subject: Building fencing for horses, what do you should know [print this page] Building fencing for horses, what do you should know
In case you own one horse or many horses, the most important consideration is keeping them safely contained within some form of boundary or paddock fencing to avoid them wandering off and causing injury to themselves or other peoples property. Horse fences should not only keep the horses securely contained in your property, but shouldn't pose a risk should they attempt to push the boundaries.
There are lots of different fence types available, some are more suitable to contain horses than others. Ultimately your choice will probably be suffering from your allowance, whether you will want permanent, semi-permanent or temporary solution, from the terrain that you're planning to fence off, as well as the scale and nature from the horses you intend to contain.
Wooden fences are likely one of the most traditional for enclosing paddocks. Wood is tough wearing, could be readily cut to size, and is easy and easy to erect, just nail the cross boards on the uprights that can be sunk into the ground.
Interlocking wooden post as well as rail fences are incredibly simple to erect as they require no nails or bolts. And also this ensures they are extremely safe as there's little that a horse can get snagged on. They may be extremely sturdy, as well as aesthetically pleasing.
A substitute for wood is vinyl boards. They are even more expensive initially, but because they is not going to rot or be eaten by insects, will need little maintenance within the long haul.
Wire fences are also fairly common, however it is most beneficial to make use of wire mesh with a small hole size to prevent a horse's foot from getting stuck in the fence. Strand wire is not suggested as horses could easily get entangled and panic, causing injury to themselves. Barbed wire is not suited to horses because it is extremely hazardous and could cause serious bodily injury by merely brushing up against it. To prevent costly vet bills it ought to be avoided no matter what.
A really quick and cost effect alternative method of containment is electrified tape. Electrified equine tape comes in various thicknesses. Although more expensive, the thicker 40 mm tape is suitable for semi-permanent use because visibility. The thinner 12 mm tape is significantly cheaper, as well as works for temporary enclosures. An energizer that could be battery, mains or solar powered, is required to electrify the tape, which is thread through a series of intermediate insulators mounted on wooden or steel posts. Special fittings could be bought to create electrified gates. Electrified fences could be semi-permanent as when mounted on fixed posts, or temporary using movable plastic tread-ins that support the tape firmly with built-in clips. They are ideal for strip grazing, and could be very handy when travelling with horses, or attending shows where you will end up camping overnight.
No matter what the fencing option that you choose, it must be sufficient to contain your biggest horse or highest jumper, and low enough to contain your smallest pony. The gap between your cross bars in a post as well as rail fence has to be small enough to stop a horse from getting its head through, to prevent injury to your pet and possible harm to the fence.
