# Would this be OK to use as a round pen?



## kait18 (Oct 11, 2011)

i did that with my first round pen... found out i wasted more money and time trying to make it work then getting the panels.

but... if you get the right height t-post and can figure out your horse wont try to bust thru it, it can be workable. my horses barged thru it so then i had to electrify it and then i just gave up and went to panels lol 

as for footing i started off with grass but if and when you put sand down remember to think about drainage so rocks underneath to make it level and drain water, then sand or rubber on top and level it off. and once you put footing down it really makes it difficult to move the pen else where because you probably wont be able to get all of it up  

have fun with your project


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## mystykat (Dec 4, 2011)

High enough, and somewhere that's fenced beyond the pen, it could work. I would suggest electrifying it and letting the horses in it on their own so they know it is electrified. Then when you work with them not have the fence on, they may respect it more and be less encouraged to try an escape.


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## xxGallopxx (Dec 1, 2011)

Kait18- your horses barged through it with you in there? I wouldn't want to electrify it because he has a ''healthy'' fear of electric fence... I wouldn't want to get close to it even if it was off, because he still freaks when he touches it and it's off. This is mainly just going to be used as an arena (thats basically what round pens are...DUH lol) and turnout time in here would be very minimal. That's partly why I don't want to electrify it.


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## crimsonsky (Feb 18, 2011)

i personally would not use wire for anything that isn't hot wire. but that's just me. if you're going to use something that isn't a panel - have you considered rope? i did that before i had enough panels to complete my round pen and the horses respected it just fine.


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## xxGallopxx (Dec 1, 2011)

crimsonsky said:


> i personally would not use wire for anything that isn't hot wire. but that's just me. if you're going to use something that isn't a panel - have you considered rope? i did that before i had enough panels to complete my round pen and the horses respected it just fine.


Yeah I was actually considering rope. Like boat rope? I wasn't going to use the wire I was going to use the tape. It's more visible anyways.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

LOL, I was wondering why I was having so much trouble getting my horses to work on the rail in my arena this year, I eventually worked out that the yellow thin rope I have used to fence it off looks very like electric tape to the guys and they don't want to go near it at all, it made working very hard. They have a VERY healthy respect of hot wire, lol.

I may work for you, but if you could source some bales and some poles it might make a better job. Keep an open mind and look in your local papers or online places for cheap wood or give aways, you may be surprised what you could find to use.


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## crimsonsky (Feb 18, 2011)

i used this stuff as it was easy to get and economical: braided polypropylene rope


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## nicole25 (Jun 24, 2011)

What about poles similar to the ones you showed in the picture but use that orange plastic construction fencing that they sell at like Home Depot or Lowes? It is pretty cheap from my understanding and is about five feet high.


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## xxGallopxx (Dec 1, 2011)

nicole25 said:


> What about poles similar to the ones you showed in the picture but use that orange plastic construction fencing that they sell at like Home Depot or Lowes? It is pretty cheap from my understanding and is about five feet high.


you mean this stuff? Redirect Notice


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## draftgrl (Jan 8, 2011)

I would NOT recommend snow fence, we used the orange stuff once, and she just jumped right over it! 

Otherwise, sorry no other ideas for ya, but a good thick rope with sturdy posts sounds like it may work


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Another name for metal strands or wire = Cheese Slicer......Not pretty if they run through it. 

If you can buy panels at $60/panel, grab as many as you can get your hands on. Even the ultra cheap ones cost me almost $100 each. Grass for footing is ok if you're not working them hard in the round pen. I use mine for just a few minutes to let them get the bucks out if they've been stalled for a couple of days and then throw the saddle and bridle on and off we go on a ride in the pastures or down the road.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

LOL, my first instinct is to cringe whenever I see someone using something for a round pen that isn't _really_ sturdy. I have to remind myself that most folks don't use a roundpen for the same things that I do. Most folks have _broke_ horses that they just need a contained area to ride/work them in.

With all that being said, I'm sure your posts like you have in the OP would be fine. I wouldn't go with wire though, just due to the visibility aspect of it. If it was me, I would go with some non-electrified tape fencing. If you run each rung of it separately and then tie it off in a knot that will come loose with pressure, you wouldn't have to worry about him running through it and getting hurt because it would just fall away.

Think of it as more of a "blind" than an actual fence.


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## xxGallopxx (Dec 1, 2011)

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> Another name for metal strands or wire = Cheese Slicer......Not pretty if they run through it.


The two reasons I'm not using wire: 
1) My horse will think it's electric and not want to get close to it.
2) What you said.

And smrobs- the wire that is on the posts is the electric fence that he's in right now. I'm not going to use it for the above reasons ^^^^


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## xxGallopxx (Dec 1, 2011)

xxGallopxx said:


> I would just use the wire I have, but I don't want him to think the round pen is electric.


Alright my mistake, I should've added ''AND BECAUSE IT'S NOT SAFE'' my bad..
Don't go thinking that I thought it was safe.... I know it's not...


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## draftgrl (Jan 8, 2011)

Ya know...if you really wanted to do this right  (dreaming here) Get yourself some 10x 4 green treated posts enough to make the shape of the pen, and drill (4) 1 1/2" holes in each post Then next pay period go out and get a TON of 1" thick cable to run for the "fence" part. THEN you only have to buy ONE of those "spendy" panels for the gate! LOL

Lol....yeah right but hey, its an idea anyway 

P.S. I saw this round pen on my way home from somewhere, and have always had it in the back of my mind for when I get rich. It was awesome!


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## xxGallopxx (Dec 1, 2011)

great idea draftgirl! But I need it to be portable...So that's why I chose those posts


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## draftgrl (Jan 8, 2011)

I would recommend, though, if you use electric tape, or something to that nature, use many strings, so as to make it more "secure" looking to the horse


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## kait18 (Oct 11, 2011)

xxGallopxx said:


> Kait18- your horses barged through it with you in there? I wouldn't want to electrify it because he has a ''healthy'' fear of electric fence... I wouldn't want to get close to it even if it was off, because he still freaks when he touches it and it's off. This is mainly just going to be used as an arena (thats basically what round pens are...DUH lol) and turnout time in here would be very minimal. That's partly why I don't want to electrify it.


yeap my horses will test everything. if the electric isn't on then they will barge when i did put the electric on later on they started to jump. so a regular 5 ft post will not cut it if they are jumpers. hence why i went to the metal panels lol 

goodluck


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## kait18 (Oct 11, 2011)

not sure if anyone mentioned this... this is what my friend uses and it works for her. 
HORSEGUARD FENCE: How to install the Round Pen Kit


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