fencing questions

[angelspeeper]

We bought our farm last year and want to re-do ALL the fencing. Yes, I know this will be expensive, but I'm NOT a fan of barb wire!!!! I have had enough of being caught on and cut up by it. We currently only have one small pasture that has 4x4 mesh on it, everything else is barb wire.

My problem with the 4x4 mesh is... we have a major "loose dog" problem. The bigger dogs can't fit through the holes, but they push under the fence, while the littler ones just go right through. We got donkeys, but they are of no use...they just ignore the roaming dogs. So here's what we are considering.

For the perimeter fences: 2x3 mesh buried a foot deep. It has been suggested to me that I should add a line of electric to this to "remind" the horses that it is NOT for scratching or rubbing.

For the interior fences: we were considering using just electric rope.

A little more info to help you. I have a hunter/jumper horse that can easily jump the 44" maximum of AMHA. I also have a stallion, who is coming a yearling, but will soon be feeling his hormones. So with this information please make recommendations. I'm open to all opinion on this topic.

So inquiring minds want to know....if money wasn't an object (which sadly it is) what kind of fencing would you use and WHY?

I would also like to ask how tall of a fence? undecided on making it 4ft. or 5ft.(because of the jumper)

Is electric fence enough to keep a stallion where he belongs? Or do stallions need something more sturdy?

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Electrobraid fencing!!! Once I can afford to do it I want to redo all of my mesh fencing to electrobraid.

 

[mini horse mania]

I will not have a wire fence....nor barb wire...my inlaws Had up barb wire and wire fencing until their palomino got caught up by her halter.broke a leg and ripped her hide off....I swear by poly rope or poly tape...it is great as long as you have a decent sized electric fence box. I have had no problems with the 1/2 inch tape I put up....if I did redo it I would have gotten at least one inch....I could have ran 4 strands instead of 6. The poly tape tangles bad coming g off the roll....but looks neater than the rope IMO.....

 

[angelspeeper]

Not sure I could get away with using the tape as we have a lot of wind on a regular basis.

 

[Eagle]

My idea of perfection is electric tape fencing which I have and it keeps all 3 of my stallions in their place even in spring and then on the outside to keep out stay dogs etc chain link fencing. I would say 5ft as you only do it once so best to be prepared for any future bigger horses.

Good Luck

 

[Marty]

We have a stray dog problem here and I think it is just as important to keep my horses in the fence as well as predators out, therefore, I use regular field fencing as my primary fencing. I have hot wire on it about knee or chest high to keep the horses off of it. I have a strand of hot wire running along the outside to detour the stray dogs. No need to bury it. It sure does work very well although it is a pain when weed eating. Every now and then we hear a big yelp.....I have another strand that runs along the top to keep my quarter horse from reaching over.

I am a believer that wire or tape alone will not do its job alone that's why I only use it as back up. Eventually the power can go out, they'll grow winter hair coats, etc. so I do require field fencing.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

If money were no object all my fields would be done in cattle panel with a metal rail welded top and bottom. No dog could get through that unless they dug under!

We have post and board in the front of the farm and although it looks beautiful, what a PITA. They lean through it, breaking boards, or the wind vibrates it and loosens it. We tried a hot wire to keep them off but our soil is so sandy they didn't get zapped!

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

I use Kentucky four board and electric rope to contain several stallions of varying sizes, from mini to donkey to "biggies". Never had an issue, love it to death.

 

[angelspeeper]

okay guys...I see a lot of views but not many comments. Come on don't be shy....I really want a lot of opinions. Remember to say WHY you would use this fencing. PLEASE!!!!

So far I gotten suggestions to use as fence material...

•  
  
• Mesh buried a foot deep with electric to keep horses off.
  
• Mesh NOT buried but with electric on BOTH sides...one for horses the other for stray dogs.
  
• Electric Tape
  
• Electric Rope

If I use electric how many strands would I need to use?

As far as for height only one opinion so far...

5 FT high

 

[mydaddysjag]

I just put up a new shed row barn and fencing this past summer. I too have issues with stray dogs, coyotees, and Im also fencing in a stallion. I spent about a year really planning our barn and fencing, and before that spent 2 or 3 years researching everything (Im sure everyone here was annoyed with me lol).

What I have is woven wire field fence, everywhere. Lowes has is in 330' rolls for $150. I have wooden posts. By the time I would have bought sturdy t posts, insulators for wire, and T post toppers, it would be more than fence staples and the wooden posts I have. In spring and summer, Lowes sales treated "landscaping timbers" They are 8' long, then 3"x4". They look nice, and work very well. My field fence is attached to them with barbed fence staples, 5 staples per post. If you know anyone moving, the post office has packets for change of address, the packets are free for them, and they have a 10% off the entire order coupon for lowes.

