Richard, good on you for replacing the pole before it caused a problem.
I had a 5:30 am call from a distraught client, "Doc, I've got 3 dead cows and 2 dead calves! Can you come right away?"
When I got there he had it figured out. The line to the well went through a weed patch behind the house and had a broke off a pole that let it down where the cattle could contact it.
