tuffsmom
Well-Known Member
Two days before Thanksgiving, everyone was gone, and I woke up to horns honking outside. I jumped up to find Tuff and Big Man trotting down the road....and the gate to their pen hanging wide open. After I made a fool of myself getting them back to the house (WITHOUT halters), I've been stressing out about the gate being open.
It's a big heavy, old pipe gate. You have to pull/lift up on it to open it, it's a huge pain. To shut it you have to give it some effort and lift up on it,..basically there's absolutley no possible way a horse could open it. Not in a million years. I haven't slept easy since that happened. And I sure as heck wouldn't leave a gate open.
Well, at about 8 or so last night, a man pulled up in our driveway and said that there was a bay pony in his yard (over a MILE down the road) that he thought was ours. So, we jump in the pickup and sure enough, Big Man is grazing in their yard. He knew he had done something "way cool", so he decided to stick his tail in the air and run off when he saw us. There is a lot of uncleared land around here, most is unfenced. I tried to track him, and at least keep up, but he is so quick...I was no match. After over an hour, he finally gave it up & I was able to find him. We were over 2 miles from the house and he let me get close enough to talk him into letting me catch him. All is well now...but HOW IN THE WORLD DID HE ESCAPE?!?!!?
The ONLY thing I can think of, is there are 2 little boys that live a couple of miles up the road. They ride their bikes around the area, just being boys. They're about 10 or so, sweet as they can be. They're homeschooled, very polite, very good kids. They've stopped by a couple of times and we've been outside, so we smalltalked a little. They really liked Tuffy (who didn't ?
: ), and I told them that if they ever wanted to come over and play with the ponies, just knock on the front door, and I'd be glad to get them out for them to play, anytime. I think they DID come to play...didn't come get me, and left the gate open. That's the ONLY thing I can think of...I'm stumped.
We now have a chain & padlock on Big Man's gate (which I HATE, if I need to get to him quickly, I can't). I'm afraid now that they'll try to get into the big horses, and we have a couple of horses that don't put up with any stupidity, and they will hurt you.
I drove down to (what I THINK is) their house this morning, and no one was home. I don't know their last name, so I can't call them. Do I say something??? I know I need to, but these people are just different enough that it makes me think twice. Plus, I have no proof they opened the gate. We don't know anybody around here, so I hate to go barging around accusing people.
It's a big heavy, old pipe gate. You have to pull/lift up on it to open it, it's a huge pain. To shut it you have to give it some effort and lift up on it,..basically there's absolutley no possible way a horse could open it. Not in a million years. I haven't slept easy since that happened. And I sure as heck wouldn't leave a gate open.
Well, at about 8 or so last night, a man pulled up in our driveway and said that there was a bay pony in his yard (over a MILE down the road) that he thought was ours. So, we jump in the pickup and sure enough, Big Man is grazing in their yard. He knew he had done something "way cool", so he decided to stick his tail in the air and run off when he saw us. There is a lot of uncleared land around here, most is unfenced. I tried to track him, and at least keep up, but he is so quick...I was no match. After over an hour, he finally gave it up & I was able to find him. We were over 2 miles from the house and he let me get close enough to talk him into letting me catch him. All is well now...but HOW IN THE WORLD DID HE ESCAPE?!?!!?
The ONLY thing I can think of, is there are 2 little boys that live a couple of miles up the road. They ride their bikes around the area, just being boys. They're about 10 or so, sweet as they can be. They're homeschooled, very polite, very good kids. They've stopped by a couple of times and we've been outside, so we smalltalked a little. They really liked Tuffy (who didn't ?
We now have a chain & padlock on Big Man's gate (which I HATE, if I need to get to him quickly, I can't). I'm afraid now that they'll try to get into the big horses, and we have a couple of horses that don't put up with any stupidity, and they will hurt you.
I drove down to (what I THINK is) their house this morning, and no one was home. I don't know their last name, so I can't call them. Do I say something??? I know I need to, but these people are just different enough that it makes me think twice. Plus, I have no proof they opened the gate. We don't know anybody around here, so I hate to go barging around accusing people.