My field fence is 4' tall, and I also have two hunter/jumper horses, one Ive seen clear 40" no problem (which also happens to be my stallion). I have my posts buried 3' deep, my field fence is 4' tall, then 1' up I have a strand of hot wire. I also have hot wire about 6" off the ground, and chest height. Nothing has tried to dig under my fence, BUT I have my horses in dry lots, and they would push out on the bottom of the fence trying to get the grass outside. They also liked to scratch their butts on the fence. The hot wire 6" above, and chest height stops that, and the hot wire that's 5' up keeps things from jumping over, from both sides. I didnt want to use tape, its windy here, and I know of a few people with minis who said that in their winter coat, the tape just isnt "hot" enough and they ignored it. I think if you bury mesh fence, youll end up with whats underground rusting and possibly breaking when the ground gets wet, because the fence would stay wet. I know mine is galvanized, but our neighbor has the same fence, and over the course of about 5 years, the fence does get some rust, even above ground. If you do go the course of doing the mesh wire peremiter, with electric seperating everything inside, I would still have your stallions pasture with mesh fence and hot wire, and if you plan to have any foals, I would reccomend mesh with no electric fence. Babies have a habit of getting themselves in trouble. If you can afford it, I would reccomend the electrobraid rope fencing. Everyone I know that has it LOVES it, its supposedly easy to install, and I have actually seen a friend who had a tree fall on their fence, the tree get cut off, and the fence sprung right back up. Hot wire would have snapped.

 

[Barnmother]

I highly recommend polytape. We installed it 10 years ago for big horses so it is 5' high, three strands. We have never had to replace it or do anything other than retighten it after a particularly heavy snow.

We now have miniatures, mares, mares and foals, geldings and stallions. We live in a very rural area of western Montana with some severe weather and a lot of wildlife. Deer, Elk, wolves, coyote, and mountain lion (yes I am serious we have seen them all). We have never had a problem. We live far enough apart from our nearest neighbors that we can't see them from our house on 10 acres.

Did have one neighbor who exercised his dogs by letting them run loose, once they got shocked by the fence they made a wide berth around our place.

After our first foal was born and because baby fawns are a staple of coyote and wolves, we did put a strand of regular old hot wire between the lowest strand and the ground at a cost of maybe $25.00 for all our fencing. We have never had a problem (knock on wood).

I highly recommend polytape. We used round wooden posts and it makes a nice looking fence. You can get step in posts to make quickie corals in an emergency and tie them into the main fence. It is very durable. It is affordable. I feel it is a great to keep out predators.

 

[cretahillsgal]

If money were no object all my fields would be done in cattle panel with a metal rail welded top and bottom. No dog could get through that unless they dug under!

This is what I would do also. But also adding either another bar or a hot wire in the middle about "butt-high". Only to keep them from rubbing and bowing out the panels.

I have cattle panels and hot wire right now and both do a pretty good job.

 

[Driving Miss Dixie]

I had to cover my wire tape with wire fencing, because with their long winter hair they didn't seem to feel the shock (it was on, I tested it) They just walked right through it. I would prefer livestock panels though, making a sold barrier.

 

[mini horse mania]

The main key to tape or wire I have noticed is a strong box with a good ground....we have a 200 mile box around 5 acres.....it will light your butt up!!! The ground rods are 6 foot copper rods...3 of them. Once my minis touched it the first time...that's all it took...some never touched it. My stallion eyeballed it and just walked away...they can snse the electricity.We have it up with 3/4 inch pvc pipe as poles and thick zip ties...we had a solar box...but it was truly a waste of money especially on stubborn animals. We have foxes....bobcats and a bear somewhere out there...I have seen a few neighborhood dogs after the foals....but they quit after getting knocked down by the fence. We have no problems with pigs getting out...or our goats.... if the lights go out...they still respect it ....

 

[Driving Miss Dixie]

The main key to tape or wire I have noticed is a strong box with a good ground....we have a 200 mile box around 5 acres.....it will light your butt up!!! The ground rods are 6 foot copper rods...3 of them. Once my minis touched it the first time...that's all it took...some never touched it. My stallion eyeballed it and just walked away...they can snse the electricity.We have it up with 3/4 inch pvc pipe as poles and thick zip ties...we had a solar box...but it was truly a waste of money especially on stubborn animals. We have foxes....bobcats and a bear somewhere out there...I have seen a few neighborhood dogs after the foals....but they quit after getting knocked down by the fence. We have no problems with pigs getting out...or our goats.... if the lights go out...they still respect it ....

