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wade3504

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I have had a Percheron/Paint cross for about 5 months now. He is a pain and it's a really good thing he's such a good horse. When I first got him, he went across the creek in the back five acres where I board like it wasn't even there-water is nothing to him hence his nickname Water Buffalo. There was fencing on the other side but not strong enough for a draft cross so I paid to have it made stronger. So I thought no problems now. WRONG! The owner of the barn gets a call from the neighbor who lives behind them. They let her know that there was a big black horse in their yard. He was brought back. He had gone down the middle of the creek where there is no fencing as it stops on both banks. We put up a heavy ribbon across the creek and that was enough of a deterent. So again, everything is cool right? WRONG! We get a call from the neighbor to the right. Captain kangaroo (yes new nickname but let's keep the old as well) has jumped the four foot fence as her horses ate breakfast later than ours did and he wanted to share with them. He stayed in there riding arena until we got home from work and went to get him. The neighbor now keeps her riding ring gate closed so if he jumps back over that's what he'll end up in. We put him back in his small pasture with hotwire for awhile but he can't stay there as there is basically not a whole lot of grass and 3 weeks after I got him he was in the hospital for sand colic for five days. We put him back out on the five acres and he now comes around the fence by way of creek on the front side of the pasture (pasture surrounded on two sides by creek). We thought no problem as we'll put the ribbon up again and it will deter him not realizing that he's only letting us think that we've got him. He went down the bank at a trot, into the creek, pushing the ribbon up with his head and limboed under looking oh so pretty as he trots up the other side and stands at the top of the berm looking over his kingdom and at the stupid peasants who can't contain him. WE put a third ribbon up-doesn't matter. Then we came up with a turbidity screen which the barn owner happened to have. It's heavy, floats, has rubber around it, along with a rubber apron. We've got it! Right? Nope! At a trot down the bank, into the water, he hesitates for maybe two seconds and from belly deep in the water jumps over it canters up the berm and stands at the top-yes he's laughing at us.

So, what the heck do we do???? The barn owner suggests hotwire across the creek that pulses. She says if it pulsed he can't electrocute himself. I worry because when he touches it, he'll be belly deep in water or at least knee deep. I'm not sure this is a good idea. If it isn't does anyone else have any ideas?? We will not attempt to do this until we talk to the people who make the fence and get any other ideas. I don't want to roast my horse. He started out at me buying him for $2500. 3 weeks after he doubled in price with his vet bill that was $2500 and I haven't been keeping track of fencing, ribbon, posts, etc.

Please, Please, Please give me some ideas!!!

Amanda
 
Im so sorry your going thru this Amanda!! I hate the electric ribbon and think its crap. Get the electric rope or electrobraid if you can afford it. He wont go thru that!! But it will probably take 4 strands. The good thing with electrabraid is you dont need very many posts. Thinking of ya!
 
The ribbon we were using before was not electric. We stupidly thought if he saw it that it would stop him. It didn't he just pushes under as it can only go so low because of the water. I'm just worried if we put the braid or rope over the creek and I mean literally over the creek how much of a shock it will cause. He's not paid for yet and I can't see me telling the previous owner, also my friend and natural horsemanship instructor, that I electrocuted him. Besides, even with him doing this I still love him and think he's awesome. Two weekends ago on a trail ride I got sick to the point of being dizzy and I basically sat my hands on the saddle horn and he did a slow straight walk home ( I wasn't alone as far as people) but if he'd done something stupid I wouldn't have been able to handle it. Saturday on a trail ride with 18 other horses sometimes in very close quaters he was awesome. We've even connected to the point where I can get his attention in a pasture and he'll come to me and stay by my side going to the barn with no halter or lead. So I put up with Water Buffalo/Captain Kangaroo/P.I.T.A. and many other names I shouldn't say on here, but I want to keep him safe.

Amanda
 
Can the electrobraid be put across the front edge of the creek so he can't go in at all? No electrocution danger that way??? Maybe I'm not picturing it right?
 
