# 12' Post spacing



## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

I think that you can’t technically be at exactly 12 ft. You need to be at approximately 11 ft 6 in (on center) if you are using 6 in posts so that you can but the rail ends next to each other (given you don’t want to overlap them) allowing 3 in of rail at each end for nailing/screwing the rails to the post; that distance would be different again if you were using a size other than 6 in for posts. Under this scenario, I think also you would be better using square posts over round — that may make some extra work for you putting those in the ground. That should probably work well for you with a provision that your horses should be kind to the fences — if they’re going to be pushing up against the rails causing them to flex and bend (or even use enough force to break one) you may want to, or even have to, install another post in between the existing ones.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

You can do the spacing at 12' if you use the thicker boards. 
You might need 8' long posts though as you will need extra buried length to give post strength to not have a rubbing butt nor high winds push the fence out of align.
I have 4 board wood fence using 1"x6"x16' long but my posts are spaced at 6'6" distance for both "looks" and strength and then I have the same boards used as top rail with posts spaced 8' over the top of my horse wire fence.
If you use a closer spacing you also don't need as large a diameter post but more posts...it actually costs near the same for posts in the end.
Consider using screws not nails to secure plank to post...much harder to twist loose and holds tighter.
Whether screw or nail buy quality ones made to withstand extreme weather changes with a coating on them as fence is exposed to all kinds of weather and replacing busted hardware can get expensive. D it right the first time and that fence will last you a very long time.

As for putting in posts yourself....
_https://www.harborfreight.com/gas-powered-earth-auger-63022.html._
We bought this and used it successfully putting up a 1/2 acre of fence with our first project.
We used 2 people although it says can be handled by one, you have a lot more control and easier on your back when needing to pull and push the dirt out of the hole being drilled...
Not terribly expensive, and you can get in small spaces that using a tractor auger would need to have that land cleared...
This auger is available with different sized auger bits to purchase so you can do smaller and larger diameter post holes easily.
Maybe something to look into to save your back and a lot of time.
Measure very carefully and be cautious when you get ready to dig for board placement...re-digging a crooked or misplaced hole is a real pain!!
The hand-held auger worked and we still use it when to close a tree or a quick small job....and we're done. :smile:
Today I have a tractor with a auger and recently put up more board and wire fence...no comparison in ease of job. 
A large expense incurred though for a tractor and you need to need to make it worth the large $$$$ expense. :|
:runninghorse2:....
_jmo..._


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## Thyme (Sep 4, 2010)

Are 2" thick boards thick enough for the 12' spane? I'm debating cutting them all down to 8' to make a more standard fence. . .i don't have any warmbloods amd i don't think they would stress it. . .but this is going to be a lot of work fpr us I want it to last. I couldn't open that link with my phone but if its a post hope drill type thing we actually scheduled to rent ! 
I was just hoping to do 12' to save on oyr labor npt really a cost problem. But carrying slightly more smaller post throughout the property may be easier anyway. . I'm anxious. We're moving in a couple weeks and are starting the fence soon so I want a sturdy and highly visible fence especially since i have a 8 month old colt. He's easy going but with the property being forested the fence could meet them fast


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

There really is no need for three boards, you can cut down costs by using only two.


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## Thyme (Sep 4, 2010)

That's what my trainer said but my 8 month old colt will go through the rails if they're too far apart or he'll jump if it's 4' (he's Arabian) and i was worried that the gap on the bottom if only two rails would be big enough he could accidentally roll under. He's agile and curious.

If i only did two rails what heights would you mount them at?


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

horselovinguy said:


> Consider using screws not nails to secure plank to post...much harder to twist loose and holds tighter.
> Whether screw or nail buy quality ones made to withstand extreme weather changes with a coating on them as fence is exposed to all kinds of weather and replacing busted hardware can get expensive. D it right the first time and that fence will last you a very long time.


Yes, use outdoor screws instead of nails. You'll save yourself a lot of maintenance as nails WILL eventually back out.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

With cost not being such a huge part of the issue...
There is no way I would personally do a 2 board fence where a baby is involved...
No way do I want to entice attempts of escape under or between those boards to occur by a curious youngster.
You look at broodmare fenced areas they have small space openings and start very close to the ground and build upward from there or do woven horse wire with top boards by me in Ocala Florida.

I can tell you my 4 board fence is low enough to the ground I can not get my push lawn mower front small wheels near/under that bottom board so no hoof is getting under it either. Only a couple inches off the ground everywhere.
Now, I have horses at 16 hands or so and _no_ babies either. 
I stand 5'7" tall and to rest my arms across my top board is _*not*_ comfortable for my shoulders. 
Yes, my fence is high. 
Guessing my top board is 5' high give or take. 
We used 8' posts, sank 3' deep and have maybe 2" {inches} sticking out the top above a post if that. 
Our horses can put their heads over but they _can not _"hang" them either. We did this so our horses/dogs are protected from cranky snapped teeth, neighborhood children seeing the horses can not easily get in nor horse to those small fingers. Hands and arms _do not _so easily go through the openings very far.

