Relative Something

I have been warned, multiple times, that the horses would try to chew the bark off the trees that are in their paddock. Yesterday, when I arrived to feed the horses in the afternoon, I spotted a breach in the “metal fabric” we had wrapped around the trunk of the big willow tree. I could see a piece of it hanging out, so I walked over for a closer look.

Even though there is still some material over the trunk, one or more of the horses have succeeded in scraping off the outer bark over a large area. I was never really sure whether that last metal protection I selected would ultimately work, but I got lulled into thinking it was sufficient because they were leaving it alone for the most part, up until now.

It is possible that the metal fabric could still be a viable option, if I can devise a better way of securing it. I’m not sure. My other thought would be to try some heavier woven-wire fence around the whole mess, but I’m still stuck trying to secure the joint where it would meet in such a way that the horses can’t just peel it open again.

As if that wasn’t distressing enough, as I walked around the tree to survey the damage, I discovered a gaping split from a frost crack that started near the ground and rose up over my head on the main trunk, on the side opposite from where the horse(s) damage is occurring. It looks devastating, but from what I have read about this affliction, it doesn’t necessarily doom a tree.

That willow is a glorious sight as you come upon it in the summer. It would be a real shame to lose it. I won’t give up without trying to do something to save it, but right now the horses are at the advantage. We could try locking them out of that paddock until I can get to it over the weekend, but then the system we have been using to give them their twice-a-day feed would need to be altered, since that would make only half of the barn overhang accessible.

Actually, the solution I wish for would be to have them just understand to leave the tree alone, that it’s for their own good. It would sure alleviate a lot of hassle for me. Then I would only have the frost crack threatening the tree, and that problem is pretty much out of my control.

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