(OT) Rant!!!!

I spent the best part of a day getting ready to bring six of the horses into
my yard to eat down the grass, since I have no mower. This preparation
consists of first setting up a temporary electric fence around the garden so
they won't destroy it.

Here are the steps I followed:

-- search for a bunch of step-in posts that are not currently in use, which
involved about two miles of walking over the land, hunting for posts that
Gloria has left laying around,

-- hunt up a spool of wire not currently in use,

-- attach an insulator to a wooden post - which meant finding a hammer and a
nail first, which can be difficult (and was) around here,

-- run the wire around through all the posts,

-- tie strips of white plastic to it every few feet so the horses can see
the wire is there,

-- move the field fencer into my yard,

-- clear all the breakable items out of the rest of the yard,

-- get all seven cats in the house so they won't get stepped on when the
horses come stampeding up the driveway (This can only be done on a cool,
cloudy day - which we actually had, for the first time in about five
months - because with the door shut the house becomes oven-like within a few
minutes.),

-- tie two strands of barbed wire across the back of the driveway to keep
the horses from running into the back pasture instead of into the front yard
when I finally let them out of the field across the way,

-- tie strips of plastic to the barbed wire,

-- find the fence tester to make sure the electric fence has a strong enough
charge,

-- get the field fencer box open (took most of an hour and involved hunting
down a crowbar) so the battery could be replaced,

-- shut a gate in the road so the horses can't run away from my yard rather
than into it,

-- feed hay down by the barn so the horses would get thirsty and come to the
pond at the proper time (when was am finally ready to let them into the
yard) and can be easily herded into the driveway,

-- hook the fencer to the temporary fence and ground it to the permanent
fence,

-- find a fresh battery to operate the fencer, which involved two trips to
Gloria's house (on foot, because the gate is closed - another mile or so of
walking),

-- get a neighbor to drive over here to help me figure out why neither of
the two "brand new" (according to Gloria, before she left for Michigan)
batteries worked.

In the end, we discovered that both spare fencer batteries were dead, with
the date "09/98" stamped on them.

So in the morning I will have to drive to town and hope that one of the farm
supply or hardware stores has the right battery in stock.

And by the time I get back, it will be 90 degrees out....

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

On Sun, 18 Sep 2005 22:02:06 -0500, "Pat"
wrote:

I spent the best part of a day getting ready to bring six of the horses into
my yard to eat down the grass, since I have no mower. This preparation
consists of first setting up a temporary electric fence around the garden so
they won't destroy it.

Here are the steps I followed:


Wouldn't it be a lot simpler to buy a basic lawn mower?

--
John F. Eldredge --
PGP key available from http://pgp.mit.edu
"Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better
than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria

"John F. Eldredge" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 18 Sep 2005 22:02:06 -0500, "Pat"
wrote:

I spent the best part of a day getting ready to bring six of the horses
into
my yard to eat down the grass, since I have no mower. This preparation
consists of first setting up a temporary electric fence around the garden
so
they won't destroy it.

Here are the steps I followed:


Wouldn't it be a lot simpler to buy a basic lawn mower?

well, it seems a shame to waste the grass when the horses could eat it. Plus
I HATE the sound and smell of a power mower. Not to mention how they mangle
hidden turtles, snakes, baby wabbits, etc.

I do have a non-motorized old thing which needs blades sharpened, so mostly
I use a "weed whacker" (like what the gang uses in "Cool Hand Luke"). The
exercise is good for me.

Wouldn't it be a lot less hassle to go to a few yard sales until you
find a decent used mower? It probably wouldn't leave piles of poop in
the yard either.

Pat wrote:

I spent the best part of a day getting ready to bring six of the horses into
my yard to eat down the grass, since I have no mower. This preparation
consists of first setting up a temporary electric fence around the garden so
they won't destroy it.

Here are the steps I followed:

-- search for a bunch of step-in posts that are not currently in use, which
involved about two miles of walking over the land, hunting for posts that
Gloria has left laying around,

-- hunt up a spool of wire not currently in use,

-- attach an insulator to a wooden post - which meant finding a hammer and a
nail first, which can be difficult (and was) around here,

-- run the wire around through all the posts,

-- tie strips of white plastic to it every few feet so the horses can see
the wire is there,

-- move the field fencer into my yard,

-- clear all the breakable items out of the rest of the yard,

-- get all seven cats in the house so they won't get stepped on when the
horses come stampeding up the driveway (This can only be done on a cool,
cloudy day - which we actually had, for the first time in about five
months - because with the door shut the house becomes oven-like within a few
minutes.),

-- tie two strands of barbed wire across the back of the driveway to keep
the horses from running into the back pasture instead of into the front yard
when I finally let them out of the field across the way,

-- tie strips of plastic to the barbed wire,

-- find the fence tester to make sure the electric fence has a strong enough
charge,

-- get the field fencer box open (took most of an hour and involved hunting
down a crowbar) so the battery could be replaced,

-- shut a gate in the road so the horses can't run away from my yard rather
than into it,

-- feed hay down by the barn so the horses would get thirsty and come to the
pond at the proper time (when was am finally ready to let them into the
yard) and can be easily herded into the driveway,

-- hook the fencer to the temporary fence and ground it to the permanent
fence,

-- find a fresh battery to operate the fencer, which involved two trips to
Gloria's house (on foot, because the gate is closed - another mile or so of
walking),

-- get a neighbor to drive over here to help me figure out why neither of
the two "brand new" (according to Gloria, before she left for Michigan)
batteries worked.

