Stupid Should Hurt

[Echo4V]

So I live a couple miles from a livestock auction barn and the owners of the barn occasionally end up with some sort of equines. Whenever the get them they train them to pull a wagon and then sell them. Not a bad idea for a side business right?

Well recently they have got hold of a pair of donkeys and they have these donkeys pulling an amish built wagon ( it looks like the wagon that they used for a chuck wagon in the movie the cowboys). The problem is that the people are evidently just plain stupid. They drive this wagon on blacktop roads ( two and four lane roads) at night with no running lights at all. They do have one of those emergency reflective triangles nailed to the back of the wagon.

I saw them a couple of weeks ago at 9 pm on a hwy ( in 55 zone) with only the reflector on their wagon. They told me they got caught out later than planned due to some thing or other ( I forget why now) so I followed them home with my flashers on. I own horses and have for 25 yrs so I understand unexpected things happen right, so I helped my neighbor out. I did tell them their wagon was hard to see in the dark and they needed lights on the back.

Well to make a long story longer, I ran into that wagon again last night. Good news, they had a light on the back of the wagon. Bad news, it was a very tiny (solar charged) sidewalk light like you stick in the ground next to your sidewalk at the house. More bad news 9 pm driving the wagon on a state road ( in a 45 zone) ford ranger came over a hill (just in front of me) and the wagon was on the other side of the hill.

The guy in the ranger rear ended the wagon so hard it knocked the donkeys down and the wagon ran over one and drug her a good 15 ft down the road into the ditch. Ranger was totaled, the motor was through the firewall and dash and in the floorboard and seat of the truck.

When I got there I naturally got out and every single one of the people were looking at the damn wagon. Nobody had even thought about the donkeys. First I asked if anyone was hurt, they said no. I said "good cause this mule damn sure is, get over here and lets get the wagon off him" I later saw they were donkeys and the wagon was on a jenny (female) I then yelled to my wife to call 911 and commenced to do what I could for the animals. Which wasn't much.

So out comes the Sodbuster Jr my wife just got me and I went to town, trying to see just how fast I could ruin $500 worth of pulling harness. Got the donkey that could still stand cut loose and gave him to a guy to get out of the way, then (after I crawled under the wagon and untangled her legs) we lifted the wagon and cut any straps connecting her to the wagon. Once we got the wagon off I cut her harness off (she couldn't get up) so we could assess the damage. Everything looked ok but she was scraped and cut up pretty badly. We let her rest a little then tried to get her up. She could get up to a sitting position (like a dog sits) but she was sitting way back on her pelvis like part of her back bone was on the ground.

By this time my wife and son were crying and the EMS were there so I gave my name and number to police officer and told him I had to get my son home. I figured either her hip or back was broke and she'd have to be put down and I didn't want my wife to see it. As I said, the auction barn is just down the road from my house so I'll be stopping by this afternoon to see what I can find out about the donkeys. No I don't have any pictures but I'll try to get some today when I go to check on the donkeys.

Please don't drive wagons on the road after dark (especially without lights)

David

[Hilly]

So I live a couple miles from a livestock auction barn and the owners of the barn occasionally end up with some sort of equines. Whenever the get them they train them to pull a wagon and then sell them. Not a bad idea for a side business right?

Well recently they have got hold of a pair of donkeys and they have these donkeys pulling an amish built wagon ( it looks like the wagon that they used for a chuck wagon in the movie the cowboys). The problem is that the people are evidently just plain stupid. They drive this wagon on blacktop roads ( two and four lane roads) at night with no running lights at all. They do have one of those emergency reflective triangles nailed to the back of the wagon.

I saw them a couple of weeks ago at 9 pm on a hwy ( in 55 zone) with only the reflector on their wagon. They told me they got caught out later than planned due to some thing or other ( I forget why now) so I followed them home with my flashers on. I own horses and have for 25 yrs so I understand unexpected things happen right, so I helped my neighbor out. I did tell them their wagon was hard to see in the dark and they needed lights on the back.

Well to make a long story longer, I ran into that wagon again last night. Good news, they had a light on the back of the wagon. Bad news, it was a very tiny (solar charged) sidewalk light like you stick in the ground next to your sidewalk at the house. More bad news 9 pm driving the wagon on a state road ( in a 45 zone) ford ranger came over a hill (just in front of me) and the wagon was on the other side of the hill.

The guy in the ranger rear ended the wagon so hard it knocked the donkeys down and the wagon ran over one and drug her a good 15 ft down the road into the ditch. Ranger was totaled, the motor was through the firewall and dash and in the floorboard and seat of the truck.

