# Metal fencing panels



## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

Can I get some opinions on using those metal fencing panels? I know people use them to make round pens and also to fence off small paddocks. Are they not cost-efficient for larger projects? I believe they don't need holes put in the ground, right? Are they fairly easy to install, if one had two adults of normal size and strength, or do they require like two strong men?


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

In my opinion it depends on what you're fencing in or out, how permanent you intend it to be and how big.
You can buy panels in varying degrees of length, height, number of rails, gauge of pipe used to build them(which determines weight and strength).

The arena at my old house was big heavy 16' panels with railroad tie posts to keep them up right and strong enough to hold cattle and horses. 
Even using panels in temporary situations I use t-posts to hold them in place. (Using smooth wire to wire the panels at the panel joint to the post)
And especially if you plan to use them as a straight fence line you'll need something to hold them up. You can zig zag them or use a panel perpendicular every few panels to hold them up but then you're wasting available footage from your panels. But still an option if the ground doesn't allow you to pound a post in or dig a post hole and you have the panels to spare. 
Horses and cattle like to rub on them and they do move, keep that in mind.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

I am still trying to figure out the setup of my new barn. The barn already exists, and it's a good barn overall, but it needs some modifications, and I was thinking it would be nice to have the ability to create a run off one of the stalls in case anyone ever needed to be on stall rest. I am not sure if I would want the runs to be permanent or not. I guess even if they were permanent, or semi-permanent, this would probably be a decent solution. I could attach the panels to the barn, use the connectors at the corners, and then attach the other point to the barn. But unlike permanent (wooden) fencing, I could take it down and set it up somewhere else if I wanted. At least that's what I'm thinking.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

A very expensive way to fence a area in....














.. this is 5' high and 12' long at a cost of $89.99 for the economy one at Tractor Supply









...this is livestock panels 50" high and 16' long at a cost of $39.99 each. These are the cheapest panels to purchase, horse is $54.99 for that rectangular design of 48" high and 16' long..










...this is horse fencing 48'' high and 200' long at a cost of $249.99 per roll.


Each of those products shown _needs_ posts to secure to the ground so scratching horses don't topple it over.
Much depends upon how much money you want to invest and how long you want that investment to stay put in place...
And many use... goat/sheep fence because the openings are 4"x4" and so much harder for a hoof to go through for cost of $249.99 for 48" high by 330' long...suddenly your products needed list just decreased in amount.
And even more use field fence at the cost of $159.99 for 48" high by 330' long. The openings are larger and yes a hoof can slip through if you have a horse who likes to hang around and play on the fence line, dig or strike..

_All fence though to strengthen it needs posts of some sort used._
I prefer wood not metal posts myself and spacing 8' on center cause it adds strength but if your panels are 16' then at panel end but they can and do move, wobbly would be my description if just wired together.
All in how long you want the project to last, how much $ you have to invest, how much labor/sweat equity you plan on investing.
I also have top-boarded my fence wire so my horses do not lean over, bend down and break my fence.
I do not do electric nor barb wire which many by me do as a top-strand for the exact same reason I top-board..._added strength._
And lastly, fence comes in different price ranges because it is different thickness of wire used.
I used the thickest of wire available so lasts the longest and less times I need to do the job and swallow another cost outlay.
_Happy research and shopping...
_
:runninghorse2:...


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I have been buying a panel at a time so that I can do my 2 paddocks completely with the metal panels. I think they are very convenient and solid. I actually have the ones I have taken apart and pushed forward right now because we are digging out a nasty spot and laying drain tiles, gravel and rebuilding....

I had a mare that was on stall rest but going insane so I took panels and made a temporary enclosure under the overhang so she could go outside but still be in a covered space. I love the panels. You can make a round pen, a paddock, anything really... and the best part is - I can set it all up myself, break it down, move it, and set it up again all alone. I've done it multiple times...

