I wound up holding a number of things together with cable ties. Geek fencing, yum yum. And it all tests, and it all tests *beautifully*, and everything is tight enough. Each of the gates has a chain to hold it closed in case of equine pushiness. The new stock tank is installed (I drank out of it, ceremonially. *slurp*) Palisades has six tons of hay to contemplate, and I have some LMF to dole out to him to transition from what they've been feeding him at CW's.
I am satisfied from the top of my head to the bottoms of my feet. Completing physical projects is resoundingly satisfying in a way that is difficult to achieve with computer projects (as there is always one more bug, or one more missing feature).
Tomorrow the farrier will come, and I will probably require him to admire my handiwork (*snork*), and we will trim the mares, and then I will go and retrieve Palisades and everyone will be HOME.