Posted 2008-05-02 11:06 AM (#82971) Subject: Will Horses Wreck Evergreen Trees in a Pasture?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455 Location: Texas
I want to plant some trees in my pasture for wind protection for my house and yard. But I need to plant something that horses will not wreck. If I got some spruce trees or other evergreens that were about 3 feet tall, would the horses wreck them? Run them over? Eat them? If I got seedlings, they'd just get trampled, right? Any suggestions on which type of tree would be better?
Posted 2008-05-02 3:32 PM (#83006 - in reply to #82971) Subject: RE: Will Horses Wreck Evergreen Trees in a Pasture?
Veteran
Posts: 274 Location: Memphis, TN
I have several cedar trees around the edges of the pasture.....been there for a few years, not new plantings....probably 8 or 10 ft tall and they dont bother them at all....in fact the older and I assume wiser horses use them for wind breaks alot.
Posted 2008-05-02 3:58 PM (#83008 - in reply to #82971) Subject: RE: Will Horses Wreck Evergreen Trees in a Pasture?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 303 Location: Grapeland, Texas
The only problem I ever had with young evergreens is one particular mare made them her personal belly scratcher. She would stand over them and just rock back and forth. She could do a number on them after a while. Guess you could put up a small fence until they got big enough. The cedar trees down here that I used grow pretty fast, don't know about other evergreens.
Posted 2008-05-02 7:39 PM (#83017 - in reply to #82971) Subject: RE: Will Horses Wreck Evergreen Trees in a Pasture?
Veteran
Posts: 285
We have a large evergreen shrub in the horses lot and the horses don't bother it at all, but I would do some protection until your trees and plants get bigger just to be on the safe side.
Posted 2008-05-02 11:40 PM (#83030 - in reply to #82971) Subject: RE: Will Horses Wreck Evergreen Trees in a Pasture?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 544 Location: Claxton, Ga.
They will ride them to the ground. My big mare has straddled a 2 in. thick tree to scratch her belly. The darn tree was over 10 ft. tall. Seen her rare up over top of it to scratch her belly. All I could do was shake me head and laugh.. LOL....
Posted 2008-05-03 8:06 AM (#83037 - in reply to #82971) Subject: RE: Will Horses Wreck Evergreen Trees in a Pasture?
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
What don't horses wreck in their pastures? Anything is at risk.
But in general horse don't seem to what to eat or chew on Evergreens like they do fruit trees .
I've tied my horses to or near pine or spruce trees while camping for long weekends and even when standing bored for long hours they have not damaged the pine tree.
Posted 2008-05-03 8:01 PM (#83066 - in reply to #82971) Subject: RE: Will Horses Wreck Evergreen Trees in a Pasture?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 391 Location: Columbia, KY
We have pine, spruce, and cedar trees in the pastures and the horses happily wreck them all. this is my husband's defination of horses: "they eat, cost money, and break things"
but I couldn't live with out them- horses or husband!
Posted 2008-05-04 10:45 PM (#83134 - in reply to #83037) Subject: RE: Will Horses Wreck Evergreen Trees in a Pasture?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455 Location: Texas
Originally written by Painted Horse on 2008-05-03 8:06 AM
What don't horses wreck in their pastures?
Yeah, good question. I think we'll fence any trees off until they get too big for the horses to come along and happily eat the fresh leader off the top of them. The idea of the ideal belly scratcher had crossed my mind, too. Thanks all.
We picked up a load of Black Hills Spruce that are all 30 to 36 inches tall. They look like really nice trees. I hope they grow well.
Posted 2008-05-05 8:50 AM (#83156 - in reply to #82971) Subject: RE: Will Horses Wreck Evergreen Trees in a Pasture?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 350 Location: Newton, NJ
Protect the trees... The horses will eat, stomp, trample and generally trash your trees and your work getting them installed. If you must plant them, then fence them adequately to prevent the animals from gaining access.
Posted 2008-05-06 9:40 PM (#83321 - in reply to #82971) Subject: RE: Will Horses Wreck Evergreen Trees in a Pasture?
Veteran
Posts: 164 Location: Delaware
Had a horse that just wasn't right. When the vet came out he saw a pine tree overhanging the fence line and told me to cut it back so the horses couldn't get to it. He had a client that lost a show horse and upon altopsy the horse had the intestine perforated with pine needles and they fermented giving off a toxin. Seems the horse had a liking to the pine and would rear to get to it. Our ag agent told us that some new conifers have a resistance to insects. These have a natural toxin and could prove harmful to livestock fresh or cut.
Will Horses Wreck Evergreen Trees in a Pasture?
