Questions for those who have chain link fence

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justagirl

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Ok, I need to kill 2 birds with one stone here and need input from those of you that have kept or are currently keeping minis in a chain link fence.

Problem 1 ~ all my fence needs replacing , it's wood and is 20 years old .

Problem 2 ~ I need to fence in my entire property ( 3 acres ) because I have the stupidest neighbor on the whole freaking planet and she refuses to keep her male dog off my property . He urinates on EVERYTHING and I caught him last night urinating on my cart . If I had my gun on me at the time , it would have been the last time he did it ... but unfortunately by the time I retrieved it , he was on his way back home. But that's a whole entirely different thread .

So if you have any input good or bad about the chain link fence and minis please share.

None of my geldings are bad about rubbing on the fence so not too worried about that . What are some other pros and cons with chain link fence .... thanks in advance .
 
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I have 6' chain link fence on part of my mini turnout. It is high enough they can't get to the sharp points but they really enjoy rubbing all that winter hair off on it. They have stretched some of it out by doing that. For the most part, they stay away from that fence as it is behind all the barns and there isn't much interesting back there to draw them towards it. Honestly, I've had more problems with regular horse panels and t-posts than I've had with the chain link.

Most of the area that the horses have access to I have panels against the fence so they can't get to it. I just haven't finished the project yet.
 
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I have chain link around my backyard, which joins my pasture. I have bluestem in the pasture and bermuda in the backyard. I have had sooooo much trouble trying to keep the horses out of my backyard. They will do anything to get to the bermuda once they realize how it tastes! Seriously, I have left for work with no horses in the backyard only to come home to find 6 of them there and all of the gates shut and locked!!
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They figured out how to push on it until the rail on the top popped up and they could go underneath. I have tried tying it to the posts with good wire and staking it to the ground, now my chainlink just has big "dents" in it where they are pushing on it. The only thing I haven't done yet is attach a hot wire. That is coming up this weekend.
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If I were you I would just go with the cattle panels or field fencing. Depending on how big of a dog it is. I have both also. Still have trouble with the minis pushing and scratching on it but it keeps them in. And the cattle panels are sturdy enough to stand up to the rubbing and keep the medium/large dogs out. I have just used t-posts to stretch the field fence and cattle panels up.

HTH!!!
 
You can always add a string of hotwire right at butt height to keep them off of it. It works nicely.
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I have a strand of hotwire at butt height for all my pastures, I also have a fence post in the pasture for their scratching pleasures. It works they like it.

Karen
 
Chain link can be very dangerous for horses because of the way it is made. If they get a foot through it will close on that foot when they pull back. You might want to look at diamond mesh (horse fence) or stock fence (like stock panels but in a roll) to keep the dogs out and the horses in!
 
Honestly I really don't like chain link fence for the minis. It stretches bad and my tiny could easily get her hoof in it. Thankfully she is smart enough to not get her hoof in it and if she did shes calm enough to not freak out over it. The only chain link we have here is a dog kennel we got tarps over for a stall for stall with run. I usually have my tiny girl about 29" in there because she is a stall baby. She can't stand to get wet and throws a temper tantrum if she can't get into "her" stall.
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We have a section of chain link dividing a couple pastures and it has worked great.. Tall enough that they can not get the heads over it or caught on the ends that bend over, they rub on it and it has not stretched, and the holes are too small for any of ours to get their feet/legs through (maybe a foal could but we rarely have foals out there and the pastures are big enough that they rarely right on the fence line)
 
If you have a choice, and the chain link isn't already in place, I would not suggest it as fencing for minis. The openings are JUST the right size to 'capture' a mini's hoof, but not to 'release' it--and, as noted, it is very liable to being 'stretched' out of shape by horses rubbing on it.

