HORSES!!!

Hi everyone & Happy Easter...

My garden backs on to a paddock. We had an apple tree planted in the corner of the garden near the paddock that was shaken so vigourously by the horses that the tree died.

We transplanted a large pine (Christmas tree)in its place which rooted well only for the branches to be stripped of all the needles by the horses leaving it looking unsightly.

As we need to hide the corner of this area is there any upright evergreen shrub or tree growing between 8-12ft that horses won't eat?

Look forward to any suggestions

Thanks

Russ

 

Where`s Waco?...If you wait a bit Russ,I`m sure Waco will be able to help.

 

Thanks Elaine. I will wait with baited breath...

 

The sad answer is no there isn't a tree you can plant to be horse proof. If they don't eat it, they will love to scratch their teeth on it and if they don't do either if those things then they will scratch their backs on it.

Horses also have an inbuilt death wish, so if you plant something poisonus they will kill themselves on it!

two things you can do -
1 - put an electric fence round it, you may not have to kepp it permanently baited.

2 - put a permanent protective structure round anything you plant.

believe me I have tried alsorts, they even ate my pricklyc berberis and turned into a panda when I planted bamboo.

good thing is that horses are lovely calming animals to watch.

 

Thanks for the reply Waco. I suspected this to be the case. Guess we have to grin and bear it and try to put up a protective barrier in front of anything that we grow.

 

I hope you didn`t mind me nominating you Waco?I just thought that you would be the right person to ask.

 

no problem elaine, just it was only by chance I saw it as I don't have time to look at all GC now gardening days are longer.

not sure how big your garden is rydall, I will try to take some pictures of tree protection down our lane. Wood would be best, but you will have to put creasote or old engine oil on it or horses will eat fence too!