Plan!

Wednesday, June 07, 2023

Yesterday the thermometer hit +80 degrees, yet the afternoon to me seemed reasonably cool. I spent much of the day doing some weed-whacking and attending to other property needs. In this sort of weather, beers go well.

Today, I will try to repair a fence damaged by the horses; there’s a wood post broken off at its base. My housemate and I pounded in a t-post and propped the broken post; a brief fix, for surely a horse leaning again on that post would flatten it.

When horse care repairs are necessary, the rule is to fix them immediately. It’s a given that big, heavy horses eventually will cause damage to almost everything in their designated spaces. The expenses of fixing pile up.

To save money, I’ve learned much about making repairs myself. I have avoided tackling horse fencing because repairing requires physical strength and absolutely correct finishes. Any fencing weakness can allow for escapes and/or leg and hoof injuries.

My neighbor, Frank, offered to help with this post, so he will be on call. For starters, my housemate and I will tackle this job. Luckily, the break is in cross fencing, so the horses won’t escape.

After cutting the wire from the broken post and pinning it out of the way, we will attempt to pull both the base and concrete from the ground. Following an earlier tip from Frank, we will pull using a motor vehicle, most likely my Jeep.

That’s all I’ll write now as it’s feeling nearly too much. However, we will try and if successful think about what’s next. If we’re unsuccessful, Frank might bail us out, or I’ll seek a repair crew.

Ahead, more would be new to me, concrete mixing, post-setting, and fence stretching.

Dear Friends: A good outcome would add efficiency and thrift in maintaining horses. Diana