# Stallion fencing? Do I need more?



## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

My property closes on the 17th and I will begin having estimators come in for quotes to redo my pastures. The fencing material is already there and available but the lady that is selling moved everything to make it one big open area and I will be dividing it back into sections. My only fencing change besides dividing pastures is Lestats pasture. His section will be completely redone and I'm looking for tips on how to make it the safest, stallion proof pasture. 

His section is about one acre. I'll be fencing the entire thing but I'm not sure what type of fencing for him would be best. Of course there will be hotwire around the perimeter and he won't have access year round to the entire area. I will be splitting it in the middle to let one side grow up. The entire length of his pasture runs along side the neighbors gelding's pasture. The neighbor says he's been exposed to stallions and has no problem with Lestat being right next door but I'll still be bringing the fence at least two feet in from the neighbors pasture. 
I'm thinking along with the pasture I'll be doing two strand hot wire? One on top and one in the middle about 6-12 inches from the fence itself on the inside? Is that enough space for hot wire? 

He won't be nose to nose with any mares and any breeding training won't be done until he's at least 6 years old and he'll be available for AI only. My mares pasture is across and kitty corner to his pasture so not close for nose to nose. His stall fronts are grilled so although he'll be stalled next to them there will still be no nose to nose. Neighboring horses besides the next door gelding are across the alley so too far for nose to nose. I'm hoping hotwire will take care of any possible fence leaning. I'm trying to take all precautions to avoid any possible confrontations including a lot of play time with his babysitters a Fjord gelding and Shire gelding. 

Questions. What type of fencing do you recommend so if it's not already on the list I can add it or if it is I can put a check next to it being recommended. 

Hot tape or wire and what thickness. 
Any specific type of fence charger that works better than others? I will be running it on a 7 acre perimeter. 
Any specific stallion type protection on fences I should look into? I already checked code with the county and all they specify is 6 foot minimum fencing. 
He's covered as are the rest of my horses with an insurance policy should they do something silly and another to cover anything else that covers up to 1 million in damages. Is there a special stallion insurance I should look into. 

Keep in mind I won't be moving until August so I have all spring and summer to fix up everything and he's still nice and tucked up in there. I felt the head of two wal*nuts* the other day but nothing "official" yet. He's only 10 months old and I'm not expecting a full appearance at the moment but I'm checking every day just in case he decides to surprise me. All his mannerisms are still very baby like. Mouthing other horses, chewing at their noses and nuzzling the big boys he gets to associate with. 

Anyway! Thank you for reading and for all the following help! Any tips on fencing other than him is welcome as well! Like I said the entire property is horse fenced brand new and everything but the lady redid everything to open up the entire 7 acres so I have a couple acres of posts stacked in the barn she pulled up. Those will be going out to divide everything back up.

Ps: Lestat says thank you! *please excuse his baby belly. He just got the OK to be outside and play after having a month of stall rest from his injury*


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## goneriding (Jun 6, 2011)

Centaur or ramm, the kind that looks like a board fence. Not cheap though. It comes with a built in hot wire.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

The heaviest wire for electric fencing is best. It carries more charge. It is also not susceptible to wind damage as tape or ribbon is. Put the wire on the inside of his paddock in case he hits it hard the wire is more likly to stay up. On the outside of the posts, the insulators fly like bullets. Be sure to have a large enough gap between him and the mares that you could drive a pickup between. I've seen horses breed with a fence in between them. In once case it was sheep wire with a top board. The stallion wound up royally tangled when he got down.


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

I'll post some links to what I've been looking at for fencing and electric for him when I get home. I've been going back and forth between rope, tape and just wire so I have a lot of links.


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

drafts4ever said:


> oh goodness. Ive heard of fence breeding too so thats why im sticking him at the top of my property by my house and the barn and my girls have the bottom pastures. The gap between him and the mares is the hay pasture and a 12 foot aisle way and then my creek so plenty of space.
> Is there a certain insulator for wire that I'll need to pick up or are the usual Wilco kind fine to use. I've only been able to find 6-8 inch insulators. I was told to look for 12 inch insulators but haven't had any luck.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

Whoa what just happened there. I forgot to add the top line, went to edit and it came back as a quote. Weird! Silly phone. Sorry guys!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Saddlebag said:


> Be sure to have a large enough gap between him and the mares that you could drive a pickup between. I've seen horses breed with a fence in between them. In once case it was sheep wire with a top board. The stallion wound up royally tangled when he got down.


