Temporary Horse Pasture - Fencing advice please

[charleyfarmall]

Unless you already have the wire, you're better off just going with the electric fencing that comes in the 2-3 inch wide straps. The horses see it in addition to the electric shock deterrent. If your horse isn't too rowdy, you can get away with step in plastic/fiberglass poles to hang it from. Fast, easy to put up, and take down and completely reusable.

Driving T posts is much harder work, and if you're going to be putting in something permanent pretty soon, probably it's overkill.

We had a gelding who we could keep fenced with just brightly colored Surveyors tape! Talk about an easy keeper.

I use a lot of temporary horse fencing. Tposts and 2" electric tape at the top and 1/4" electric rope for the bottom and middle rows. I electrify the top and bottom and ground the middle.

Tposts can be driven using the bucket of the tractor to push down on them and it's a lot easier than a driver. If the ground is hard you need a PVC pipe sleeve to fit over the Tpost to keep it from bending in half.

I tried surveyors tape and my youngest horse figured it out immediately...

Please don't use wire. All you need is one tangle and you'll see why. It has very ugly potential.. Plus, it's a pain in the butt to roll it back up when you don't need the fence anymore.

 

[Combustix]

Gallagher makes a portable electric fence on a spool. I believe it's 330 feet of three strand. I use it for my goats and it works well for all but my two small wethers though they are pretty ornery. As the saying goes for goat fencing if it can't hold water it won't hold a goat.

 

[Soundguy]

Please don't use wire. All you need is one tangle and you'll see why. It has very ugly potential.. .

don't kid yourself. tape fencing with embedded metal strands is more of a pita that hi-ten wire.. and if you don't, for an INSTANT think it can't harm a hose getting tangled in it.. you havn't owned horses long enough.

also.. that hi-ten wire fence cuts and breaks EASIER than tape fence with wire strands which is WAY harder to cut, and hear impossible to 'TEAR' without slicing flesh easilly.. vs breaking the larger diameter hi-ten wire strands.

soundguy

 

[whistlepig]

The tape fencing will cut a horse but not as quickly as wire will. The white tape is visible from a distance and easier to tell when it is down. The white tape is more visible to the horse if its on the ground. We use the 1 1/2" wide flat nylon with stainless steel wire embedded in it. For me its easier to work with than wire. It cuts easily with tin snips.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Here's how it goes... There is nothing out there that a horse can't find a way to get hurt by it. Anyone telling you otherwise is trying to sell you something.

Go with what works best for you.

 

[whistlepig]

To a point. Four strands of barbed wire is sure to keep your local vet busy.

 

[bullbreaker]

I like the electric fence idea,but if far from power source and conditions allowed I go solar.
Electric Fence Products for Electric Horse Fence

Parmak is a dang good brand IMHO,run from the HF one.

Boone

 

[Ken45101]

If you want to go electric, a 12v fence charger and a car battery will last a month or more between charging the battery.

I did that for a couple of years for one of our pastures.

 

[MotorSeven]

don't kid yourself. tape fencing with embedded metal strands is more of a pita that hi-ten wire.. and if you don't, for an INSTANT think it can't harm a hose getting tangled in it.. you havn't owned horses long enough.

also.. that hi-ten wire fence cuts and breaks EASIER than tape fence with wire strands which is WAY harder to cut, and hear impossible to 'TEAR' without slicing flesh easilly.. vs breaking the larger diameter hi-ten wire strands.

soundguy

Yep.

Moss, my whole pasture(16) ac is T posts, and two strands of aluminium slick wire. The aluminium breaks easy if the horses get into it(the galv steel high tension does not), lasts way longer than the crappy poly stuff and is super easy to repair. A solar charger is the easiest to move around and would be fine for an ac or two, but they are only 1/4th joule. My 110v fence charger is 6 joule...I swear it will make a blue flash in you pea brain when you touch it by accident when grounded.

 

[Soundguy]

Yep, aluminum wire, the hi gauge stuff is pretty same. brekas when needed and still makes a good fence.

add flags and the horses can see it.

While I don't reccomend barb wire for horses.. have used it, and know others that do.. and well.. after a couple scratches.. the horses learn.. just like electric.

I bought my horse from a water management district sub contractor. they solely kept their herd in barb wire. sure.. there were a cratch or two on his muzzle.. but that's it.

I have a mule I keep in as a protection animal with my cows.. he stays away from the barb wire.. he's not particularly dumb...

I prefer 2x4 no climb wire backed up by preferably 4 or at least a 3 board fence.. or if notheing else.. at least a top board to prevent leaning over and rolling the fence down.

strand wire fence makes for great temp fencing.. easy to unstring and move posts if you need to widen or relocate a pasture.

soundguy