Fencing for horses and other animals...

[EarPlug]

AgentWD40,

The dealer in Colorado Springs quoted something like $14-16 per foot for a 3 rail. This DID NOT include delivery or installation. I assume that the posts would need to be in concrete and yes you could add mesh to it.

Looks like a good system for the non-welder but expensive.

Jack

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( if a horse bolts through the fence they will just pop out of the posts rather than staying rigid and injuring the animal. )</font>

Here's my .02$ , and keep in mind I own horses, both studs and geldings, and cattle as well.

As long as a fence is high enough, a horse won't try to go over it... Stud horses and jumpers usually get a 5' fence.. while most others get a 48"-50" fence.

Horses ~generally~ won't rush a visible barrier.. though I have seen a couple horses bully another horse into a corner.

As far as boards go... don't think for one minute that a 'rigid' coral board on a 3 board fence will in the least stop a horse... IF the wanted out... A horse kan kick a fence board off all day long. Wire on the other hand is nice and strong...and generally will hold back a horse that is bad about leaning.

The last thing you want is a 'break-away' panel on a horse fence.. like a board that pops off 'easilly' to prevent hurting the animal. For one.. you now have that animal wandering the streets.. and hitting a horse with a car generally totals the care, and either kills the horse.. or injuries it to the point it has to be put down.. not to mention possible injuries to the driver.

Down here in fl, game code enforcement will cite you for 'insuficient fencing' if you have horses, if the fence is not 'sturdy'.

A month ago, a horse farm had a fence go down.. something like 7 horses got out.. 4 died and caused a multi car accident and closed the road for hours. A nearby vet ran across the street and was helping passing motorist corall the animals, and then they started euthanizing suffering animals right on the pavement. Not a good site.... I would never reccomend 'pop-away' panels on a horse fence.. my horses are like my children.

Cattle are another thing entirely. They will run down a barrier, especially if being chased. Again.. a board fence isn't sufficient to keep a charging bull in.. if he really wants out.

I have a longhorm that once was ran into my front pasture gate at full charge by a couple of our horses.. it was a tube gate and not a pannel gate. I had the gate wires with 2x4 woven 'redtop' wire, and that is the only thing that held the gat together and kept the animals in... the chain went around the corner brace post and around the pipe gate and the fencing on it. The gate bowed out about 3' and the wire is the only thing that held it...

Commonly you see horse and cattle in the same pasture, and some farms even swap cows into horse pasture during different seasons. Except for a few limited incedental's.. horses and cows don't share the same parasite problems.. so cross grazing like this doesn't spread parasite infections around.

Just my opinion...

Soundguy

 

[Fireman_dcb]

We used 4" wide Centaur fencing (high tensile strength wire on the top and bottom coated with plastic) on treated 4x4s. Both horses like to lean/ scratch against it and will reach under to nibble on the grass on the other side of the fence. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
Centaur fence web site

In 3 1/2 years we've had zero problems. We have a friend whose horse got caught up in 7 strand high tensile wire and got cut up which is why we went with the 4" wide fencing.


Good luck.

 

[riptides]

In regards to vinyl.

We use it for about four acres worth. It is interleaved post by post. It will not pop away a clear section due to the interleave.

We liked it because of maintenance requirements, durability, and general "looks". Rating in that order.

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[cowboydoc]

<font color="red">As long as a fence is high enough, a horse won't try to go over it... Stud horses and jumpers usually get a 5' fence.. while most others get a 48"-50" fence. </font>

Have to disagree on this one. Horses and cattle will try to go over even 6' fences if they're pushed or sometimes just feel like it. After six panels and I don't know how many gates I finally butchered one of my best cows yesterday. As good of calves as she raised I paid for it in broken gates, fences, and panels. We've had numerous cattle try to go over 6' panels all the time. Horses will also try and go over tall fences if pushed or scared.

When I was younger and used to work the sale yards it wasn't uncommon to get cattle going over 6' corrals. These were 12" posts with 2x12 oak lumbar on them and some of those cows barely clipped the top going over. We'd have a monthly horse sale there as well. We had quite a few try and jump out or they'd get up on two legs and try and go over.

I agree about board fences and vinyl fences. All that does is keep a horse in that wants to stay in. It won't keep anything in that wants to get out. Your best fence is probably woven wire at the bottom 48" and then two strands of either smooth wire or high tensile on top of this. That will easily get you a 50" fence. I like all high tensile. It's the cheapest and strongest of anything else out there and you can make it as high as you want and put in as many strands as you want. You can also make the lower lines hot as well as the top and that will keep the animals from leaning on the fences and ruining them.

 

[zuiko]

What do you think about that electric cloth/tape stuff or the electric coated high tensile wire for a top hot wire? I was thinking it might be nice over bare wire for the added visibility. Don't know how it holds up though.

 

[Trailblazer]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( What do you think about that electric cloth/tape stuff or the electric coated high tensile wire for a top hot wire? I was thinking it might be nice over bare wire for the added visibility. Don't know how it holds up though. )</font>

We've been using electric tape for crossfencing. It's great for our use because it's easy to move, cheap, and the horses respect it.

However, you need to check it every so often because the wire filaments tend to short and burn out. Sections can go dead without you realizing it. The horses will eventually figure it out and walk right through. If the boss ever decides where she wants permanent crossfences, we'll probably go with Centaur, because it's strong, looks nice and isn't expensive. If you're thinking of running a hot strand along the top of an existing fence that is already decently visible, I would recommend coated wire over the tape, for durability.

 

[rrsquid]

We have 3-rail vinyl fence for our horses. We only have horses, so we didn't worry about other livestock. I don't think I'd want any other type of fence for the looks/low maintenance.

Our horses have broken rails and occasionally popped them out. Our thinking is that we'd rather have a damaged fence than a damaged horse. Our pastures are double fenced to any road, so a horse would have to really want out to get out. (Also leaving the other horses, which isn't likely.)

Check out Higby's Feed on Curry Road in Dixon for the same brand fence we installed. The 3-rail can be bought for just under $4/foot delivered, not installed.

We also install the 'crossbuck' pattern in front of our house. It's more expensive, but looks real purty. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

EDIT: PS electric tape can be screwed directly onto the PVC posts.

 

[cowboydoc]

I think the tape is junk. In a few years it falls apart. The coated wire I think is excellent. You have the benefits of the high tensile but the safety of the coating. Besides the cost you can't go wrong with it. If a horse or cow trys to bust through it they just bounce off of it. It's easy to tighten back up and very simple to repair.

 

[rlee6]

I hope you don't mind me asking some questions on electrical fence (right term?). How bad is the shock? If the shock is designed for large animals, what about people who weigh only a fraction of cow or horse? How do I keep my neighbors (or their children) from touching it? Is there a double fence system, one keeping animals in and the other keeping people out?

Sorry for asking too many questions. Thank you for your help in advance.