Good Fences
Saturday dawned bright and sunny just as predicted, and I did indeed put in a full day on the fences.  I removed and replaced old strands and broken clips and hacked blackberry briars off the line for the better part of the day.  The last thing I did was to reconfigure the pony pen, lowering the wires and attaching it to Pico's stall.  Now he has a a large area for exercise which also serves as training area that will better acquaint him with the electric fence.  I think he already gets the point though.
 I have read, and it makes sense, that animals should be trained to avoid the electric fence in a small area before assuming they will avoid the the perimeter fence.  So far, so good. The fence now has a good charge again and Pico is staying where he is supposed to.
Folks who don't understand electric fences may think them cruel, but fences are necessary and electric done correctly is among the most humane.  Our chargers put out a pulse, not a steady shock, at a level that trains the animal to stay away but not so strong it does any damage.  I have touched them myself many times accidentally, and I would describe it as more of a "surprise" than anything else.  There is definitely something about the zap that makes you want to avoid it, though.  Animals are very sensitive to electromagnetic fields anyway, so it doesn't take them long to learn to stay away from the fence.
So Saturday was a full day of hard work (and I am still paying for it even today with sore muscles and lingering tiredness).  I rewarded myself by piddling in my garden on Sunday, planting chard, beets, carrots, more lettuce, and scallions.  I also set up my brooder because the chicks and ducks are due to arrive at the end of the week.