We started off with Ramm fencing but it wasn't as grand and easy as they made it out... added pencil wire but my boys are smart and figured out how to wiggle through it, then we did wood fencing but the beavers ate it and knocked it down so then we threw up electric which always has been quite magical in my opinion...

My place is a hot mess right now because we are working on it. You can see the old board fence which we will tear down once we have all the panels and you can probably see some of the Ramm fencing laying down because we ripped it down today.... We are keeping the wood posts though. Today husband picked up the fence and moved it with the tractor so we could open up where he needed to work. 

I only took a few pix while I was outside. Ignore the selfie one - The fence is in the background - that was what I was trying to show.... LOL....


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

@farmpony84 when you say you can set it up yourself, do you mean literally by yourself? I haven't picked up one of these panels yet, but they look pretty heavy to me.


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

I use light weight metal panels for my round pen and I also use them as gates into the pastures. 

I waited for sales to buy them and that took me about a year and a half or so to collect the 50 10ft panels (and 4ft gate) plus 10 extras. I bought panels new, btw, as I couldn’t rationalize buying the beat up junkers at an auction or private sale going for close to the price of unblemished new ones.

The light weight panels are perfect for civilized horses. I don’t think they would hold up to continual bashing by horses bent on escaping or ones prone to freak outs nor would they work well for any long term cattle confinement (we did a have a Hereford bull in my round pen for a day without mishap though). On the positive side, I can move the panels around, and set them up, by myself. For gate panels, we used Eye hooks to hang them on one post and a wrap around chain on the other post for a closure - these are great for the occasional use (eg opening up a pasture for the season, etc) but not so great if you’re opening/closing daily as they are not designed to swing freely like a proper gate. The positive side here is that a corral panel on sale is half the price of a proper gate.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

ACinATX said:


> @farmpony84 when you say you can set it up yourself, do you mean literally by yourself? I haven't picked up one of these panels yet, but they look pretty heavy to me.


yes. I started off with the RAMM fencing around the property and had a round pen but then when my oldest horse was having issues and needed his own space we decided to set the round pen up as a third paddock. 

I have a major problem area in one of my paddocks that just refuses to drain. It is a swamp and so about two weeks ago I decided to take that area away from the horses to see if it could dry so I took the third paddock down and set up a fence straight across the middle of the paddock. I do have to take each panel down and carry it to the spot to reset up but I can also take the fence when it is set up and pick up paddocks and push them into new positions. It's really not horribly heavy. 

Now I have some really heavy gates that I struggle with. Those are super heavy and long. I think they are 14 or 16 feet. There are some heavy duty gates that may be a little bit heavier. The ones I have are the five feet high I think and then 12 feet long. You can get them at 10 feet as well I think.... But yes - I can do it completely by myself. Pick it up from the ground and carry it across the pasture. (one panel at a time)


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

ACinATX said:


> @farmpony84 when you say you can set it up yourself, do you mean literally by yourself? I haven't picked up one of these panels yet, but they look pretty heavy to me.


I think it depends on what is available in your area but where I am my light weight ones are roughly half the weight of the heavy duty ones. I could move a heavy duty one around on my own but it would be a struggle and it certainly wouldn’t be pretty. I’m guessing but it’s something like 60lbs for the light weight ones I have. I set my entire round pen up in one day on my own - I couldn’t have done that using the heavy ones though.


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

The light 'economy' ones are manageable for one person if you're careful. The bigger heavy duty panels will want two or you'll ruin your back, especially if it's windy. The light weight ones I have weigh about 60 - 80 lbs (the older ones are heavier than the new ones). The heavy duty ones are nearly 200 lbs apiece.

If your horses are sedate and don't mess with fences, the economy ones are fine. If you have young horses, draft horses, stallions, or horses who challenge fencing, they will crumple the light ones like tinfoil. If a horse rears against or tries to jump the cheap ones and fails, they will crush down and collapse. The stronger ones won't. It doesn't take long for horses to learn they can shove the light ones around to get to grass on the other side, so if you're using them for a run of fencing, anchor every few with a post. A curve/round pen is stronger due to the shape and it's not as big of an issue. 

