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[RC] Portable Corrals - rides2farI would really like to use electric tape, at least 3 > strands. I have read a lot of horror story's about all the wreaks involving electric > fences and loose horses at camp I know of 4 incidents at the ride this weekend...and I'm pretty sure all 4 (at least 3) were escapes from electric. The cheepest, and for me the most secure (and I've tried electric, steel corrals, tieing also) is the high line. You can pretty much scrounge all the parts to one from things you already own if you want to try it out in the yard. Take about 30' of rope. I like about 1/2" nylon (cotton stretches when wet). If you don't have a ring to put on it you can take an old loose ring snaffle and run the rope through a ring and let it hang down. Tie your rope higher than your horse's head with his head up and ears up. Mine's maybe 8'. If you go all out you can buy "knot eliminators" but for now you can take a 6" stick and duct tape it to the rope about 6' out from the tree to keep your horse from wrapping around the tree, chewing bark or rubbing off his halter. Now tie a lead rope to the ring hanging down (preferably cotton just in case your horse does get tangled it doesn't burn as bad). Use a rope with a bull snap and you won't have the snap coming loose at night but for practice in the yard any will do. Measure the rope to hang about 6" from the ground. Hook your horse up, go get a lawn chair and sit back and read a book while he gets used to it. It's just a good habit to always have a sharp pocket knife handy when ropes & horses are involved. After years of lugging around corrals and listening to the horses leaning on them at night while they popped and cracked (PVC corral) or seeing the metal corral get lifted up and opened when a horse stuck its head through, etc. I sleep great with the high line knowing my horse has never gotten loose and a herd of insane loose horses can run right through it without taking him with them. The only time it's a problem is when there's a camp with no trees which isn't much of a problem in the SE. We've used the high line on lots of different horses and none have ever objected even in the beginning. It's compact to pack, quick to put up & down. Love it. I've only had one rope burn ever and that was when I made the line too long and hooked to a sapling that gave too much. I'm very careful to keep my line tight and I don't go off to eat at restaurants & such leaving my horse unattended. Good luck! Angie ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the Web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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