So instead of thinking 'board" fence only....
Consider a horse fence of woven wire where openings are small enough no hoof should get through and you can place just about on the ground then use those 12' boards as your top rail that would bring your fence height 5" higher than just the actual wire fence. They also make horse wire at 5' height.
Very well seen, it is also a deterrent for dogs to get in with your horses, curious children and your horses will be minding their own business as they can't reach over for anything to eat on the other side.
Just as or more importantly..._your large investment is not pushed down or over by large necks.
_Now I have exactly this as cross fencing. My fence is 48" high with additional 6" top board and just skims the ground contours so no hoof is going under it easily either.
We bought it at Tractor Supply. 
_Do watch the gauge of the wire as there is a difference in how strong it is made and cost comes into that real quick_. 
Also...any wire fence if painted black can disappear or "fade" into the background so if you do wire with black color to it a top board to me would be a must. Although you know it's their...your eyes can look through it. 
Without knowing for sure about my horses eyesight, I would err on safety side and put a top board to any fence so a "solid" look is not missed.

Oh...the post hole digger machine and auger would cost you less than $300 with sales tax to purchase.
Not sure what they rent for...
Once bought you only need to store it and have it on hand for many jobs.
Not knowing how much land you need to fence, it is still very tiresome and hard on the back with 2 people working together to dig holes....this project will take you many days from start to finish working 12 hour days...and you need to remember frozen ground if you live where that happens figured into the time-schedule this time of year now.

_Just some more ideas..._
:runninghorse2:...
_jmo..._


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## Change (Jul 19, 2014)

I have 1x6x16 board fencing along the front of my property, but put my poles at 8' intervals - except in one place where we couldn't get the augur to drill through a very large pine root. So we have one 16' span. It's held up now for several years. Using 2x6's with 16' spans I have two suggestions. First, rather than trust to nails or screws to hold the boards in, I'd pick up U-brackets to mount to the posts and screw the boards to them. You can usually find them at Lowe's or Home Depot and they aren't that expensive. 2nd, at the 8' point in each span, I'd use a 1x6 to join the 3 boards together to maintain the spacing and share the weight. It looks nice, too. 

And since I went with 1x6's which don't have a lot of hold power if a horse decides to push through, I also ran a single strand of electric just under wither height to keep them off the fence.

As for height - my top rail is at 5' and the bottom of my low board is 10" above the ground. I can't recall what the exact gapping was, but I put the center rail equi-distant between the two. 

As @Cheveaux said, don't expect that your pole holes will be exactly 16' apart, either. Lay boards out along the line and place the poles at the point where they'll meet. Saves a TON of frustration if you get the poles exactly where they are needed the first time around.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Change said:


> And since I went with 1x6's which don't have a lot of hold power if a horse decides to push through, I also ran a single strand of electric just under wither height to keep them off the fence.


See, this is why closer spacing of posts offers more strength to the boards and support.
We spoke to the cattle guys who have this along their driveways and herds of beef cattle and the breeding bulls directly behind that fence line...
All made mention that there fences were in place for more than 10 years with no busted posts, no broken rails, nor pushed off boards with broken hardware.
Their fences were in as good a condition today as the day they were put up....
My 4 board fences have been up now 6 years and I have done no repair work to it yet....nothing!

Oh a huge one is you put your boards _always on the inside of the post....the inside of the area needing fenced._
If the horse ever decides to "push" on the fence, they are pushing _against_ the posts holding the boards in place.
It looks prettier to place boards to the outside and hide the posts, but it is fence longevity and strength to put boards on the inside where the horses would actually be.
Near no chance of a popped board either happening this way... 
:runninghorse2:....
_jmo..._


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## Reiningcatsanddogs (Oct 9, 2014)

One thing I am going to mention here....as far as DIY digging in rocky soil with an auger, there is always that big rock you didn't see coming...

We have a tractor auger on a three point hitch. It did really well when used in our low pasture, in the valley, at the foot of the mountain (even then it got hung up a couple of times and needed to be dug out by hand, which ate up half a day each time). NO WAY it was going to get the job done when we put in the fencing on top of the hill near the house where the rocks were thick and sometimes solid plates of rock! Great drainage but, the rocks were a big reason for that. We screwed up the auger on more than one occasion and had to take it in for repairs after it got stuck down in the low pasture, so we knew up top it wouldn't be able to handle anything but the softest lucky hole. 

We tried DIY, digging by hand using a rock bar and pick axe on the holes that were just too rocky and then gave up and hired a professional to come in with a Diamond Auger to drill...... and I do mean drill, the rest of the post holes. He had to cool the drill constantly with water and even then had to stop several times to let the thing cool down so as not to warp it. I think he charged us $10 a hole minimum of 20 holes. We had sixty holes and he was done in a couple of hours and left us to get on with the business of putting up the fencing ourselves. For reference, one hole DYI was taking us four hours to dig by hand to a depth of four feet. 