For safety, those with square corners are safer. The rounded ones are cheaper, but it's not rare for a horse to hang a leg up in them, and that rarely ends well. The rounded corners funnel the leg/hoof down between the panels and then the horse is wedged. If you're lucky, he'll break the panel before breaks his leg. A single leg on the bottom is also safer than the rounded 'feet' -- I had a horse slip and fall and stick both forelegs through one of those feet. If he hadn't been hobble broke and lay quietly while we got him free, that could have ended badly. Unfortunately, the safer ones cost about twice as much. I prefer the drop pin on a chain attachment style of hooking them together- it's a lot easier to get loose in a hurry if you need to than the ones with the attached fastener.


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

horselovinguy said:


> A very expensive way to fence a area in....
> 
> 
> 
> ...



They have stock/cattle panel at 21-23$ depending on location. Cheaper than your $40 one, as it has less small holes at bottom. 


But they do need tposts to keep them up. Horses can easily smash these or get stuck in them if they try to jump/climb them. On the flipside, easier to free a horse from them with simple bolt cutters.


Round pen panels/tube panels can be used, but need bracing if making straight or sides with not enough curve to them. As in, a round pen larger than 65ft will start to get more and more frail.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I found for a reference our local manufacturer for gates, panels, round pens, cattle chutes, hay rings and pretty much anything livestock he makes...his prices are good compared to many retail stores.
_http://floridapanels.com/_
The more middle-men you can eliminate the better your pricing will become.
You can see what SilverMaple, Chevaux, and farmpony84 were all referring to about design ideas..
This website is pretty extensive in pictures of products available and best is the current price lists.
Not sure if you are looking for where you now live or where you are moving to but this business I found on my local area Craigslist in the Farm & Garden section. I put "gates" in the search line and anything applicable came up...possibly something like this may be in your area too.. 

:runninghorse2:...


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

I have used panels for several different things, round pens, arena fencing, and to make open air "stalls" inside the barn. I really like them inside the barn because the air blows through and is able to dry your wet stalls and ammonia doesn't seem to build up like it does with more closed in traditional stalls. I like them fine for round pen and arena fences, but I do drive a T post in at about every other join to keep them solid. My horses don't try to climb or bull through them and we don't run cattle, so haven't had any problems like that. The Biggest draw back is that they rust out after a while. The cheapest around here around about $130 for a 12 foot horse panel, and that's not the heaviest. Yes, I can haul one of those by myself, or toss one on top of the trailer behind the tractor so can do the fencing by myself, but it's an expensive way to go. It is versatile and decent looking if you keep it standing up right and get rid of any bowed or dented panels when they happen. They're great to make a run outside a stall and easy to move around for cleaning or putting footing or fill dirt.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

This is what happens when a horse says enough and wants out. Young draft was responsible but a good sized horse can do the same if determined. Seen the results. That said we do use them with T posts to anchor straight runs and they are the tallest available. The shorter the fence and taller the horse the more likely they can inflict this type of damage. They aren't meant for long term containment and it is a very expensive way to fence.


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

A couple of additional thoughts on corral panels, which I have found very useful for all the reasons given above. If I had it to do over again, I would choose 10' panels rather than 12', because they are considerably easier to move by truck or trailer. Also, the panels take a beating, and when the paint comes off they rust. I would choose galvanized. And finally, don't ever try to make a corral around some hay thinking it will keep your horses out. (At least not if you have 16 hand horses.) My big guy reached over the top and crushed the center of one of my panels. But then he tends to destroy things, like the tie ring in the trainer's barn or the steel ring on the hobbles I bought, or the 4" wood post in the pasture that he hit and snapped off at the ground.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> The Biggest draw back is that they rust out after a while.


Don't they powder coat them? Does that not help? Or it only delays the inevitable? Could I paint them to keep them from rusting?

