Another stressful day --

But it's over now - thankfully. 
    

Yesterday just a few minutes before Mark had to leave for work we got a call from our neighbor across the canal to tell us one of our horses was wandering along the canal . . . OUTSIDE our fence.  What! 
    

My first thought was that Duke had jumped the fence.  He's the one who really really loves to go visit other horses.  But no.  When I ran out the front door, there was ARTHUR -- racing down the side of the property toward the road!  Scared me silly.  But as it turned out, no problem . . . he just raced around and back in the front gate and over to try and get in with Duke.  (He never wants to be far from Duke for long - thank goodness!) 
   

So we let him into the paddock, then Mark and I locked both Arthur and Lizzie inside their paddocks and we both walked around the edge of the pasture to see if there was a break in the fence, but we found nothing.  Then he went over to check out the fence charger and found it wasn't working.  So our thought at the time was that Arthur had probably crawled under the fence somewhere since it wasn't electrified.  Okay.  So with everyone locked inside their paddocks except Duke (his gate was destroyed in the hurricane and hasn't been replaced ), Mark left for work.   
  

Then I drove down to Tractor Supply and bought a super-strong solar fence charger -- good for up to 10 miles of fencing for cattle and horses only.  Too strong for dogs. 

Then I begged Buddy and Lisa to come by after work today so he could install the new charger for me.  And they agreed!  (LOVE those folks!)

      
Okay.  So I left work early today and went by Lowes to pick up a T-post (the new charger slides onto a T-post) and a package of 36" tie wraps.  Buddy pounded the T-post into the ground far enough that it can't move around, and we fastened the post to the big cemented wood post with those huge tie wraps. 
    

After that, we went over to the other side of the pasture and he ran a rope between the bottom wire and the ground in a space where the land drops off a bit.  That way even if the fence isn't electrified, Arthur won't be able to crawl under.  When I talked to Mark tonight, he said when he comes home, he's going to add another electric wire at the bottom on that side of the pasture.  Fine idea.
    

Anyway, after getting the rope on there, as a last "fix," we dug out some old chain and added a second chain onto the gate that goes out on the side where we dump the horse poo.  While we were putting in that new charger, I saw that there was a pretty big space there since the post had been pushed over so far a while back.  Just one chain at the top worked fine with the horses because all they need is one chain at chest level but since it was Arthur who got out . . . well, gotta cover all the possibilities.
    

Well, when I turned Arthur out then this evening, I kept an eye on him to see if he would give me a hint how he got out yesterday.  And he sure did!  The very first thing he did when I opened his paddock gate was RACE over to that side gate where we added the extra chain and stick his head through and rattle the gate!  He obviously expected to be able to go out that way!  Gees!  So I went over and took the extra length on that bottom chain and fastened it onto the top chain to divide all that space in half.  Arthur went back over there a half a dozen times while I stood watching him, but he finally gave up and stopped.  As we speak, he's back in Duke's paddock hanging out with him instead of trying to go for a walk.  I am sooooo relieved that we thought to put that extra chain on there!!! 



That's the new charger there on the far left. 
That red thing hanging on the top wire will blink if the fence charger isn't charging. 
That wasn't working when we checked yesterday either - it needed a new battery. 
But now everything is back in business -- and I hope Arthur is resigned to remaining at home!! 



When I told Mark what Arthur did, he said he's been planning to replace that post for a while -- guess it's time to do it.  We're going to ADD a post right behind the edge of the gate so that the gate will open only INTO the pasture and no matter how hard they push on it it won't be in danger of opening.  We'll just add something then between the old post and the new so that it won't be necessary to extend all those electric wires.  And that should take care of things completely.  Of course Arthur -- unlike the horses -- knows how to PULL a gate open, as well as just push on it (so we discovered inside the barn!).  But if the gate is right up against the post it will still be much easier to keep it fastened closed.
  

I'll tell you what - having a mule is a whole different ball game.  They're just too darned smart and too darned agile.  A baaaaaad combination.