Hey Amanda, This boy has talent! He's very creative isn't he? And resourceful. Wonder what he likes so much on the other side
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I had a Sears charger that pulsed and worked off a battery, ( not solar,) and as the battery gets weak or has a power surge, you cannot count on it to keep a steady pulsing, it might get erratic and I am also not sure how that would work in the water.......he could be toast maybe??? How about rigging up some boards and paint them white or some iridescent color?
 
If we can't figure anything else out I'm going to have to pay to have the creek fenced off but picture a rectangular five acres. On the right down the long side is the creek and it turns and goes along the short back half. That's alot of fence and I can't expect the barn owner to pay for it. I'm glad they decided to put up a fence on the other side of the creek down to the neighbor's fence before my horse got there or he'd be over visiting much more often. We were told jokingly to put a GPS tracking device on him. We decided we were going to paint him a different color every day so when he went visiting the neighbors wouldn't know he was outs-never saw him before in our lives :DOH! .

Amanda
 
Hey Amanda, This boy has talent! He's very creative isn't he? And resourceful. Wonder what he likes so much on the other side
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I had a Sears charger that pulsed and worked off a battery, ( not solar,) and as the battery gets weak or has a power surge, you cannot count on it to keep a steady pulsing, it might get erratic and I am also not sure how that would work in the water.......he could be toast maybe??? How about rigging up some boards and paint them white or some iridescent color?
He's too smart that's for sure. What's on the other side is diinner (barn) or so he thinks. One horse comes in from the pasture or he sees one of us and dinner bells ring in his head. He's turned out with other horses so it's not that he's lonely.

The creek is too wide to put boards across. I'll take pictures to show you guys the area. We've also found out that if he can do this up front he can also do it in the back any time he wants and go visit the neighbors again who don't care for him at all as they don't like my barn owner (they wanted the five acres that the horses are on and my barn owner got it before they did).

Amanda
 
Is he gelded? If not, get it done ASAP. As far as fencing goes, it doesn't sound like there's appropiate fencing for a horse his size to begin with. I would put up a hot wire (not the pulsing kind), I have a 25 mile solar charger that so far has stopped everything that has come in contact with it. I would start by keeping him in a small paddock with the hot wire. Let him get zapped a couple times and then fence off the rest of his "area" with the hot wire. If he doesn't respect electricity, he's not going to respect anything other than a 12' brick wall.
 
He's four and has been gelded since a yearling. I gotta figure out what to do with the big area or creek area as he's put in what we call his timeout pasture that is small and hotwired but we live in Florida and there's lots of sand and grass disappears fast, especially now with no rain in weeks worth talking about. He's already had bad sand colic once so I can't keep him in the small one. He does respect that hotwire though. He doesn't go near the fence and so therefore can't jump it.

The front fence in the big pasture is roundpen panels all the way across so he hasn't jumped those. The section in the back he jumped will be roundpen panels soon. We can't hotwire that part as it is the same fence as the neighbor's riding arena and she could get shocked while riding.

Amanda
 
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The section in the back he jumped will be roundpen panels soon. We can't hotwire that part as it is the same fence as the neighbor's riding arena and she could get shocked while riding.

Amanda
Well....if she doesn't want him to come visit....I'd hotwire it and just tell her to watch for it. The wire should be on YOUR side of the fence so it shouldn't bother her.
 
Amanda Wade! No one has mentioned the minor (???) fact that you are NOT supposed to be riding.
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:DOH!

Well--someone had to say it.
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I have no idea how you're going to keep this brute in. Is there a fencing expert around? What kind of fence was at his previous place?

Oh! And do we get to have a visual of PITA?
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Marty, don't mention bridges he might hear you and do it himself but if he did that he wouldn't get wet and then he'd be sad part water buffalo remember?

Karla, it was reccommended that I not ride. It was not forbidden.
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Besides, you know very well that I've come out of my cart with my mini twice so that's no safer and they said absolutely nothing about that.

I'll put pictures on the picture forum. His real name is Kieran but lately he goes by anything but his real name. It's usually #@@%$ @@@@#!!!!!!

