Cattle Panel Question

[Marsha Cassada]

We are redoing some old corral fencing. The cattle panels before were steepled to 16" 2 X 6 rails. We are doing away with the rails and having only panels. Do the narrower openings go at the top or bottom? Should we raise the panels off the ground slightly? Has anyone ever had a rolling horse catch a foot in the openings?

We are using utility poles for corners and gateposts. T posts for the rest.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

The narrow opens go on bottom for support.

Be careful if you raise it off the ground. My guy rolled once and got caught on the end and ripped his back up very badly.

 

[candycar]

We just put up a cattle panel fence. We rested it on the ground, small openings on bottom. Wood post at each end (of cattle panel) with T post in the middle. Granted it has been only a week since the horses have used it, but I for see no problems with the set-up.

 

[Charlotte]

We have used cattle panels for much of our horse fencing for the past 35 or so years and had no real issues with it (and it does keep out big dogs).

As others have said the small spaces at the bottom and ours always sits on the ground and maybe even burried just a bit.

Here the fencing around the barn is cattle panels welded to pipe top rails and posts.



In the dry lots the panels are on T posts. 5 T posts per panel. (this isn't a dry lot. ) Just a big grass paddock)



We have also built round pens with cattle panels with the panels curving around on T posts and 2 wooden posts for the 4 foot gate. This works great too.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

We have the big posts in. The posts are 16'. Then he is planning two T posts between, so that will be about every 4'. We'll put the small holes at the bottom and close to the ground. Thanks for the replies.

His new auger worked great. He learned a lot about using it, so he's glad his first work was simple corral posts. Every piece of equipment is a little different, and this auger is new to him.

The manual post hole diggers work just the way they always have.

He is no stranger to those!

Utility posts are 3' in the ground and 5 feet above ground. Should be good and solid for the gates--and general body scratching.

 

[ohmt]

We use cattle panels and put chicken fencing around the bottom because of horses getting feet and even heads caught in them. They can get their heads in, but not out-great way to get a broken neck. One of our stallions had both of his front legs caught it in and dislocated both shoulders. The vet was not able to get them to stay back in their sockets so we let cartilage fill it, gelded the stallion and he's our new weanling "teacher", but is on pain meds all winter. Definitely do some sort of mesh fencing along the bottom half of it.

 

[REO]

I also put chicken wire across the panels in front. It's a good idea to put it everywhere. When Pooka was coming 2, he somehow got his leg through the panel, then back through then through again. (wove his leg through) He still has the scars. We almost lost him! Had to use bolt cutters to get him out of the cattle panel.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I knew there would be some horror stories. Guess there is no perfect fencing. My two are older and not rambunctious. The worst thing I could think of happening is rolling and getting a foot caught.

Chicken wire along the bottom makes sense.