Besides a good, strong, fence with hot wire, I agree with a good gap between him and the mares. In my experience, mares in season next to a stallion will cause more problems than the stallion himself, often doing a very good job of breaking fence posts and getting tangled trying to get to him.


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

There's a three acre pasture with a 12 foot lead way separating them. So plenty plenty of room. The three acre pasture is a field I'll be haying (or trying to). Lestats pasture is in the upper left corner and their pastures are in the bottom right across from the hay feild so there's acreage between them and that's spaced closest corner to corner. The closest corner of the mares pasture to the closest corner of his pasture has one acre between them. The farthest corner to the closest corner is 3 acres. So on turn out the girls will always be at least one acre away from him.


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

Here's a satelite view 
Lestats pasture is #1. Top (hot) is for spring, summer, and until the mid fall to let the bottom half grow. Cold is bottom half for fall and winter, mainly winter. It'll have a loafing shed as well. 
My girls will be in pasture #2 for the warm and #3 for the cold. The gap between Lestats bottom pasture and the girls "cold" pasture is approximately 40 feet not including the corner of the hay field. 
Should I fence the gap as well? I haven't decided what to do on the empty part (not the hay field) by my house which would be my back yard area I guess? I was kind of thinking of leveling it for an outdoor arena or fencing it for the goats so they have a larger area to play? And I could put the dogs out there too when I'm away instead of locking them up in the house.

edit: Sorry it's so small! I don't know why it's so small!


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## caseymyhorserocks (Apr 5, 2010)

Do you have to use only electric? I would highly recommend small holed woven wire fence for stallions with one or two strands of electric rope.


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

I don't have to use just electric. His paddock is going to be 6 foot board fencing with the boarded attached on the inside so if he thinks of going through they don't just pop off. That will have hot tape or wire on the inside of it so he hits that first before touching the fence. I was thinking of doing the no climb fencing that's attached to a full frame so it's basically 3-4 rail fencing with no climb fencing attached and then electric. 

Is that kind of what you were suggesting? I was going to have his current fence customized to that unless it's not doable and then I'll have new fencing completely re-done to that.

I took this off of the fencing company I'm getting the quote from. The first picture is what I've been looking at for his fencing. The second picture is what is there for fencing now. I'm going to ask if they can put the no climb on the current post and rail fencing or if it needs to be completely redone.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Here's how I have my pasture fencing set up. The stallion's pastures are set up with 60" V mesh and 2 lines of hot wires, in addition to the 2 X 6 top rail. The posts are set in concrete and the mesh is attached to each post, not just the top rail. (This is not my place, but I found this pic when I Googled, Equine V Mesh Fencing Pics).

And there should be no issues for attaching to your round rail fencing, unless the wood is rotted or not installed properly. In which case, if I had to redo the fencing all the way, I'd move a new fence about 4' inside the round rail and use it for spreading my manure.


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

Thank you! When I can get out to the property and get estimates I'll take pictures to make discribing a bit easier. It's three rail I believe right now and that's a big reason why I wanted to put no climb on there. It's still 6 foot though. I should probably double check that anyway. 
Right now if it's 6 foot I'll go ahead with adding no climb to it all the way around. If its not 6 foot I will pull it up and use it for the mares pastures and completely redo my studly pasture.
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## caseymyhorserocks (Apr 5, 2010)

Yes, I meant the no climb mesh stuff, and after you add some no climb and electric you will have a great very stallion proof fence!


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## Patricia Lloyd (Feb 14, 2012)

I too Want to have a grazing area for my stallion . Right now he is near the barn ,I have 6 foot tall round pen panels . With about 175ft in diameter. But would love to be able to let him run run run and graze. My only fear is that he gets excited and rears alot in his pen. I am affraid he will come to close to the fence and get caught up.


