I scheduled to have Olly trailered from the farm he was staying at on Monday. Who would have known it costs more here to trailer a horse than Hawaii? The lady did have an awesome trailer though. We decided not to electricify the fence because we had two strands of poly-wire and it seemed to be enough.
I got up early the next morning to register my boys for school and then it was off to get my boy. I told the lady that was trailering for me that I would meet her at the stable. Little to my knowledge, from the highway it is almost impossible to find. No GPS or MapQuest would help her. We got a phone call about 45 min late that she was lost. Bobbi, the stable owner, had to go look for her.
Being postponed and hour was a small price to pay to get my big red horse back. It was hot as hell out and by the time we made it back to the house Olly was sweating, just from the trailer ride. Time to order electrolytes. I lead him out of he trailer and let him eat some grass. Just to get used to the area. It is new and Olly and new usually aren't friends.
After a few minutes I throw him in the paddock to get some water and give him some hay. "You are home boy!" I call out to him as I head into the house to get him and apple and some sugar cubes. He doesn't seem that relaxed when I come back out. He is pacing the fence line and neighing at me. Poor boy is lonely. Just coming from a stable that has 30 horses to a house with none.
After watching him for a few minutes we (my husband and I) decided to head out to the neighbors and look for a goat. That might help. We were gone mabye 90 minutes and as we turn down our road husband says there is horse crap on the road! OH NO!!!! I am the only one with a horse on this road, please tell me someone was trail riding...NOPE! As we pull into the drive our wonderful neighbor, whom I have never met before this episode, was standing in our yard watching my horse run the perimeter. GREAT! What a way to be welcomed to the neighborhood. I walked over to Olly and noticed that there was an extra strand of poly-wire wrapped around the top of the posts and find out that he didn't break through the fence, he jumped it.
Our neighbor about 4 houses down offered to throw Olly in with his horses (I found out they had 2 mustangs, nice ones at that)for the night so I could get the fence better prepared. So I grab Olly up and walk him down the road a few houses down.
One of the mustangs was a gorgeous buckskin mare, who was totally a mare. She was ready to put Olly in his place, that is if she could catch him. We got him in the paddock and turned them loose. They ran over a total of 4-5 acres and who would have thought, Olly busted through their 3 stranded hot wire (that wasn't hot). I put his halter on him and try to stop apologizing to the owner for my horse blasting through his fence and walk him back to the smaller paddock away from the mustangs. We decided that seperating them might be the best. So, we closed the gate and let him go meet the mustangs at the fence. Guess what? He jumped the fence to get to the other horses!?? Was I missing something? What the heck is wrong with my horse? I mean, I wanted a jumper but, two 4ft fences in one day!? After trying to figure out what to do with my running fence jumper, I walked back to the house and put him in the stall and nailed 3 2x8's across the door. Has it really come down to this? I had to lock my horse (unsafely at that) in his stall to keep him from taking off. Way to make a mom feel good. But he did stay in.
The next day we were off to TSC to buy more fencing materials. After a bucket of sweat and 2 more strands of poly-wire, this time HOT, my big red horse was able to be in his paddock during the day while I was home. Night time was still in his stall, which we added a nice cattle gate and lock too.
Beverley the Goat to help with anxiety.
Two nights in the stall with lots of turn outs and a small addition, we were able to keep the big red horse safe.
The stall with "Olly" proof gate and 4 strand poly-wire.
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