Will a Cable Gate Contain Horses?

   / Will a Cable Gate Contain Horses? #1  

Argonne

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Location
Paris, TX
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JD2210, Ford 4400, Case IH 685, Terramite T7, JD 6x4 M-Gator
I have a cell tower on my property. The 5 acre pasture the tower is on is not completely fenced, and I am completing the fencing (barbed wire) now. It is my intent to graze horses in that pasture from time to time.

I need to gate the tower access road to prevent the horses from wandering out, and, to make it a little harder for copper thieves to access the tower. I have already had an incident where the police pursued copper thieves on my property who ended up cutting my fences and letting my livestock escape, so the gate is to keep unauthorized vehicles out, and my horses in.

This gate will be almost exclusively used by the tower owner's tenants and maintenance providers to get to the tower and guy wire enclosures. The tower owner, a huge company, is utterly unresponsive to any issues with the tower site, and not only will they not supply a gate, but they will do no repairs or maintenance if my gate is damaged. As a result, I need to make this gate as maintenance free and industructable as possible, while at the same time, keeping the installation cost very low.

I am tempted to install a single heavy cable stretched between 2 steel bollards about 3 feet high, and secured with a padlock chain on one side. I can sleeve the cable with something to enhance visability.

My question is, does anyone have experience confining horses with a simple cable gate?
 
   / Will a Cable Gate Contain Horses? #3  
A single cable 'fence' will not contain horses. They will jump it or crowd under it.

And, barbed wire is not considered to be horse friendly either. An electric wire does a pretty good job of containing horses if they are only warm blooded.
 
   / Will a Cable Gate Contain Horses? #4  
A single cable 'fence' will not contain horses. They will jump it or crowd under it.

And, barbed wire is not considered to be horse friendly either. An electric wire does a pretty good job of containing horses if they are only warm blooded.
You have cold blooded horses? Are they reptilian?
 
   / Will a Cable Gate Contain Horses? #5  
I have 2 strands of barbwire on a wet weather creek, it stops mine & the mini donkey as well, if I went one lower, the high water from rains will take it out, hence only two strands.

Ronnie
 
   / Will a Cable Gate Contain Horses? #6  
I have 2 strands of barbwire on a wet weather creek, it stops mine & the mini donkey as well, if I went one lower, the high water from rains will take it out, hence only two strands.

Ronnie

Barbed wire will keep them in, but can also cut them up pretty badly. We use Bayco fencing. Strong, no maintenance and won't hurt the horses.

As to a cable as a gate, I can't see that working. Too low and they will go over it. Too high and they will go under it.
 
   / Will a Cable Gate Contain Horses? #7  
I have a cell tower on my property. The 5 acre pasture the tower is on is not completely fenced, and I am completing the fencing (barbed wire) now. It is my intent to graze horses in that pasture from time to time.

I need to gate the tower access road to prevent the horses from wandering out, and, to make it a little harder for copper thieves to access the tower. I have already had an incident where the police pursued copper thieves on my property who ended up cutting my fences and letting my livestock escape, so the gate is to keep unauthorized vehicles out, and my horses in.

This gate will be almost exclusively used by the tower owner's tenants and maintenance providers to get to the tower and guy wire enclosures. The tower owner, a huge company, is utterly unresponsive to any issues with the tower site, and not only will they not supply a gate, but they will do no repairs or maintenance if my gate is damaged. As a result, I need to make this gate as maintenance free and industructable as possible, while at the same time, keeping the installation cost very low.

I am tempted to install a single heavy cable stretched between 2 steel bollards about 3 feet high, and secured with a padlock chain on one side. I can sleeve the cable with something to enhance visability.

My question is, does anyone have experience confining horses with a simple cable gate?

Single strand will not work. Usual is at least 3 (if not 4) strand starting off the ground going up to 4.5 foot or so. How wide is the opening? A VERY quick google search shows that TSC has a 12 foot gate for $109.00. Sure the chain will be way less expensive, but the actual gate will keep the horses in.

Also barb wire and horses are a no no. Good way to get them all manner of cut up.

Any chance you can add a hot wire rather than have barb?
 
   / Will a Cable Gate Contain Horses? #8  
I had a neighbors horse run through three strands of barb wire after it jumped the box fence boundary fence. There is no way I would trust single cable to contain a horse
 
   / Will a Cable Gate Contain Horses?
  • Thread Starter
#9  
I have 2 strands of barbwire on a wet weather creek, it stops mine & the mini donkey as well, if I went one lower, the high water from rains will take it out, hence only two strands.

Ronnie

That's why I am considering this idea. We have miles of fencing, and the horses and donkeys never try to defeat a fence if they are penned together. Every incident I have had, and they are few, was when an isolated animal was trying to get back with the rest of the herd. One mild-mannered mare I have has a reputation for jumping 4 foot fences when nobody is watching, but only when she is isolated from her companions.

After a storm, it's not unusual for fence damage to occur in a stream bed between my neighbor and I. A single strand of remaining wire at least 2 feet high will prevent my equines from passing. My neighbor's cattle are more likely to pass that damaged section. Her bull will take advantage of any damage present...I think he can fly.

It's really about motivation. If horses are motivated to escape, there isn't much that anyone can afford that will reliably keep them in, but if I carefully manage when they are turned out in that pasture, my instinct is that a cable gate will work.

It's tempting to go to TSC and buy a gate, and that might be what I end up doing, but an economy gate WILL end up being damaged, either by authorized users or thieves, and I can't afford to be replacing gates. I am very near Priefert's "seconds" yard here, so one of their blemished heavy duty gates is more likely, but even those are subject to damage, and more expensive to replace.

The weight of the gate also affects how substantial the post structure needs to be. A heavy commercial gate will require very substantial structure on the hinge side. On the bright side, I get to choose which side of the access road the hinge will be on. I can either choose the side with buried power cables, or the side with buried fiber optics. A cable gate will allow me to use a shallow post in lots of concrete. Any big gate I put in will have me digging around buried utilities on both sides of the road, something I am very reluctant to tackle on a DIY job, and no way I can afford a daylighter to come in.
 
   / Will a Cable Gate Contain Horses?
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Thought about a cattle guard, but this is a "work site" for prople that come to service the tower. Adding an ankle break danger might make me liable for injuries'
 
 
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