Making T posts safe

[DianneC]

If you haven't had an injury due to T-Posts consider yourself lucky. A couple years ago I had all the posts in the pasture capped with the big round caps except one short one, and of course, Meadow sat on it in getting away from another horse and had a puncture that required a vet visit and antibiotics. I've since gradually replaced most of the big expensive caps with a cap called Safe-T-Post caps. They are cheap, $15 for 25 caps and fit closely over the post so that they don't come off. They are made by CZ Engineering in Dixon MO [phone] [e-mail]. My local feed store carries them now. I think they are great.
Here is a picture of them in the background with Quil Ceda.

[kimk]

Dianne,
This is a good subject. I have seen many injuries due to T Posts. In fact, several years ago Kody impaled himself on a T Post that was being used to support a corral panel. ( not on my place ) The T Post was 3"-4" above the top rail of the panel. That corral panel was the only thing that stopped him from being more severely injured, although I could fit my entire hand up inside the hole in his chest. It healed up beautifully and today you can't even tell it happened, but it cost me a pretty hefty vet bill not to mention scaring the heck outa me!
Kim

[mustangdara]

some of my girlfriends think i am crazy to spend money on t- post caps,but i am not willing to take the chance of an impaled horse....i have herd sooo many bad stories about t-posts.

[stlkigers]

Dianne:

Thanks for the info....I looked at the company; they will send you a free sample....I have some t-post covers but none that stay on well...I've often thought about super gluing them on! Now I"m going to try these.....

BTW, how are you doing with the flooding; aren't the horses in Chehalis?

Angela

[JoanMRK]

Yes, thank you Dianne. We have no other option here as far as T-posts go because it was pre-fenced for cattle before we bought and don't have the funds to replace 20 acres worth! Thankfully it isn't all barbed wire which is so popular, I think they wanted to keep dogs out too which required the not-so-popular field fence though we don't shoe so haven't had trouble with that. But! Sunnie was impaled on a t-post when he was two because the gelding he was with in the lower pasture was a breeding stallion for a few years and heard our mares being bred by an outside stallion even though they were way out of eye shot, he got mad because it was happening within earshot and took it out on poor Sunnie. It was aweful... I went down to check on them after the breeding was done and didn't see him anywhere. I had a very bad feeling and while searching through the tall grass, (an angel lead me straight to him) there he was laying on his side and it took all I and Hubby had to get him up. He walked so slowly and our vet was atleast an hour and fifteen minutes away (we're up in the mountains). Thankfully we had a very good relationship with our vet and he talked Simon through it over the phone. We also already had penicilin on hand so started the shots and irrigated the fist sized hole with the hose. It was a long healing process but like Kim said, you'd never know it now! ...Off to check out that company now.

[DianneC]

You can glue them on, but unless your horses use them for a scratching post, there isn't any need. Its a softer plastic that you can just barely open with your fingers and the fit is very tight.