It all puts me in mind of an old riddle, to wit:

Q. What do you call an Amish guy with his arm up a donkey's butt?

A. A master mechanic

Okay, so it's corny, but I, too, had to laugh at the untimely demise of the Father of 17 (and his poor horse, blameless in the whole thing)..."asleep at the reins" indeed! One wonders if perchance he'd a drop too many of the dandelion wine so oft found at these "farmers' markets"...

~D