[Fleecewife]

Do you need to trim your blackthorn, @Bywaters?  If not then perhaps the incidence of foot problems or mouth problems has been so low that it's gone unnoticed.

On our farm, abscesses caused by blackthorn puncture are our major welfare issue.  We have to treat at least one sheep most years, and have had to have a pony put to sleep with an untreatable growth in the jaw where the initial injury was thought by the vet to have been quite likely caused by a blackthorn puncture.

I'm writing this immediately after writing a post about vaccination choices, and it's making me wonder whether blackthorn-induced problems may be more commonly experienced on holdings which do not vaccinate... 

We don't vaccinate Sally, but also we don't have any blackthorn as I hold witch trials to root it out  .  So no answer there 

[Penninehillbilly]

Holly makes a brilliant hedge, slow to get going but then grows well, I have a hedge down the side of the veg garden, great for wildlife too. Good protection for little birds nesting.
Otherwise I'd go for beech, or hornbeam, which grows in a wider variety of soils. I'm going to be digging some old Privet out and planting more beech (mainly because we have lots of self seeded beech  )
Lonicera Nitida can send out underground runners, mine struggle to reach 6ft, bushing out rather than growing taller. I have lots to pull out of you are near West Yorkshire or know someone passing through.
I'm another who wouldn't plant blackthorn again, absolute nuisance spreading out from the hedge, not even any doors as compensation  .
Another option would be bamboo, making sure you either get a clumping variety (Fargesia), or put a root barrier down. Advantage is when established you could feed greenery to pigs and other livestock, a great green treat for my goats in winter, and use canes in garden or for projects. Very little maintenance, maybe lifting and dividing if you want more.

[Richmond]

Another fan of beech here. Holds its leaves over winter, and the new green leaves in Spring are absolutely beautiful. Safe for livestock to nibble on and makes fabulous kindling/firewood too.