Building Horse Fence & Run-in shed in the Winter in VA? What to look out for?

[MossflowerWoods]

Folks,

Well it seems my local guy finally got some of the Poplar boards I needed and it is time to get off the dime and get back to work on the pasture fences and run-in shed. The lumber might be in stock today...

Last year I built in November and early Dec, and had NO issues really due to weather.

This is upper central or lower northern Virginia, so we typically do NOT get permafrost etc. but we might have a couple REALLY cold weeks and a couple heavy or light snowfalls.

I'm going to start with a 40' x 40' square with a 16' x 16' run-in shed/tack-feed room in the corner. I will have an 8' gate in each side.

Then I will build a ~240' run of fence along the driveway (something like 54' of it is curved too). A single 8' gate will be somewhere on the curved section, near the wye in my driveway where it is wider to make access with a trailer easier.

After those two sections, I will build a straight 280' section at the south end along the "fire road" with a single 8' gate.

When it is all done, I will have over 1000' of wooden horse fence, and who knows how much T-Post & wire fence inside the treeline...

So...

What are the gotchas I need to watch out for building on nights, weekends, and occasional "work from home" days during the winter?

I will likely start another thread specific to the Run-In shed for all of my n00b questions on that aspect of the project.

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance & Be well,
David

[riptides]

Hey,

I know for a fact if you build at night, you will need light.

Gosh, you got a lot of projects. Winter time construct for ME, is 3/4 speed. I run out of light for some odd reason, I usually get into a groove around 2PM and well, there is only three hours left. I have a hard time getting and collecting tools too, so that takes time.

Your an IT guy, serious, have you considered MS Project? I did this for the house renovations and it actually worked out well for tracking tasks. Now I just use it for projects, just to show the SO what we have done over the years.

I'd go with the fencing, t-posts first, then the run-in. Or -IF- you need the shelter, horses, tools and materials, the run-in first.

T-posts you can get the wife and kids to help. Me and the misses did 4 acres in one day. It was a good time too.

Time is the killer on all those projects, good luck with it!

[hosspuller]

8 foot gates are small for equipment. A lime truck for the pasture will have a hard time getting through. I've got 12 footers and have nearly taken out either side.

[Verticaltrx]

8 foot gates are small for equipment. A lime truck for the pasture will have a hard time getting through. I've got 12 footers and have nearly taken out either side.

Agreed, 12' is the minimum to get equipment through IMO. I always use 14' or 16' gates in areas where you'll be driving through a lot, and especially if any hay equipment will ever need to get through. Not every gate needs to be that wide, but there should be at least one into every field. I use 8' gates for ATV's, UTV's and lawn equipment.

As for working in the winter, I build fence and barns almost year round here in the mountains of SW VA and I think our weather my be more extreme than yours. A few of the things I try to plan ahead for are frozen ground and snow/rain. I try to pick a nice spell of weather to get all my posts in the ground, then the weather becomes less critical. Once the posts are in (whether it is for a pole barn or a fence), you can work on it even if the ground is frozen or there is snow on the ground. Aside from the bitter cold/wind and short days, it's just business as usual.

[DJ54]

I'll definitely agree with the minimum of a 12' gate. And if using T-posts, the plastic protective caps on top would be worthwhile. If there is an animal that can hurt themselves on the least expected object, it is a horse. Just having the tendency to put their head over the fence, or scratching on something, then spooking, and pulling their head back. MUCH less expensive than a Vet bill.

[MossflowerWoods]

OK, a couple points of clarification...

I clear cut an approx 5 acre area to become the horse pasture (There are a number of threads discussing this last summer/fall, etc.). It is not square, one end curves to follow the driveway loop to the house. Think of it as a sloppy triangle, the hypotenuse is along the driveway & fire road, the other two sides are in the forest.

The fence along the driveway MUST be wooden 3 rail and nice to look at according to SWMBO, the T-Posts are only for the back sides where the pasture will be up against the forest. I currently have t-posts (with caps on the ends) and step in plastic and fiberglass posts holding up a double line ElectroBraid fence that runs 1200' now (I doubled it last summer). I cannot run t-post along the driveway, and I cannot hang gates off T-Posts.

Gates: I currently have a 12' gate that is a straight shot up the easement, and through the main gate. I am pretty sure log trucks could use it. My Tractor is only 6' wide, and my largest attachment so far is only 6' wide. There will NOT be haying (too many stumps, etc.) this is strictly horse pasture. At most I will/should only need to get the tractor in to bush-hog, grind stumps, and EVERY spot I plan a gate, I have plenty of room to go straight in. Yes, I know, bigger is always better, but seriously WHY must every gate be 12' minimum? it seems like over kill. My posts are 8' spacing, and there is NO REASON I can think of that I would need more than 8' gates on the 40' x 40' enclosure where the run in shed will be. I can see where the straight line southern extension MIGHT be better as a 12', and MAYBE the North extension would where the wye in my drivway is would be better as a 12' gate... But it still seems overkill to this n00b. BUT I am LISTENING to the advice and considering...

When it is all said and done, the wire fence in the forest will NOT be electric, and I will use the 2400' of ElectroBraid to divide the pasture in some fashion so I can get grass to grow SOMEWHERE on the 5 acres...

Is there a decent sattelite photo place where I can go get a shot of my property to show you guys to help make it all sense?

Thanks again,

Yes I am listening.

David

[MossflowerWoods]

Hey,

I know for a fact if you build at night, you will need light.

Gosh, you got a lot of projects...

And that is the TRUTH! PLBBBBT!!!!

David

[Ranger Rick]

OK, a couple points of clarification...

Gates: My Tractor is only 6' wide, and my largest attachment so far is only 6' wide. kill. My posts are 8' spacing, and there is NO REASON I can think of that I would need more than 8' gates on the 40' x 40' enclosure where the run in shed will be.

You may want to consider a gate larger the 8' wide if you are taking your tractor in. In theory an 8' gate would leave you 1 foot on either side of your tractor to get in, BUT a gate is actually less then 8' to allow the hinge pin to make up the difference. So now when you open your gate your opening is several inches less then 8'. Also if you make your gate so that it closes up against the post you loose several more inches. I would guess that your 8' opening is now closer to 7' Drive carefully going through that gate with your 6' bush hog on it. Even if you do not go with a 12' gate consider a 10' gate. It will be cheaper to put it in now then when the bush hog sways and hits the gate as you go through it. Just a thought.

[MossflowerWoods]

You may want to consider a gate larger the 8' wide if you are taking your tractor in. In theory an 8' gate would leave you 1 foot on either side of your tractor to get in, BUT a gate is actually less then 8' to allow the hinge pin to make up the difference. So now when you open your gate your opening is several inches less then 8'. Also if you make your gate so that it closes up against the post you loose several more inches. I would guess that your 8' opening is now closer to 7' Drive carefully going through that gate with your 6' bush hog on it. Even if you do not go with a 12' gate consider a 10' gate. It will be cheaper to put it in now then when the bush hog sways and hits the gate as you go through it. Just a thought.

Interesting point... I will go measure my current 12' gate, but I'm pretty sure I place the posts just over 12' apart, and that fully open it is at least 11' 9" or so... I use chain around the post to secure the gate.

The 40' x 40' will NOT get bush hogged... Mostly the gates are for moving he horses, but I wanted the tractor to fit... Inside is mostly a small stand of trees and the run-in shed, not much need for the tractor inside after I'm done building it all...

Hmmm...

This will change ALL my calculations if I change anything...

David

[riptides]

The smallest gate on my property now is 12 foot.

Old age and all I have to do is drive whatever in the middle and not have to worry about what is behind me....