Horses didn't like Bicycle!

[paintponylvr]

On the website, I've gotten a lot more done! I managed to get the Sales page laid out, didn't do the links (for now) on a separate page but used the sidebar widget to get them on the side on the Home page (may remove that one, don't really like it there), News (blog) page and the Contact Us page. I've made all of the "thumbnails" clickable to either pictures or pony's pages EXCEPT for the produce records - may work on those tomorrow, may be a bit...

Yesterday, while holding ponies for our farrier, Larry arrived home w/ his new bike. It's a "real" bike - pedals, his own power. He rode it out to where we were and a couple of the Sr Mares "alerted", but nothing major... I didn't think to tell him to be careful about going around the boys - especially since I'd moved the Arab mare out there w/ them. Wizard was in Spanky's previous pen(loose), Ellona was in Wizard's pen (loose) and the other boys were tied up along Ellona's pen eating. Hmm, a little while later I hear some major racket/metal noise and then "Easy... Whoa, whoa, easy...". Cat (farrier) and I walked back around the barn to see what going on - but couldn't see anything. The shed blocked the view. Then I could see that the Arab mare is loose in the pasture instead of in the paddock where she'd been - figured she'd jumped the fence when she got excited by the bike. Well, turns out that Larry had some excitement (he was pretty shook up actually) as Ellona didn't jump out. She flipped out - literally. He said her head went up, her eyes got bigger than her head and she flew backwards until she'd whammed into the fence (hard) and then reared and flipped backwards over the panel - between the fence posts (thank goodness) - bending the metal walk thru gate frame apart, too. When he made it back around to us again, stated that he felt we needed to do some more desensitizing with Ellona and both Cat and I agreed. Sometimes I swear Ellona didn't get the brain God gives fleas! She's OK, and I was able to purchase another gate yesterday afternoon when I made the feed run (had other things I needed to do w/ that money, darn mare). After feeding today, I unloaded the new gate/frame and posts and the post driver. I removed the hay string that still strapped the wire panel to the posts and the gate frame to the post. But I'd forgotten the wire cutters and had other things was going to be doing, so will finish the repair/replacement tomorrow.

Sami was still tied where the fence post is bent over w/ the bucket on it - that's why Larry was saying "whoa, easy...". Ellona had already flipped out and gotten up and taken off. BUT I'm guessing the rest of the smaller boys weren't done eating at the time or he was rattled enough himself - after he calmed Sami down, he left them all tied, LOL.

I should be able to re-use this section after I cut off the mangled part. I don't think I'll be able to get the mangled section straightened out enough to use for anything? Should have seen me trying to get Ellona (o - and that's short for _ell on a pedistool OR _ell on wheels) thru that gate for feeding today. All snort and blow but the prospect of feed won out. Ellona is one of those Arabs that could give them a BAD NAME in the wrong hands.

I'll have to do some checking. I think I can don some safety glasses, but a metal cutting blade on the Sawzall and remove the lower half of the frame. Then can still use the upper half and the gate itself (can permanently attach to wood posts) elsewhere.

 

Thank goodness your girl wasn't hurt during that adventure!! Sounds like you had quite the day!

The pictures are great. Everyone looking so pretty and good, and healthy! Kechi is sure a pretty girl!

 

[paintponylvr]

Thanks, Diane!

T-posts can be quite scary! I used to put the toppers on them, but our ponies kept pulling them off and then it shorted out the fence if I had hot wire or tape running thru them (ponies caused more than one fence charger to blow up over the years). But I've seen as many and as bad injuries from wooden fence posts and solid metal round pipe posts, too, so you do what you can to prevent injury. I'm thankful that she went over in between the gate and the post Sami was tied and didn't get hung up on the post.

 

Yes, there are so many accidents than can happen, even when we're trying to prevent them. Such freak things we never thought of!

 

[amysue]

Love your website! Looks like is is really coming along. Had fun poking through it browsing. As for your twisted up hoop gate...I bet that if you get the sawzall and cut the bad bow out of it, you could probably replace the piece with some tube steel slightly larger in diameter than the original gate. This is how I put my peacock aviary back together after the snow squished it. I cut up a bunch of old tube steel gates that my holsteins bent to heck and replaced the bent frame pieces with the gate pieces. Instead of dragging out the welder, I drilled holes at the lapped pieces and bolted them together. I am just glad nobody was hurt.

 

Such adventures!!!

It's amazing how these little ones can think up things to do that are so dangerous. New foals are always a worry too, as they seem to fit through the smallest "holes" and wind up in some kind of danger or trouble....I am so glad that their little guardian angels protect them so well!!