Monday, August 18, 2008

"Good fences make good neighbors."

A rolled wire fence separates our property from our immediate neighbor to the southwest. This fence once sported an electric wire across the top, keeping the horses from grazing on the greener pastures on the other side - though horses on both sides disagreed as to which side was which. When the neighbor leased the place out, the new tenant unplugged the electric fence charger, something about the fence charger being plugged in near the propane tank. (Well, that would solve some of my neighbor problems. Shame on me for thinking so.)

Dh and I are going to try to install a new fence, high tension electric fence in September, removing the rolled wire. I want a "I'm coming to you Jesus" electric fence, one that puts the fear of God in those damn lovely horses my neighbor has. Dear Daughters and I were put in mortal danger when this neighbor's stud jumped said "fence" in March 2007. Only after threatening to geld the neighbor the horse myself and sue him until he lived under a bridge did he take action and geld it. Still, the horses socialize over the fence and munch on the much better grass that seems to grow along the other side of it.

When it is completed, I am going to get Chris' kids to come test it. Her post reminded me of a visit from my sister, Teresa, some years back. A city girl, she was out in the front yard supervising her young son feeding carrots to our horses. She leaned in a little too close, and at that time, we had great fence charger. For a moment, she didn't know what had happened and who she was. She looked momentarily stunned. That is what I want to happen to those horses. It was very difficult not to laugh, though in all fairness, she did once she recovered.

For now, I am going to replace the top electric wire and and hope that it makes "good neighbors" until we can get to building a new one.

3 comments:

Robin said...

JunosMom! I'm "shocked"! LOL. But I have to agree with you on this one.

I know it's not funny but it's kind of neat to get a load of Florida long-eared crazy cows out of the swamp and turn them in on haygrazer and a brand new electric fence. Once the brave ones have blown through it a few times you corral them up in a corner...the darn things walk up to it, one or two at a time then ZING! They snort and buck and run off, away from the fence this time...and begin to graze...this goes on for hours until the very last idiot learns his lesson as well. A true axiom of not learning from others' mistakes!

Did you read my last post on CJ re: prejudice? I may not learn from other's mistakes but I taught my own darn self a lesson in that one!

Junosmom said...

Robin: Horses will learn from another. Actually, they can take it a bit too far. If one starts at something totally harmless -the others will run, too. Run now, find out later.

camflock said...

I don't know about the horses, but I have a healthy respect for the electric fence now!

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