[Yoda]

I took Dusty his evening grain to the barn and he was not in the barn. He has access to a two acre field behind the barn so I called out his name. I waited several minutes and called his name again. Still no Dusty. Sometimes I just leave his food in the barn for whenever he chooses to return but I had put some peaches on top the grain and I wanted to see how he liked them. Sometimes he doesn't hear me call if he is on the far end of the field so I decided to walk out to the field and get him.

As I was walking I saw him above the field in the woodland. We had not fenced that section because it is VERY steep. Why he went there I have no idea, there is not grass there only trees. I debated going back to get a halter to try and find a good way back down but he found his own way and slid down. Stupid, stupid horse.

I have another field that is fenced entirely but we are supposed to have strong winds and heavy rain tomorrow and the only shelter there is a few trees so I don't want to put him in that field yet. I put his orange vest on him so that if he gets out and onto the road he will be more visible.

I had a guy put a small section of barbed wire up for me last fall when a section of board fence fell down but he did a terrible job. So it looks like I will put some fence up myself to contain my crazy horse. I am quite clumsy so my son will have to help me; it is too steep for me to climb by myself. Fortunately I won't have to put in any fence posts, I can nail the barbed wire tree to tree. I'm not certain I want barbed wire because it isn't highly visible and I would have to tie colored tape at intervals. Perhaps some webbed fencing might be better, I'll have to price it.

I guess Dusty thinks he is part mountain goat.

[Sunna]

So you think he will go back into the steep trees? Like he likes sliding down?

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by Sunna

So you think he will go back into the steep trees? Like he likes sliding down?

I wish I did know what he was thinking. "Oh let's go up this steep hill and pretend like I am a steeplechase horse" or "Hey let's climb up here and freak mom out"

It reminds me of when my son was about five years old and I walked into the backyard to check on him and he was fifteen feet up a skinny tree that was overhanging a stream with lots of rocks.

[Rohag]

Wow. Dusty trying out the slopes. What's next?

[Fresia]

He was feeling adventurous and wanted a better view? It will be good to price fencing, that will ease your mind for that area and keep him safe. I really wish I knew what they were thinking sometimes.

In the back of a pasture were I once boarded my Appaloosa gelding, Pancho, it was lined with very heavy tall brush and one tall tree after another, very dense, a natural barrier that then dropped off significantly to a wide creek. On the other side was my neighborhood. Owner said none of the horses had ever ventured that way in 15 years he'd had the place and in the time we'd lived there, none of the other owner's critters that lined the creek had ever come across as the brush was too thick, and seemed so.
On the second day I went out to get him from the pasture, I couldn't find him. I started checking the brush, didn't see any sign that it had been disturbed, so where the heck did he go? I checked the creek though and no sign of him. I started driving around, in the meantime the owner admitted that he never locks the gate and was thinking theft. However, why would they only take one of the horses and not the other two 30K+ show Arabians that were out there over my $700 rodeo Appy and who only comes to me (pain in the arse that way), don't think so. I returned home to rethink and I get a call then from my neighbor, your horse is in my swimming pool. Oops. Geez. What the heck was Pancho thinking? My adventurous buddy, fortunately, there were no injuries or damages. I changed up his routine after that besides boarding somewhere else.

[KathyM]

Baaaaaaaaad Dusty. Maybe he heard the song "Climb Every Mountain" off in the distance and decided to give it a try.

LOL at your son in the tree.

When my son was a toddler, I lived in an apartment on the third floor. One morning I was on my balcony cleaning the furniture, my son playing with his toys right behind me. The building was on a hill, so it appeared much higher than three floors.

The tone of his voice changed to a "Look what I can do!" I turned around, and it felt like my heart dropped to my knees. My son had managed to squeeze between the bars and climb onto the AC unit of the apartment below us! He was so proud of himself, lol.

If I had made any sudden moves or startled him, I knew he would have fallen through a tree and onto the concrete. I managed to keep my nerves in check enough to calmly reach down, pick him up and bring him inside. THEN I allowed my knees to turn to jelly, lol.

[sugahorse1]

They do manage to get themselves into the most absurd situations.
Sounds like a good idea to rather keep him fenced in in the areas where he'll be safe and won't cause your heart to miss a beat, lol!
I would also tie some form of ribbon around the barbed wire if you go that route; he'll be able to see it much better