When I got there I naturally got out and every single one of the people were looking at the damn wagon. Nobody had even thought about the donkeys. First I asked if anyone was hurt, they said no. I said "good cause this mule damn sure is, get over here and lets get the wagon off him" I later saw they were donkeys and the wagon was on a jenny (female) I then yelled to my wife to call 911 and commenced to do what I could for the animals. Which wasn't much.

So out comes the Sodbuster Jr my wife just got me and I went to town, trying to see just how fast I could ruin $500 worth of pulling harness. Got the donkey that could still stand cut loose and gave him to a guy to get out of the way, then (after I crawled under the wagon and untangled her legs) we lifted the wagon and cut any straps connecting her to the wagon. Once we got the wagon off I cut her harness off (she couldn't get up) so we could assess the damage. Everything looked ok but she was scraped and cut up pretty badly. We let her rest a little then tried to get her up. She could get up to a sitting position (like a dog sits) but she was sitting way back on her pelvis like part of her back bone was on the ground.

By this time my wife and son were crying and the EMS were there so I gave my name and number to police officer and told him I had to get my son home. I figured either her hip or back was broke and she'd have to be put down and I didn't want my wife to see it. As I said, the auction barn is just down the road from my house so I'll be stopping by this afternoon to see what I can find out about the donkeys. No I don't have any pictures but I'll try to get some today when I go to check on the donkeys.

Please don't drive wagons on the road after dark (especially without lights)

David

A very sad story indeed. This is solid evidence that stupid people should not breed.

A few years ago, there was a couple of stupid people hauling a miniature horse from a fair ground in a home made trailer with a 1/2" plywood door propped up in the back and held in place with a rope. Somehow the horse fell out of the back of the trailer and was run over by the semi behind. Too bad it wasn't one of the owners.

[HorsehairBraider]

How awful! Oh, the poor donkey! And what a brain-dead thing to do - drive IN THE DARK.

I drive, but ONLY in the daytime, on dirt roads near where I live. Or, alternately, at show grounds, that are closed to vehicle traffic. All I can say is... DON'T drive at night. Yeah, they make these real neat flashing red lights that are on a clip, and you can hang these on your vehicle or harness. But the best thing is not to drive at night. Yikes.

I imagine the owners are "paying" for this dumb act by having to get a new set of harness... a set of harness for a pair or team is not cheap. I hope the donkey is OK, but that does not sound promising. I'd sure appreciate an update when you know more.

[Echo4V]

Here is what is left of the wagon...

What you can't see is that both axles are completely broken free of the box. The seats are broken free from the box and the springs front and back are broken.

I went by on my way home friday and talked to the guy who was driving the wagon when it got hit. He confirmed that the jenny had to be put down and he let me see the jack. Now were talking almost 20 hours after the accident and the Jack was still so scared he wouldn't get within touching distance and I could still see a lot of white in his eyes. Physically he looks like he'll heal up fine, mentally I think he's fried.

It seems like the wagon and the donkeys absorbed all the impact because the guys in the wreck all went back to work on Friday.

David

[whinewine]

Here is what is left of the wagon...

What you can't see is that both axles are completely broken free of the box. The seats are broken free from the box and the springs front and back are broken.

I went by on my way home friday and talked to the guy who was driving the wagon when it got hit. He confirmed that the jenny had to be put down and he let me see the jack. Now were talking almost 20 hours after the accident and the Jack was still so scared he wouldn't get within touching distance and I could still see a lot of white in his eyes. Physically he looks like he'll heal up fine, mentally I think he's fried.

It seems like the wagon and the donkeys absorbed all the impact because the guys in the wreck all went back to work on Friday.

David

To paraphrase the immortal Bugs Bunny: "what a bunch of freakin' maroons!".

Hilly is right: the stupid should not be allowed to breed...

[HorsehairBraider]

Thanks for the update. I was afraid of that... the jenny having to be put down I mean. I'm surprised the jack has survived such an accident. What a horrible shame... and I would imagine the jack will never trust people again, nor should he, when people act like that.

It's a REAL good thing you happened by, and stopped to help the jenny. Who knows how long they would have stood there talking while she lay under the wagon?

[cem]

How horrible for the donkeys how could anyone think it's safe to go out late without lights on a wagon is beyond me especially when they are competing for road space with cars. The people in the wagon deserve a swift kick and I hope the other donkey gives it to them, idiots.