spoon!!

 

[Shay]

Thats what happened to my feed stirrer! I couldn't figure out where it had gone so just replaced it and used baler twine to hang it from the stable door so it wouldn't go for a wander again. OP - I'm afraid rats are more likely than mice...

 

[_OC_]

I use Kevin Bacon hoof ointment which mice love. I use the hoof oil brushes with the cap and hang them from hooks to keep them away from mice

Please take note foxes also like Kevin Bacon as well.....as my friend went round saying hers had been nicked by some one on the yard.....it was found dumped in a field with lots of chew marks on it.....they had carried it out there and failed miserably in getting the lid off......hence, the tub is now put away!