I am having to hold my breath at this time of year. A combination of the drought, almost 100 deer eating my grass, and a neighbour's dangerously dead tree overhanging one of my fields, I cannot use the one paddock that has no oak trees in it. This year appears to be a bumper crop, known as a mast year, for acorns and they are now falling fast. Luckily the grass came through suddenly after the recent rain and the horses - and the Forest ponies too - are not running around trying to find them. I don't even have the option of fencing the trees off as they are on every side of the field.
Acorns, taken in quantity, can be deadly and white Blue, who lives out on the Forest, got terrible colic from them one year. Luckily he seems to have learned a lesson and has been fine since.
 |
| 'Burnt' grass after the drought |
 |
| One of the trees but Dave is not looking for acorns |
 |
| Apparently, the grass is greener on the other side of the fence... |
