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

[MossflowerWoods]

Unless you can get some assets reallocated perhaps your best bet is Bing.

View attachment 296904
An example of my house and shops in Mississippi.

HEY NOW! I have no control over such alleged assets!

Bing does have the newer sat maps from approx fall of 2011, it shows where I had most of the timber slash mulched... Before the fence project started... Zillow also uses that same sat image. I was hoping for something newer...

Thanks!
David

 

[MossflowerWoods]

This is an interesting site I have used in the past when bing, mapquest and google have failed.

NETR Online • Historic Aerials

The old stuff is VERY interesting...

David

 

[Verticaltrx]

SO YOU MUST NOW ANSWER THIS QUESTION!!!!!

On my current 12' main gate, I use a wheel at the end of the gate to keep it from sagging. this also requires some levelling of the gate swing area so the wheel touches the ground in most spots, etc. This adds cost to each gate, but it also extends the life of the gate.

SO do you put a wheel on the end of you 12' gates, or do your gates simply not sag, or ????

I'm MUCH less worried about an 8' gate than I am a 12'.

I am leaning towards 10' gates on the run-in pasture and hoping they might not need the wheels...

Those are my current questions.

Thanks again,
Be well,
David

In the hundreds of gates I have installed I've never put a wheel on one, even up to 16 footers. The key is having a big enough gate post and/or proper bracing. For an average 12' gate a 6-7" post driven 4' deep will be plenty, or you can set it in concrete if you are digging them. If the gate is 'in-line' with the fence, the fence also acts as a brace to help keep the gate/post from sagging. If the gate is perpendicular to the fence I'll sometimes run a guy-wire (1/2 cable with turnbuckle) down from the top of the post to an anchor in the ground to support the post from leaning. I only do this for very long or heavy gates. The anchor in the ground is generally only a foot or so away from the fence so it's a minimal obstruction. Yet another thing that will help is to install either a one-way or two-way gate latch. The can be had at either TSC or most any farm store. They will support the gate when it is closed. The same effect can be had by having a block of wood on the opposite gate post where the bottom of the gate sits when it is closed. The last option is to use two smaller gates like two 6' for a 12' opening or two 8' for a 16' opening. This makes for much lighter gates and also is good if you are working on a hill or undulating terrain since you can stagger their height. Hope some of this helps. :thumbsup:

 

[riptides]

......
SO YOU MUST NOW ANSWER THIS QUESTION!!!!!

On my current 12' main gate, I use a wheel at the end of the gate to keep it from sagging. this also requires some levelling of the gate swing area so the wheel touches the ground in most spots, etc. This adds cost to each gate, but it also extends the life of the gate.

SO do you put a wheel on the end of you 12' gates, or do your gates simply not sag, or ????

I'm MUCH less worried about an 8' gate than I am a 12'.

I am leaning towards 10' gates on the run-in pasture and hoping they might not need the wheels...

Those are my current questions.

Thanks again,
Be well,
David

Hmm, I have never used wheels. I have blocks on which the gate end sits when closed.

Since most of my gates are in pastures, and one in particular is a high traffic horse area, I would say that a wheel would be troublesome in that area. It would be bogged with mud by now.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

I like the block/brick when gate is closed idea...

Hmmmm...

David

 

[riptides]

I like the block/brick when gate is closed idea...

Hmmmm...

David

Well, actually.... not a block. I used 1/2 cedar posts, on the gate ends I sunk two of them together so it created a full post into the ground. Now when the gate rests on it, obviously it is 1/2 from that point up.

Makes for a more stable, strong gate area.

I hope that helps you.

 

[WM75Guy]

These are what I use for gates. The 10' post is buried 5' in concrete and the gate just slides on.

Gates, Paddock Areas, Breaking Pens, Ranch Rail - 440Fence.com

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Well, actually.... not a block. I used 1/2 cedar posts, on the gate ends I sunk two of them together so it created a full post into the ground. Now when the gate rests on it, obviously it is 1/2 from that point up.

Makes for a more stable, strong gate area.

I hope that helps you.

Ummm... :confused2: I don't get it...

A Picture is worth a thousand words?

Please?
David

 

[SuperCobra]

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?

Google Planimeter

I like the above site. Someone here posted the link. It works in conjunction with google maps/satellite view. In our area the plat lines show on google maps but they don't show when you flip to sat view. With this tool you can trace your plat lines in the map view and see them when you switch to sat view. But the nice thing is you can trace your field edges and get the acreage.

I made my arena gates out of the fence boards. They straddle half of the half-round posts and because they open in towards the horses (the horses can't push them out) they are just as strong as the rest of the fence. Plus they blend in better than the tube gates. At 6.50 for a 16 foot oak rough cut (what I paid) they are a lot cheaper then a tube gate too. I'll try to take pictures this weekend.

 

[Bubbanewf]

I would not use poplar inside the run in shed. It splinters and becomes dangerous to horses if they kick it. You can get rough cut oak at a lumber yard and use it before it get too dry or you will have trouble getting nails through it. Use it for any separators inside and perhaps the main frame of the shed.
My first horse was killed by jumping a fence and landing on a t- post, so be careful. This temporary t-post barrier did not have them at the so called trainer's farm. The plastic toppers are sold for that reason, but wooden or plastic fencing is really best for horses.