I am looking for our new place, near Seattle, so rain and rust is definitely a concern.
@QtrBel wow, that's quite the picture. How badly was the horse hurt? My guys range in size from Pony to small horse and are generally well-behaved, although I could see a round of "nipping game" possibly getting out of hand across the fence. I had hoped to not need T-Posts, but I guess better safe than sorry. Still, I would only be fencing a small area (not more than 30 x 30), so I shouldn't need too many. It still seems worth it to get something that can be taken down and moved if wanted.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Not my horse or fence. Not yet 2 year old. I have had my 18+ hand mare remove square stock steel gates from a fence line that it took two strong men to lift and carry. Same mare moved the entire 6ft tall heavy duty round pen. She has also made a light duty panel pen look like a crushed beer can. They will surprise you with what they can do. 

I put the t post with the cross piece to the outside and the perpendicular piece fitted snugly between the two panels I am anchoring then chain as usual. They are driven far enough into the ground the top is below the top of the panel. 

If you decide to use them make sure they are tall enough your horse can't get their head over or easily get their feet over. Won't stop them from taking out the bottom rungs though if they are pawers. We have had one bad enough that he took out the bottom of multiple gates.

No injury to the horse you asked about and not to mine either.

Even powder coated they eventually rust and rust through. Quicker in spots if damage has occured.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

Like Qtrbel said, they do rust where they get bent. And with the loop legs constantly on the ground the legs rot out even with the powder coating.

If you decide to go with the galvanized panels without the loop legs, I suggest putting the post legs on a base of some sort to keep them from sinking into the ground as they will rot off as well. (And your panels will become shorter!)
I also had galvanized long panels for my shedrow pens that were designed for what you are wanting to do, making runs. They held up much better than the economy and medium weight panels you can buy for the same use. 
They were held together with panel clamps rather than the loops and pins. Still needs a post to hold them if you want to keep them temporary.
The panels were like this style:

https://www.cactushorsecorrals.com/...il-Horse-Corral-W-Shelt-p/hcc24245r58x4rs.htm


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

I forgot to mention in my previous post — the legs on my panels are straight (not the looped style). I have had the round pen up for a few years now and the legs remain good but the pen sits on high ground so it is never in standing water. For the ones I use for gates (because some are on lower ground), I placed flat stones under them (there is no shortage of stones at my place, alas) and this aided in keeping them dry plus helping them swing better.

With regard to using t posts for stability, they are not too bad to put in the ground. You can buy a metal pounding device for under $50 which works well. Using this post pounder, I can do posts quite easily by myself. If you are reluctant to use t posts, I suspect it is because the ground is too rocky/stony so I can appreciate your concern. For a long straight run, I have seen folks use a panel joined perpendicular to panels to give stability (eg the long run goes from north to south, the stabilizer panel goes east to west). This does work but it means you have to buy extra panels. The other thing which may work to keep the panels more stable is to place them in a zig zag fashion. Long straight runs, btw, to me are longer than the 30 ft you mentioned. In the end, experiment to see what will work in your situation.


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

ACinATX said:


> Don't they powder coat them? Does that not help? Or it only delays the inevitable? Could I paint them to keep them from rusting?
> 
> I am looking for our new place, near Seattle, so rain and rust is definitely a concern.
> 
> @QtrBel wow, that's quite the picture. How badly was the horse hurt? My guys range in size from Pony to small horse and are generally well-behaved, although I could see a round of "nipping game" possibly getting out of hand across the fence. I had hoped to not need T-Posts, but I guess better safe than sorry. Still, I would only be fencing a small area (not more than 30 x 30), so I shouldn't need too many. It still seems worth it to get something that can be taken down and moved if wanted.


Pipe panels rust, no matter how they're coated. I used oil roof paint on two that were rusting. Sand first, use rust stopper, then paint. Heck, if you have a 5gal bucket laying around, go ahead and paint new panels! Powder coated ones come off on your hands/clothes after awhile, as a pale powder smudging.


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