T Bar Fencing Cheap and Reliable?

[ultrarunner]

Is 5' T bar fencing with a fence charger still the least expensive method to fence horse pasture?

What about fiberglass fence posts for wire?

I looked at vinyl and pressure treated and found the cost really added up...

I imagine welded pipe fence to be the most expensive and durable...

Anyone use chain-link for horses? I might be about to pick-up a lot of used 8' fencing for the labor of going to get it...

I could cut the pipe off at the ground and still have enough for a 5' fence... not sure about cutting all the fence fabric from 8' to 5'...

[dave1949]

Originally Posted by ultrarunner

Anyone use chain-link for horses? I might be about to pick-up a lot of used 8' fencing for the labor of going to get it...

I could cut the pipe off at the ground and still have enough for a 5' fence... not sure about cutting all the fence fabric from 8' to 5'...

I wouldn't even want to think about cutting down chain link fabric. You would need to cross bend every blessed strand pair.
Dave.

[Mike Costello]

I have 3 horses in a pasture with a fenced (by previous owner) lagoon that is a combination of t-posts and chain link. The horses have bent it all down reaching for the grass on the other side. I plan on removing the whole thing and do it right. I can reuse the t-posts and scrap the chain link.
I've seen what horses or other livestock can do to chain link fencing--not a good idea. Mike.

[tallyho8]

If you used the 8' chainlink it would be great for horses. As long as they can't get their head over it to pull down on it, it will last. Of course you have to set very long posts to support it.

[texasjohn]

Chain link for free... great deal.

Work involved.... there always is.

Cutting fabric....sounds difficult to me.

Chain link...great visual barrier... good for horses.

Electric wire along chain link....great to keep them off of the chain link.

fiberglass posts...over time they weather and fibers start showing...really not good when they get into animals which like to rub on stuff...or gnaw on things, like horses do.

Your post question is regarding least cost... IMHO, if chain link is free for labor, then putting up posts to hold it, even 8 foot t posts if required, plus electric fencing would be the cheapest way for you to go. Any other way will require you to purchase more fence wire. Barb wire cuts horses to pieces and you will have vet bills sooner or later. Smooth wire requires more strands to be effective and great corner posts.

[ultrarunner]

Thanks John...

Barb Wire is a no go... not allowed in city limits... the code doesn't even allow repair of existing Barb Wire... not sure how they enforce it?

It's a challenge having acreage in the limits of a big city... everything is geared toward 5,000 square foot lots...

Off to go pick-up 30 free used rail road ties... about 30 miles from here they closed a mill and they are returning the land for a park or something... everything has had to go... good for me!

[texasjohn]

A law against barb wire Now that's just wrong A person should be allowed to use it if that's what he wants to do.....even if he gets cut up installing it (I always do...part of the cost of installation) and it cuts up his animals when they run thru it... which horses can actually do..talk to vets..keeps them in big pickups and houses

If you are going to use electric fence, very seriously investigate the newer high impedance electric fence chargers... and get one that is "rated" for at least 100 miles of fence. Don't panic, they mean CLEAN fence with perfect insulators and wire connections. In practice, grass grows up and drains off a little charge everywhere it touches the fence, connections are imperfect, etc... and this kind of charger takes this drain and still puts a punch on the fence a LONG way away.... and this is what you want...a single strand on a regular fence is an EXTREMELY effective way of keeping the fence in good shape (they don't lean on it at all) and constraining the animals within the area. Cost of this kind of charger is in range of $200, but it is cheap in long run.

Congrats on rail road ties... free is good!!

[jimmyj]

Originally Posted by texasjohn

Congrats on rail road ties... free is good!!

Mmmm, free.....

If you do use t-bar put the little plastic toppers on the posts for safety in case an animal rears up and comes down on the post. You don't want anything to get impaled.

[MotorSeven]

Ultra, a 2 wire electric fence on T post's 30' apart will keep horses in if you do the following:

Like Tex said, get the biggest charger you can afford.

-Put in two(2) ground rods(like the manual recommends), it does make a difference on shock strength.

-Put a in-line lightening arrestor and check it after every storm, because if it gets hit, the fence will still be hot, but strength will be severly dimished. Horses will test the perimeter from time to time, and if it ain't very hot, they just go thru it(at least my two Clydes do)

-Keep grass, weeds and other stuff from growing up under the fence. This is the biggest pain of electric, you can swing a sling blade, weedwhip or spray Roundup, but it has to be done.

I have both the braided "rope" type wire and the slick aluminum wire. I prefer the slick wire.....way easier to install & repair.

RD

[ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by MotorSeven

Ultra, a 2 wire electric fence on T post's 30' apart will keep horses in if you do the following:

Like Tex said, get the biggest charger you can afford.

-Put in two(2) ground rods(like the manual recommends), it does make a difference on shock strength.

-Put a in-line lightening arrestor and check it after every storm, because if it gets hit, the fence will still be hot, but strength will be severly dimished. Horses will test the perimeter from time to time, and if it ain't very hot, they just go thru it(at least my two Clydes do)

-Keep grass, weeds and other stuff from growing up under the fence. This is the biggest pain of electric, you can swing a sling blade, weedwhip or spray Roundup, but it has to be done.

I have both the braided "rope" type wire and the slick aluminum wire. I prefer the slick wire.....way easier to install & repair.

RD

Thanks for the tip on wire vs. braided.

Have not had a lighting storm in years... never thought about a lighting arrestor. I imagine it could happen.

I really appreciate the help!