"Bob La Londe" fired this volley in
:

It has to support probably between 20 and 100 pounds of
eagerly-licking
horse, but not the 500 pounds of the front half of the pony, and
in
the "breakaway" position it can't have any protrusions that may
cut
up a (likely alarmed) equine.


How about some gas springs with slow recovery? The shelf would simply
collapse under the weight, then gradually (rather than suddenly and
dangerously) right itself.

LLoyd