In the end, we discovered that both spare fencer batteries were dead, with
the date "09/98" stamped on them.

So in the morning I will have to drive to town and hope that one of the farm
supply or hardware stores has the right battery in stock.

And by the time I get back, it will be 90 degrees out....

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Seems to me you would be further ahead (and have saved time,
energy, and exposure to the outdoor heat) by simply getting
an old fashioned lawn mower and getting on with it! (Most
people want motorized ones, nowadays, so you could probably
pick up a manual one cheap.)

"Cheryl Perkins" wrote in message
...
LazyRaptor wrote:
Wouldn't it be a lot less hassle to go to a few yard sales until you
find a decent used mower? It probably wouldn't leave piles of poop in
the yard either.

Most people, if they garden, would consider the piles of poop a benefit,
not a disadvantage, of the horse method.

--
Cheryl

Oh yes, I'd put the stuff on my compost heap. When rotted down it is
*wonderful* stuff.

Cheers, helen s

"Pat" wrote in message
...
I spent the best part of a day getting ready to bring six of the horses
into
my yard to eat down the grass, since I have no mower. This preparation
consists of first setting up a temporary electric fence around the garden
so
they won't destroy it.

Here are the steps I followed:

-- search for a bunch of step-in posts that are not currently in use,
which
involved about two miles of walking over the land, hunting for posts that
Gloria has left laying around,

-- hunt up a spool of wire not currently in use,

-- attach an insulator to a wooden post - which meant finding a hammer and
a
nail first, which can be difficult (and was) around here,

-- run the wire around through all the posts,

-- tie strips of white plastic to it every few feet so the horses can see
the wire is there,

-- move the field fencer into my yard,

-- clear all the breakable items out of the rest of the yard,

-- get all seven cats in the house so they won't get stepped on when the
horses come stampeding up the driveway (This can only be done on a cool,
cloudy day - which we actually had, for the first time in about five
months - because with the door shut the house becomes oven-like within a
few
minutes.),

-- tie two strands of barbed wire across the back of the driveway to keep
the horses from running into the back pasture instead of into the front
yard
when I finally let them out of the field across the way,

-- tie strips of plastic to the barbed wire,

-- find the fence tester to make sure the electric fence has a strong
enough
charge,

-- get the field fencer box open (took most of an hour and involved
hunting
down a crowbar) so the battery could be replaced,

-- shut a gate in the road so the horses can't run away from my yard
rather
than into it,

-- feed hay down by the barn so the horses would get thirsty and come to
the
pond at the proper time (when was am finally ready to let them into the
yard) and can be easily herded into the driveway,

-- hook the fencer to the temporary fence and ground it to the permanent
fence,

-- find a fresh battery to operate the fencer, which involved two trips to
Gloria's house (on foot, because the gate is closed - another mile or so
of
walking),

-- get a neighbor to drive over here to help me figure out why neither of
the two "brand new" (according to Gloria, before she left for Michigan)
batteries worked.

In the end, we discovered that both spare fencer batteries were dead, with
the date "09/98" stamped on them.

So in the morning I will have to drive to town and hope that one of the
farm
supply or hardware stores has the right battery in stock.

And by the time I get back, it will be 90 degrees out....

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!


Let me be the one to sympathise, since I've had goats and a horse and done
similar things.

Tweed

Those piles of manure go straight on the garden and are a "must have" in the
thin, rocky soil of my area.

"LazyRaptor" wrote in message
oups.com...
Wouldn't it be a lot less hassle to go to a few yard sales until you
find a decent used mower? It probably wouldn't leave piles of poop in
the yard either.

"wafflycat" waffles*$*A**T*v21net$*££*D*O*T*co*D£$£*O*T*uk wrote in
message ...

"Cheryl Perkins" wrote in message
...
LazyRaptor wrote:
Wouldn't it be a lot less hassle to go to a few yard sales until you
find a decent used mower? It probably wouldn't leave piles of poop in
the yard either.

Most people, if they garden, would consider the piles of poop a benefit,
not a disadvantage, of the horse method.

--
Cheryl

Oh yes, I'd put the stuff on my compost heap. When rotted down it is
*wonderful* stuff.

Cheers, helen s


Horse poop doesn't even require composting!

"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote

Seems to me you would be further ahead (and have saved time,
energy, and exposure to the outdoor heat) by simply getting
an old fashioned lawn mower and getting on with it! (Most
people want motorized ones, nowadays, so you could probably
pick up a manual one cheap.)


I have a manual one but the blades are dull.

The folks who replied to my ad when I was searching for a good used
mechanical mower ended up giving me Abelard!