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    Posted
    My horse recently got out of her pen. While she was out she ate the bark off several of his trees. I was wondering if there is anything that I can doo to save them. Of course, my husband is not happy. Some were fruit trees and one was a Bradford pear. I would appreciate and suggetions. Thanks.
     
    Posts: 1 | Registered: Jan 17, 2007Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
    Posted Hide Post
    I like how you put it...."his trees"...SO I guess you could say, "he" had every right to eat what he owns.

    If the loss of bark does not girdle the tree, then the tree may not suffer any harm....but if the bark is gone completely around the tree, the tree is in trouble.
    For this I think, if the trees have value to you...to your horse, then an arborist should be called in.
    It is usually not advisable to try to cover the damage---say...with a pruning paint...the exposure to the air is reliably the best course of action.
     
    Posts: 319 | Location: Ontario | Registered: Oct 25, 2006Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
    Picture of TB07
    Posted Hide Post
    To reduce the chance of this happening again you should talk to your horses vet. She may be lacking something in her diet and was trying to make up for it by eating bark. Your husband may try to blame any winter storm damage on the bradford on the horse. Bradfords are prone to weather damage.
     
    Posts: 35 | Location: Tennessee | Registered: Jan 10, 2007Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
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    Whether that will harm the trees depends on how much of the bark was removed. If the trunks were girdled the trees have a very slim chance of survival, although you could try bridging or placing live twigs in the gap so the nutrients form the toots travel up and nutrients rom the leaves travel down. This may require an arborist. If the horse ate only about 1/2 or less of the bark from one side of the trunk the tree may heal itself, although most often the upper tree on that side dies.


    The sign of a good gardener is not a green thumb, it is brown knees.
     
    Posts: 5661 | Location: Twin Lake, MI USA | Registered: Aug 19, 2004Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
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    TB07, I got the biggest laugh...I started reading your post and got as far as "To reduce the chance of this happening again you should talk to your horse" and started laughing...
     
    Posts: 14146 | Location: San Diego, CA | Registered: Sep 18, 2002Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
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