Where he came from before they had board fencing four feet high all the way around. I was told he only jumped out once there as a yearling
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. Then I've heard stories from others who knew him that he can jump 5'5". Yes, I am a sucker. No wonder she let me take him on a trial basis as even though he does these things I still love him to death
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.

Amanda
 
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I like this boy, he's got spirit. Give him a set of water wings, hop aboard, and yalls go swimming. Heck that's what we did for years down there.
 
You know that they can "feel" the electric, so you may be pleasantly surprised at what a little hot wire can do. Of course, the creek is a challenge with something under that hot wire....he can probably limbo too
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I love his spirit and determination
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YEP -- it can tire a neighbor real fast.

At his size, I'd sure think that 5'5" would be no problem to jump! I have a mini mare who clears 36" from almost a stand still and she's only 31"
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She was getting "out" into pasture areas I didn't want to to be in and search as I may, could find no fence "problem". Put her back 2X and then she was behind me again as I walked off :DOH! Over with ease......so, I'm thinking maybe at a show
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Give him a hug, at least he stays close.
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I would hot wire over the pond where your ribbon is now. the shock from a fence charger is not high enough (even standing in water) to cause death or damage but it probably WILL give him a more powerful jolt being in water. I bet all it will take is ONCE and then he'll not try that again. He just know's he CAN go under that ribbon. I"ve had plenty of horses like this (not nessarily water but they have other methods). escape artists can be a real pain but i would certainly make it LIVE across the top of the pond i'd put it maybe 2-3" over the pond and do two strands. flag them well so he can see it (i would use regular WIRE where you are sure he'll get a shock not the tape ect) and let him get lifted once or twice. If he's flipping up the ribbon with his nose/head he'll do it to the wire too and he WILL get shocked.
 
Hey Amanda!

Yeah, those draft things are a pain to keep in- mine won't swim or jump like that, however, he will calmly and quietly walk over/through fences/gates to munch on grass that is Just out of reach! Sigh I suppose I should thank the heavens!

If he's sand coliced, then your best bet is to keep him Inside. (crappy answer I know, but true, ask any South Florida vet, it's kinda like abstensice, if you Don't then they Can't.)

As far as other options, get him a round bale of hay in the smaller paddock, put it up on pallets and mat the place, and elevate his grain dish, and wet his grain and hay, and do a weekly bran/mineral oil/beet pulp/electrolyte flush if you Must keep him outside all the time. It's worked Very well for us.

I had a similar problem- though mine was easily fixed with hotwire around the Entire top of his paddock, including his gate- and the sand issue as well. The constant hay keeps them happier and more likely to stay put as well- and doing it that way keeps the sand out of them. As I live about 15 min south of you, I know Exactly what you are going though with sand issues. To me, that is the lesser and cheaper issue to address versus fencing god only knows how much paddock line. Your other option is to only hotwire the living Heck out of that fence line, which will be cheaper. Either way, I'd recommend a constant hay source, as it seems to be food that's grabbing his attention.

Hugs!

Whitney
 
A modern fence charger wont harm an animal no matter what they are standing in. and most can hear the pulsing so he probably wont mess with it .You say hes already respectfull of hot lines. Ive had a couple of escape artists. one that Ill call "Hodini"used to open gates and latches. he would get them in his mouth and work them till he got them open. then he would start on the others till everyone was out or he got cought. I tryed putting snaps on all the gate latches and that only slowed him a little. so I put bull snaps on all the gates. within a short time he had learned to open those to. I finaly stopped him by lining his gate with plywood and running a hot wire just above the latch so that he couldnt get his mouth on the latch without crossing the hot wire. another didnt care about hot wires as she would just wait till it was between pulses and blow right through the fence. the only thing that would keep her in was putting her in with a favorite gelding. as long as she was in with him she didnt want out. We used to board with one that wanted to be part of anything that was going on. he would jump over or crawl under the fence . he only seemed to do this when we were there and just wanted to hang out. the only time it was a real pain was on vet or ferrier days. you would look up and he would be there. good luck, youll find something that will keep him in. I would try a couple of strands of hot wire, one just above the water and another about 18 in above that. DR.
 

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