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

That's my hold up with roundpen panels. Right now he has limited turn out in a round pen so he can stretch his legs from his stall rest due to injury. He's fine now so he'll get to go out in a bigger area but just running around I can see him getting tripped up in the panels.


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## wyominggrandma (Nov 4, 2009)

He sure looks great considering his injury when u first got him


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

He's doing really great! I'll find out on Wednesday how his progress is and if he can go out on daily turn out yet. He's been patient and we have been doing a lot of manners work and things to keep his mind occupied.
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## yourcolorfuladdiction (Feb 19, 2012)

Actually the best stallion set up i saw was 5 board fencing similar to this (except of course 5 boards)










with hot wire around the top to discourage jumping or playing.

I've also seen 6 board fencing that was closer together so the stallions weren't as capable of seeing outside with the same hotwire around the top. It kept the rowdy Friesian stallions well enclosed, and if they did manage to kick out a board, it wasn't like they would be free because there were 5 other boards there and the hotwire wasn't within tangling reach. It also provided extra support for leaning and was tall enough with the hotwire around the top so that they had no interest in leaning up against the fence and putting their heads over.


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

Hmmm that's an option as well but I'd also add no climb to that just because it discourages sticking noses or feet through to try to get to grass on the other side or whatever else. I like it though!
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## Tapperjockey (Jan 2, 2012)

I wouldn't worry about the stallion getting out to get to mares *sigh*. I've had more issues with mares trying to get to stallions. So whatever you do to his area.. Make sure the (as I like to call it) "Hussy Pasture" is equally as sturdy. 

Will you just be keeping him in the pasture, or his buddies too? I found my boy didn't even pay attention to the girls when he had his two buddies in with him. (I won't tell you about the mare who crashed through two gates.. bent like a semi truck had fricken hit them, when she came into heat though *sigh*. She also somehow managed to climb/jump/ Pole vault maybe? out of her stall.. mistake leaving the grille down... no idea how she managed to fit out the upper part of that.. it's depressing to think about her and fences/stallions lol )


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

He has a gelding next door but because I'm boarding right now and I'm not willing to pay another 400+ for a donkey friend to keep with him he most likely won't have a friend with him in the same area. He has a gelding buddy over the fence though. I'm hoping since he will be on turn out at the boardig stables with a friends geldings that are great baby sitters I can then buy a pasture pet gelding or donkey friend when I get to my place but because he will be 16 months old at that point ive been warned about not introducing him to a pasture pal because of possible dominance issues? I'm not sure yet if that will be something I need to worry about. My plan at the moment is to maybe get a pasture buddy for him on the other side of the fence and then eventually move them in together.
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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

I would like him to have a pasture buddy because I don't like having horses alone in pastures. If he's been turned out with geldings until August of this year and then we move to my place how likely would it be that he'd turn into a jerk to the pasture buddy? Like I said I'd introduce them over a fence before putting them together but if that's an option I'd like to do that.
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## Tapperjockey (Jan 2, 2012)

drafts4ever said:


> I would like him to have a pasture buddy because I don't like having horses alone in pastures. If he's been turned out with geldings until August of this year and then we move to my place how likely would it be that he'd turn into a jerk to the pasture buddy? Like I said I'd introduce them over a fence before putting them together but if that's an option I'd like to do that.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I had no problem with it. My colt was 2 and pastured with a fairly dominant, but fair, older gelding, and with another colt. Introduced over the fence first, then pastured together. 6 years (and both "colts" have been bred) and it still works fine. They know when it's "fun time" and when it's time to be buddies


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

I figured if they are introduced over a fence and get along it shouldn't be an issue. I'll start looking in July for a buddy so I can move them around the same time. He is going to have training for when it's fun time and when it's not so I'm not worried about that. He will have a special halter for that and it won't be for another 5 years or so. 
I will eventually have a Vanner stallion as well but I'm a bit iffy coupling the two together especially if Lestat came first. He has a dominant personality but he is still learning from the dominant geldings on what is ok and not ok. When the Vanner stallion comes in Lestat will be around 5 or 6 but I'll deal with that when it comes up. I had no issues with fitting room, I shouldn't worry about it now I guess.
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