When setting up a fence, give first concern to visibility. You need your fence to telegraph its presence extremely clearly to your horses if you want to keep them free from possible injuries. That's why wooden or PVC fences would be a far superior choice as compared to wire fences. You can improve the visibility by painting the fence in bright colors at regular intervals. You can stick or tie decorative tape or ribbons.
Item number two on your importance list should be the fence's height. The fence should be sufficiently high to prevent horses from jumping over, yet sufficiently low to keep them from wriggling through. A great way of deciding the fence height is to set it at the very height of your horse's nose. If you've more than one horse, go for the tallest one.
While you've a selection of varied fence building material, the most preferred ones are PVC, wood and electric.
If you are on a small budget, electric fences will end up being most economical. Galvanized, or plastic-coated wire, or electrical polytape are the electrical fence material most in demand. It is far better to make your fence very visible to your horses by tying material of bright colors at gaps of 3 feet or thereabouts on each strand. Obviously, you will also have to buy posts, insulators and other hardware as well as a charger. A small electrical fence around a corral should not cost you more than $200.
If you've got a healthier budget, you might go in for a wooden fence. You can select between slipboard, rustic rail or board. Lumber costs are subject to frequent fluctuations, and also vary according to area , but for all they're more costly than electric. A wood fence is way more pleasant to the eye than an electric fence. Although it will cost you in terms of upkeep, it'll definitely boost the value of your farm. If wood that isn't treated with pressure is used for the fencing, it must be painted or varnished/stained regularly. Chipped and broken sections must be replaced as fast as they're seen. Sections should be nailed on the inside of posts and not on the outside, so that horses leaning on them don't pop them out. The posts should be very stable, and nail heads should be tapped in flush. If your situation is such that you will need to keep your horses permanently fenced in (like when your pasture abuts a busy highway or when you want to keep your stallions separate from your mares) you could think about stringing up some electrical wire at the very top.
At the other end of the market (if you've no difficulty with your budget) and want fencing that needs almost no upkeep. Then this sort of fencing is generally made of PVC, which is clean and aesthetically pleasing. It looks like wood from some distance off, but doesn't ever need painting. It doesn't rot or chip, neither does it rust. I am aware of the fact that a lot of manufacturers claim that it is much more robust than wood.
Whatever fence you do ultimately put up, you need to inspect it very regularly for reasons of safety. There should be no downed wires, no sections that have gotten loose, no nails that are sticking out. There should be no gaps horses can slip thru. There should be no rot, rust or splintering. Repair any damage immediately. Check whether your posts are still solidly embedded by giving every one a good tug. You're going to need to do this frequently if you live in areas where ground temperatures are liable to frequent variances.
Item number two on your importance list should be the fence's height. The fence should be sufficiently high to prevent horses from jumping over, yet sufficiently low to keep them from wriggling through. A great way of deciding the fence height is to set it at the very height of your horse's nose. If you've more than one horse, go for the tallest one.
While you've a selection of varied fence building material, the most preferred ones are PVC, wood and electric.
If you are on a small budget, electric fences will end up being most economical. Galvanized, or plastic-coated wire, or electrical polytape are the electrical fence material most in demand. It is far better to make your fence very visible to your horses by tying material of bright colors at gaps of 3 feet or thereabouts on each strand. Obviously, you will also have to buy posts, insulators and other hardware as well as a charger. A small electrical fence around a corral should not cost you more than $200.
If you've got a healthier budget, you might go in for a wooden fence. You can select between slipboard, rustic rail or board. Lumber costs are subject to frequent fluctuations, and also vary according to area , but for all they're more costly than electric. A wood fence is way more pleasant to the eye than an electric fence. Although it will cost you in terms of upkeep, it'll definitely boost the value of your farm. If wood that isn't treated with pressure is used for the fencing, it must be painted or varnished/stained regularly. Chipped and broken sections must be replaced as fast as they're seen. Sections should be nailed on the inside of posts and not on the outside, so that horses leaning on them don't pop them out. The posts should be very stable, and nail heads should be tapped in flush. If your situation is such that you will need to keep your horses permanently fenced in (like when your pasture abuts a busy highway or when you want to keep your stallions separate from your mares) you could think about stringing up some electrical wire at the very top.
At the other end of the market (if you've no difficulty with your budget) and want fencing that needs almost no upkeep. Then this sort of fencing is generally made of PVC, which is clean and aesthetically pleasing. It looks like wood from some distance off, but doesn't ever need painting. It doesn't rot or chip, neither does it rust. I am aware of the fact that a lot of manufacturers claim that it is much more robust than wood.
Whatever fence you do ultimately put up, you need to inspect it very regularly for reasons of safety. There should be no downed wires, no sections that have gotten loose, no nails that are sticking out. There should be no gaps horses can slip thru. There should be no rot, rust or splintering. Repair any damage immediately. Check whether your posts are still solidly embedded by giving every one a good tug. You're going to need to do this frequently if you live in areas where ground temperatures are liable to frequent variances.
About the Author:
Horses are Heather Toms passion and she enjoys sharing her
extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers, like all things about horse show cloths
extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers, like all things about horse show cloths
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