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Plastic bags a big problem
Jack McNiven
Killean Acres
Ingersoll
Wednesday May 07, 2008
In response to Mayor Holbrough’s Ask the Mayor in the April 30 issue of The Ingersoll Times regarding plastic bags, the issue is particularly sensitive to our farm.
Paul did a great job replying to the question, he covered the subject wonderfully.
To expand on this regarding our concerns, these bags have been a continual curse to us, particularly since we are so close to town and more particularly since Walnut Grove subdivision became a reality.
We are forever retrieving these hazards.
One year, our best yearling filly got the handle of a plastic bag caught in her mouth and, of course, she got spooked by it. The more she ran the more frightened she got. Luckily, it finally got loose from her mouth and she stopped running but if she had run into the fence, which was extremely possible, she would have possibly been finished for life. Incidentally, we eventually sold that filly for $80,000 U.S. a few months later, so you can imagine our fright.
Another dread concern is the horse eating one of these menaces, which has happened far too many times.
The University of Guelph’s veterinary hospital has had many intestinal surgeries for an obstruction only to find a plastic bag in their gut causing the problem.
We have experienced this a couple of times, that we are aware of, but lucked out and the horse was able to pass it through it’s whole digestive system without a blockage occurring or choking to death.
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