The New Round Pen is close to completion...

7.25.07 UPDATE: The round pen gate is finished!! The round pen is 60 ft across and the top rails are 8 ft, so that means the top of the archway is 10'. The last count on hours was 67 a piece!

Even though Travis and Tony have spent at least 50 hours a piece on the new round pen, it is not quite finished! They are working on the gate and will need to primer and paint the rails, put up a ply board kick plate along the bottom, and haul in sand. As far as a sprinkler system goes, they will get a sprinkler to attach to the end of the hose for now!



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MnC's Disclaimer: At no time is excessive force, cruelty or brutality used when training the horses pictured in this blog. Reinforcing pats and firm gentleness, along with calmness from the trainers, encourage the horses to do as they are asked.

New Round Pen...

A couple of years ago TnT got permission from the new owners of the property, where FFHA is located, to build a new round pen right in front of Coal 'n' Cahlibur's pens. There was enough pipe to put up the poles that would make up the perimeter of the new round pen.

So Travis and Tony rented a bobcat, cleared the spot, dug 23 holes, mixed and poured concrete to set those 23 poles. That would make 21 sections and 1 gate. The new owners donated some old pipe, but that stand of pipe was stolen out of the oilfield. At this point the project was abandoned. Different members used the poles for training their horses and of course TnT did the same with our horses.

Well, just recently more pipe was donated by an FFHA member and a fellow worker of his lent a welding machine for the duration of completing the project. Now TnT can finish the long awaited second round pen for the Franklin Field Horsemen's Association!

The pictures in this slideshow start with (1) TnT putting up the top rail on the gate, (2) I took a picture from the middle of the round pen facing Coal 'n' Cahlibur's pens so that you could see where this new pen is located, then (3) Tony started welding the top rail on the first couple of sections while (4) pictures Tony using a soapstone to mark the next pole with the aid of a template and Travis coping the poles for the rails to set in. I love the next two pictures because they are close-ups of (5) Travis coping the poles and (6) Tony marking the next pole. The pile of cement in (7) will be moved to a different location so that seating can be placed on the west side of the pen. Picture (8) shows Tony completing the first section top rail as Travis sets up the saw, for cutting more rails, in the middle of the pen. TnT took turns welding two sections at a time and are half way in picture (9) while picture (10) shows all the top rails are up except the last one by the gate. It's break time in picture (11) with Rusty and Katy snuggled up next to Travis and the last picture is of Tony riding Daffinah away after weaving her through the poles. (Tony did not have to duck when they went under the top rails!)

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