That is what I have, a solar box. I think I will try adding ground rods and a bigger box. If the tape worked it would be much easier Thanks!

 

[angelspeeper]

okay this may sound extremely dumb, but.....

Does an electric fence really stop a mountain lion??????????

We have been warned by animal control that there is a cougar on the prowl in our immediate vicinity.

Since part of our land is heavily wooded I'm very concerned! We've had bobcats up close to the house this past summer. But that was because of the drought and they were coming up for water. We would see their tracks and occasionally see them by the water trough. I wasn't happy about them, but could tolerate them. But since the cougar report, I will absolutely NOT go out before an hour or so after dawn or at/after dusk! Nope not happening!

Thank you to mydaddysjag....I didn't know Lowes carried it, and so cheap! The local farm store is about a dollar a foot. Your description of your fencing sounds like what I will probably do. This sounds like the most reasonable of all the suggestions. I'm glad that you also put in the information about foals...I hadn't thought of that!

How far apart do you put the posts?

See you can learn so much on here!!!!!! I knew I liked it for some reason...bountiful education.

 

[mini horse mania]

I know for sure field fence will not stop them..we have tried that...but we have a very bad problem with wild predetors and stray dogs (neighborhood dogs).we had a 16 hh quarter horse get attacked about 7 years ago...the bobcat got over the fence and leaped on his back....in broad daylight....the horse made a full recovery except for scarring on his rump.the bobcat took a beating but made off up the pole and into the woods

.. No fence is going to be predetor proof....we have even went as far as 6 foot tall chainlink with barb wire on top---looked like we had them in prison..lol....dogs dug under to kill the baby goats ...electric has been the best for us...I have seen way too many horses get legs hung and broken...heads hung in fence and halters caught...even a friend of mine had one of his mares eyes get poked out by a stray nail....All you can do is put up what you feel is the safest and hope for the best!!!

 

[Riverrose28]

You have gotten some really good responsed here, but I'll add what I have here.

For pregnant mares and mares with foals I have a stock fence wire fence, 2 by 4 mesh four foot high on wood posts with wood panels at the top. Inside of that we have a electric wire set at chest high for the mares to keep them from rubbing. You need to buy a high gauge or it won't last long, as one of our paddocks was replaced recently with inferior fence and it needs to be replaced already. Most everyone else including our arabs are fenced with electric tape fencing. The arabs have four foot high three strands on pressure treated posts. Most of the minis have the same, but back in woods we have four strands on foot step in posts to keep out the critters. I can put a stallion back ther with mares or by himself and he respects it. If a tree falls it is easily put back up and we have had tornados come through here and take out several at atime. The fence just needs to be put back up and tightened. If the electric goes out they don't know as they won't touch it withor without electric, but my husband is an electrician and we have several good grounds and a super size box, actually three electric boxes. One for the front, one for the paddocks around the barn and one for the big pasture. We used to have a lovely wood board fence, with electric, but the wood needed to be repaced so often it became a big pain. Also with the tape if a horse does spook and run through it they won't get impaled or injured, although I've not had that happen. We have had this fence for 15 years and it is best we have ever had, we have had horses since 1977. As for preditors we have coyotes and running dogs the electric tape keeps them out and the horses in.

 

[angelspeeper]

How well does the tape or rope work with the horses in their "winter woolies"? My guys look like little yaks right now,they have so much hair. We've been having some unusually warm days here, so I'd like to get started on this fence project. But thought of holding off till Spring so that you can actually feel the zap of the electric fence.

 

[~Dan]

We use 4 strand electric rope on capped t-posts. One of the things that I love the most about the electric rope fencing is that should the wire break, or you want to expand your fence line, they sell metal fence connectors that screw together to join the two strands as one. Also, I love its high visibility, and the safety of it. If a horse runs into it, depending on the tension of the fence, at last of what I noticed, the fence with either break, or the horse will bounce off of the wire. Also, depending on how well you keep up with it, it is pretty easy on the eyes too. Safe, affordable, and easy to look at. My kind of fence!!

I have never had issues with my horses and the electric rope, even with thick winter coats. So long as you have a good charge, they will more often than not leave it alone. Even when turned off, temporarily, it makes not only a good mental barrier, but a pretty good physical one too!! I would only recommend that for fences with 3 or strands of the rope, however.

Dan.