To maintain good looks, it will need supplemental irrigation during the summer. More importantly, large ornamental grasses like these have the ability to make nasty paper cuts on arms and legs. Not every time but when the moisture is correct and the angle of impact is just right, ornamental grasses can give you a paper cut you will not soon forget. It needs to be set back several feet from the pool's deck

I'm not in North Texas, but I love Zebra Grass. It does need water to get established and a bit of supplemental water in the hot, dry summer weeks.

Zebra Grass leaves are a little softer than some ornamental grasses, but still have a slight sharpness to them. The softest grasses in my garden are Pink Muhly and Ruby Savannah. Ruby Savannah is supposed to be an annual, but mine came through last winter's extreme cold here just fine.

Thanks for the input! Ohhh, I forgot about Pink Muhly...that's definitely going on the "plant want" list.
I was at one of the big box stores a few days ago and asked when they might put the zebra grass on sale and the manager offered to sell me them for 1/2 price!!! Yippee! I got four of them. Now I just need it to cool off a bit so I can start planting. Haha, my patio is almost full of markdown plants I have been getting to start my new beds.