Re: Horses eating tree

[rides2far@juno.com (Angela C. McGhee)]

>My horses NEVER eat a tree since I put them on free-choice 
>minerals....they
>also have plenty of pasture (not great quality) and free choice hay.
>
>Teddy


O.K. Maybe you can save me some trouble.  I got the ABC's  kit that had a
big bucket of vitamins and 2 smaller jars of some sort of salts (not
electrolytes, it's storming or I'd go check the label in the barn).

My horse has sorry pasture, basically a chert 5 acre hill side with
occassional pathetic blades of fescue hanging on.  He gets free choice
the prettiest Coastal you can imagine, and a little grass/clover hay for
variety.  However, the "Three Guys" make their rounds throughout the day.
 They get grain in the morning, eat hay, take a nap, go down and
pantamine grazing movements, then doze under the oak trees.  In the fall
they eat acorns (no ill effects that I know of), then, if they see me
looking, they gnaw a little bark for effect.  Then come up, finish off
the morning hay, get evening grain, & hay.

Are you saying that if I dump limestone, etc, I don't have to talk about
putting wire around my trees any more?  What minerals do you supplement,
how?  My horses have a mineral salt block, and free choice white salt. 
That's all.  Hair looks good, hooves look good.  

By the way, one of my ponies is the type that sits in a bar eating
pretzles and drinking beer.  He stands around and eats salt to pass time,
drinks an  incredible amount of water, and pees constantly.  The vet says
it's just a habit.  He's probably the biggest culprit in bark gnawing
too.  He has plenty of good hay at all times, and isn't on a high grain
diet, he's just got an oral fixation...carries things, pulls off
everyone's fly mask, etc.

Angie