Temporary Horse Pasture - Fencing advice please

[Ken45101]

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

Doesn't the aluminum wire stretch a lot?

Our biggest problem is deer.

 

[riptides]

You say temp?

I say t-post and wire mesh. You can make it hot if needed.

I have about 4 acres under t-post and mesh, doubt if I'll run any more oak board in my lifetime.

 

[rmully]

I would go here ...these folks would have a good inexpensive solution for you !!
They helped me with a temp goat fence and goats are harder to keep fenced than "most" horses. Fencing - Premier1Supplies

 

[MotorSeven]

Doesn't the aluminum wire stretch a lot?

Our biggest problem is deer.

Actually, no no too much. Tractor Supply carrys the Al wire and the price is not bad at all.
All of my pasture is seasonally subject to flood(anywhere fro inches. to 4'). Debris snaps the wire and after things dry out I just go pull it back around and twist it together. I started out using those clamps, but found that twisting it works just fine. After a flood the poly wire was a tangled mess and had to be cut and thrown away. We had {7} floods last winter, two were moderate, but it's the price to pay living on Big War Creek:thumbsup:

 

[Iplayfarmer]

!!!***at least a top board to prevent leaning over and rolling the fence down.***!!!

Yes. Definately. Horse will stand knee deep in pasture grass to lean 4 feet over the fence to nip a single blade of grass.

The grass really is greener on the other side of the fence.

If no top rail, a single strand of electric along the top will have the same effect.

 

[Ken45101]

Yes. Definately. Horse will stand knee deep in pasture grass to lean 4 feet over the fence to nip a single blade of grass.

The grass really is greener on the other side of the fence.

If no top rail, a single strand of electric along the top will have the same effect.

Yes, I've had to put electric back up on top of the fence line, they were pushing it over after the deer destroyed the prior light gauge electric. This time I put up the heavy gauge "barbless" wire (2 strand #14).

Our back pasture has two strands of the 1/4" electric rope. That is easy to put up and has done very well except for needing to keep the grass and weeds trimmed. It holds up well to trees falling on it or deer hitting it.

One thing for temporary fences, beware of the "insulated gate handles" (hooks). We had one wonderful weanling apparently knock one loose and warp the electrified rope around his ankle. Broke the bone. Very sad......

 

[Iplayfarmer]

One thing for temporary fences, beware of the "insulated gate handles" (hooks). We had one wonderful weanling apparently knock one loose and warp the electrified rope around his ankle. Broke the bone. Very sad......

The best electric fence gate idea I've seen recently is from a guy that lives about a mile north of me. He burried romex accross where he wanted gates and just hangs regular metal gates. I know that's not temporary, but it's the best option for electric fences that I've seen.

 

[Ken45101]

The best electric fence gate idea I've seen recently is from a guy that lives about a mile north of me. He burried romex accross where he wanted gates and just hangs regular metal gates. I know that's not temporary, but it's the best option for electric fences that I've seen.

Romex? I assume you mean to carry the electric from one side to the other?

Romex doesn't have insulation designed for 5000+ volts. It might work for a while. But some farm supply stores carry insulated wire designed for this application. It's not expensive, maybe $10 for 100'? Even then they recommend that you run it inside of plastic conduit or tubing to protect it from rock eventually penetrating the insulation.

Myself, I have always just nailed a 2x4 to the post and ran the wire up the 2x4 on insulators to cross the span.

Ken

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Romex? I assume you mean to carry the electric from one side to the other?

Romex doesn't have insulation designed for 5000+ volts. It might work for a while. But some farm supply stores carry insulated wire designed for this application. It's not expensive, maybe $10 for 100'? Even then they recommend that you run it inside of plastic conduit or tubing to protect it from rock eventually penetrating the insulation.

Myself, I have always just nailed a 2x4 to the post and ran the wire up the 2x4 on insulators to cross the span.

Ken

Yeah, romex. He had it left over from building his house. He connected the fence to the romex on either side of the gate. He can go through the gates without messing with a hot wire.

I suppose the purpose made stuff from the farm store would be better.

 

[USNative]

You can use plastic fence post's with electric fence charger and poly wire. Very cost effective and works under the right situation. I used them to cross fence a pasture and they held 8 horses in. This is providing that your horse doesn't challenge fences of course. I wouldn't recommend this type fence for a stallion for instance. But for one or two good horses it would work very easy and is easy on the pocketbook as well, and way safer than T-Posts. If you put up a fence like this it's a good idea to set it up during the day and to walk the horse around the perimeter so that he knows where it is :thumbsup:

Since we all like pics I thought I would throw in a few. The last one is our Bay Homozygous Paint Stud, one of our two stallions. The two babies in the other pics are his. The Black horse is our Gelding. Enjoy!