I don't think there IS an "IDEAL" fencing for horses, minis included. What we used to call 'V-mesh' was considered great(and it WILL keep the dogs out), but it, and even the 2" X 4" tied wire fencing(often called "horse fence", are VERY susceptible to being stretched out of shape, even pulled down, by horses rubbing on it...and if used, should be 'backed up' by boards(or better, if you can afford it) steel mounted 'behind' it at a strategic height(about the height of the horse's mid-side). Of course, you could use a hot wire at that height also(I just don't much care for electric fencing--personal opinion only.)

For relatively inexpensive fencing, I'd probably recommend 12 1/2 gauge, 48" field fencing, on either wooden or even drive posts(with safety caps)--posts spaced no greater than @ 10' apart, and one barbless wire above the field fencing. Of course, nowadays, NO fencing is really 'inexpensive'--the price of ONE ROLL of the above-mentioned wire(330' roll) went from $145 to over $200 here in just a couple of weeks, very recently!

Margo
 
I use chain link with my minis and have for 5 years...I aslo have had problems with neighbors dogs so to keep the dogs out I rain hot wire on the outside about 2 ft from the ground and then on the inside i ran hotwire 3 ft from the ground and my horses do not go near the fence for they will get shocked as the hot wire is strung using the longest yellow insulaters possible...I also have wooden post at each corner so when the frnce was stretch using a fence stretcher from TSC it gave the fence something to grab to...I have almost an acre fenced in chain link and (knock on wood) have not had any horses get into the chain link . It can be used you just have to make sure you have the hotwire low enough that they cannot push it out to get to grass on the other side and another strand can be ran higher where their body would rub on it to remove winter hair... I also placed my t-post 8 feet apart rather than 10 ft.

jenn
 
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My horses have chain link around their stalls and I HATE it! I HATE HATE HATE it. I have had them there for ten years. Every time my vet comes, he lectures me on how I should board elsewhere. It is so bad that I have considered paying the $1500 to tear it down and put welded wire up, but because it is not my place (I board at a friend's) I haven't done it (Hey, she could sell her house tomorrow for all I know).

I should have paid the extra money to get it replaced years ago.

Through the years the chain link has costed me $4,000+ in vet bills.

If you don't mind paying the vet to come out and stitch your horses back together (various parts such as eyelids) go ahead and put up the chain link.

Andrea
 
I have chain link fence and one of my girls pushes backwards through the fence and is right into making a mess. Make sure your fence is tight at the bottom.
 
Ok, I have chain link- four feet high, for my big dry lots where the horses run. However, I did not use the wimpy stuff you get at Home Depot, etc.... I went to a fence company and got 9 gauge, which is quite heavy duty. My neighbors have used it and put some up several years ago and it still looks like new. This is where their stallions and mares, etc... all run, next door to yearlings or weanlings, etc..

The 9 gauge is more expensive, but does not seem to stretch, bend, curl, etc.. when they rub, scratch, etc.. on it either. You would need to make sure you have a 'tension wire' at the bottom, GOOD posts with braces on all your corners, gates, etc.. I did not top mine off with pipe, as they cannot reach the 4' top anyhow, and the cost of steel is astronomical.

It was easy (but HEAVY) to put in, but it will last a loooong time. I would recommend if you use it, do not use the lightweight stuff, but go with the heavier gauge. It makes all the difference in the world.

It keeps my horses in, my dogs and other critters out. My neighbors had V mesh, also the 'non climb' horse fence and when one of their little stallions almost cut his leg off in it, they finished off the back runs with the chain link too. His leg was stripped down to the bone and they didnt know if it was going to heal or not. They have had a few get legs hung up in that kind of fencing but have not had problems with the heavy chain link, nor have I.

I also find those other fences bend and sag when rubbed on etc... and rust easily too and just after a bit, look crappy.
 
We have a chain link fence that we got at home depot. It works just fine for us except that Rain rubs on it so were putting 2x4 from post to post so he rubs on the wood instead of the fence. Rain will be playing ball and bang right into the fence and we havn't had a prblem with that. The fence that goes to the outside of the property is 5' and the fence that is inside our property is 4'. The posts are 8' apart i think. We also have a wooden gate that me and my dad made.
 

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