LETTERS

I thought your suggestion that “a motivated dog can rid a pasture of an unwanted digger” was simplistic and unrealistic (“Preventing Pasture Injuries,” Hands On, EQUUS 490). We have rock marmots that show up from March through July annually before they “disappear” into the basalt cliffs above our place. The coyotes and red-tailed hawks struggle to keep up with the population, which I have battled for six years now. I even bought a $1,000 CO machine; however, the “con2 dominium complex” extends far longer than the 120 feet the machine allows for. An exterminator costs more than I can budget. Luckily, the majority of the dens are in non-horse areas. The best solution I have found is to plant cheap children’s pinwheel toys into the ground at each hole. If prevailing breezes spin the pinwheels, the marmots will usually abandon the hole. Best of all, the pinwheel alerts the horses and humans where the holes are in the tall grass. The only downside is my mares sometimes bite off the wheels, and I have to replace them. Crystal A. Bingham Spokane, Washington