[AusNOG] Flogging a dead horse (was Re: NBN: "i want a pony! but can I afford it"

[Paul Brooks]

I want a Clydesdale, not a pony.

For many many years my faithful pony has served me well, pulled my 
little milkcart, and when the workday is done she happily provided pony 
rides for each of my children. How happy they were, queuing up to take 
their turn for a fast trot around the meadow, pretending to be 
light-horsemen with all the other children on their ponies. I remember 
when I first bought dear Copper, she was so sprightly and quick, 
especially when compared to the old days when I used to have to pull the 
barrow myself.

But as the years have passed my milk business has grown, and my cart has 
grown heavier and  heavier as I try to do more, and ask my faithful 
Copper to step up to the increased load. My workday has got longer, and 
encroached on the time my children want to have fun - and they have also 
grown heavier as well over the years. I've seen others in my predicament 
harness two, four, even six ponies together side-by-side to pull the 
heavier loads they have been fortunate enough to grow to need - and this 
works for a while, but there is a limit to how many can work together.

Now my poor Copper is lying on her side, panting, willing but unable to 
pull my double-decker milk-trailer - and when she does manage to get it 
going forwards, she certainly can't get it moving in reverse, and she 
has always struggled in the hilly areas out of town where she can only 
go very slowly, and some roads are so long or steep she can't go there 
at all, and I can't sell my milk to the people living there - nor can 
they get a pony of their own.

Now I know I can spend about $6k on a visit from the vet - he can give 
her some injections, bandage her knees, keep her on her feet - but I 
know that I'll just have to do the same bandaid measures in a few years 
time, and even then she'll never be able to pull the cart any faster, or 
cover a wider territory than she's already doing. I could invest in some 
more ponies and harness them together like others have - but while I 
know they can pull more, six ponies don't move any more  quickly down 
the road than one does, and still can't go up long steep hills, let 
alone reverse back down them.

The other day I saw a Clydesdale - a hulking great beast that can 
effortlessly pull huge loads - certainly it will pull my new cart, with 
a lot of capacity for my milk business to grow, pulling multiple 
milk-trailers in a roadtrain. It can take on the hilly areas out of town 
without even slowing down or losing breath - and it can pull a haycart 
at the same time, big enough for not just one child, but the whole 
family to ride on and have fun at the same time, and the neighbours too. 
Its almost as easy for it to go backwards as forwards, which opens up 
new possibilities.

Unfortunately a Clydesdale is fairly expensive - $43k someone has 
estimated - but after that they are relatively cheap to keep fed and 
watered, especially compared to the constant vet bills and ongoing costs 
for poor dear Copper. Some people can't work out why I would want to 
spend that sort of money on a horse - but they are generally the ones 
that live on the flat, where their little ponies can run faster than here.
Over time, the constant outgoings to keep the pony going will surely be 
more expensive than the purchase cost of the Clydesdale - but I can't 
find anyone who can help me work out the ongoing maintenance costs, 
everyone seems to be fixated on the purchase price and nothing else. I'm 
not sure if I should spend a bit more now, and get a bit more, or spend 
more over time flogging a horse already at its limit.

P.
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