April 15, 2021
Oh where Oh where have all my fences gone, Oh where oh where can they be. Now you know what the next chore will be for the next few weeks. I planted most of the trees 40 years ago. They have decided that it is their time to come over the wire to meet the other side. For years I worked with odds and sods of wire. I tried the plastic wire for a couple of years. But it sagged in the heat, the wind blew and the small wires broke. I tried may different types of insulators, through time they disintegrated as well. Enough of that I hired the professionals and have a three strand solar fired fence. It is great but trees can demolish it as well. I am envious, In my travels I see many horses confined to a field with one strand of wire. It cost mega bucks to do three strands, but I had ponies, and somedays even three strands did not hold them in. A couple would lay on their sides and wiggle under the bottom wire which is about 10” above the ground. And then they would run up and down the fence after they discovered the grass was no better on the other side. The beggars certainly wouldn’t try to wiggle back in. I had to shoot big beautiful Gus, he would squeeze himself between the top and second wire, sparks flying did not seem to faze him one bit. Neighbours were not happy!! Collette a school bus driver told me she would go slow by the field because some mornings he would be sleeping in the middle of the road. A friend in Hunter River offered to house him, he had a six strand Bayco fence. That didn’t hold him for one hour. Then Darcy Ford offered to stable him. He destroyed the stall. I certainly didn’t have any answers and nor did the experts, so I had to chase him over the rainbow bridge. Sometimes horse keeping is plum discouraging.
We had glorious sunny weather for one day, and made good use of the sun, Trailblazers and horses worked in the outdoor ring. It was the most perfect exercise. I always wondered why it is called a ring, especially when it is square. It is what it is I guess.
I am looking for a pyromaniac, I have an acre of rowed brush to be burned. I was hoping that my Fire Dept. would do a controlled burn, but they said no . I do have a fire permit and according to the rules you wait for the perfect time. It might take a bit to coordinate the party, we have a lot of wind on the hill. Have your Smores and Wieners ready for the day I make the call.
My volunteers made a beautiful fence out of pallets and rails to hold Gracie, the pony in her paddock. It only took her three days to escape. It was an engineering dysfunction. When building fences wires and rails should be on the inside of the posts. Then when the animals lean on them they push against the posts. In this case the rails were on the outside. It didn’t take a 400 lb pony very long to spring 4” screws holding it in. Many thanks to Ben, who dismantled the rails and placed them on the correct side of the pallet posts. If you want the rails on the outside or roadside to look pretty, run an electric wire on the inside of the paddock. If you have ponies, run three or four then cross fingers and toes.
The heavy work has started, all the round bales are gone, each day we are placing 20 squares in the field a couple of horse lengths apart. I might have to get an ATV and trailer to get the job done. It is pretty wet in the field for the truck to make the delivery. The spring is springing, time to plan for fences, brush fires, manure spreading, more fences.
Take good care of each other love and Hugs from Yogi and the herd.