Depending upon how rocky and what kind of rock, hiring it out to a pro with the right equipment may be well worth it.

PS**he didn't have to clear anything to get in there, he just went in through the pasture area and navigated through the existing trees (we had trimmed up the branches prior). He was a private contractor who didn't build fences, just dug holes and I found him on Craigslist.


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## Thyme (Sep 4, 2010)

Actually I contacted the lumber guy and my board "reserve" can be changed to either 10' or 8' (both still 2" x 6" fir)
And an option of 4x4" square posts or 6x6" round posts. So a 7'6" spane or a 9'6" spane, big difference? 

I hope our property isn't that rocky. . .uh oh.
Both my neighbors have fencing with wood posts or Tposts. I've had a horse impaled on a tposts so i don't/won't use them anywhere on my property.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Thyme said:


> Actually I contacted the lumber guy and my board "reserve" can be changed to either 10' or 8' (both still 2" x 6" fir)
> And an option of 4x4" square posts or 6x6" round posts. So a 7'6" spane or a 9'6" spane, big difference?
> 
> I've had a horse impaled on a tposts so i don't/won't use them anywhere on my property.


I _won't_ use "T-posts" either as I saw what happened when a mare kicked at another and came down on it with her hind end...
What a gruesome mess...
Vet spent hours stitching her guts together...and I was one of a few who held the legs perfectly still so it could be done with her unconscious.

For a board 2" x 6" you should be able to go the longer distance and still retain the strength.
There is a large difference in strength between boards 1" x 6" and a 2" x 6"....when you use them for fence boards and what they are capable of doing with post support..
Many use the lighter board at 10' spacing of posts but over time you can see a noticeable sag...you won't have that with thicker boards.

Think if it this way....
Would you put that 1" x 6" under your horses feet in a trailer?
_I would not..._
But I would and do use a 2" x 6" board for the floor in my trailer everyday...
My stall walls are made from 2" x several different width boards...they are not going anyplace because of good post support behind them at appropriate distances.
I had a draft horse in my barn {a friends} who kicked the heck out of my walls...she did nothing but dent the wood a little bit. 
Couldn't wait to see her go home...:icon_rolleyes:

I would do 6x6 round posts as it will still give you more surface area than a 4x4, even rounding.
Either divided in 1/2.....
The 6" is 3" to nail/screw to.
The 4" is 2" to nail/screw to.
Also_ do not_ use landscaping posts as many think they are the same..._they are not._
Landscaping posts today are not what they were years ago...they fall apart as landscape wall retainers in just a few years...they rot to easily.
This is not a job you want to do again for a looooong time I guarantee you! :|

You _*are*_ doing pressure treated lumber aren't you???
:runninghorse2:.....
_jmo..._


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## Thyme (Sep 4, 2010)

The posts and 8' boards are treated but the 10' are not. However the people around here say "oh well it's fir so it will last okay not treated and you can treat it in a couple years" Agree? The 8' treated boards are about the same price as the untreated 10'


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

_No, I don't agree._
Purchasing pressure treated wood that has been treated in the mill to resist water and decay is far different that painting something on it in a few years...
Fir might deter but it is still going to be attacked and decay happen unless treated to prevent it and control it from damage done.
Damage by weather starts when you lay a board on the ground... :|
It is also time consuming and expensive to paint your fence every 3 years or so...

If this is all that the lumber yard has to offer..I would be searching for another supplier myself. 
Are there any 84 Lumber, sawmills, Home Depot or Lowe's any where near your home?
Tractor Supply?
Any farm stores?
Someplace local you will be purchasing horse feed and supplies...this is where I would go to ask where others in your area purchase fencing supplies if this place does not have it.
Those pressure treated materials come from someplace local...try to find out where and if they sell to the public or only to a business. Guarantee they have more product in different sizing than you are being offered.

I don't know where you live in your state but there has to be some kind of home improvement store, hardware/lumber store, sawmills for house building...places along that business line I would be making calls to and going to see their product and pricing.
You just might connect with someone who does fencing by word of mouth who will provide and do all for a fraction of the quote you were given...it never hurts to ask.
:runninghorse2:....


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## Thyme (Sep 4, 2010)

I'll definitely branch out a little. 
Their treated 2'x6'x8" are about the same price as home depot and tractor supply. But if I do 8' post I could do 1" just fine right? They seem to have nice 1"x6"x8' at home depot


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Go look at Tractor Supply. The store is for the farmer/rancher/agriculture industry where big box stores are for homeowners. You're now doing ag. work and that is different quality of product.
There is a difference in saturation levels of the pressure treating products too...you need to know what to ask about and look for in marking of the lumber. Do some research about it but by me...it is noticeable.
I personally would not go any longer a span between posts of 8' with a 1" x 6" board.
Comparison shop, lumber is expensive.
If stores are "local" to each other I know Home Depot, Lowe's, Tractor Supply will meet or beat their competitors pricing...you need proof of that pricing from sale flyers, web site to show...but you can save considerable amounts of money this way. Also Rural King is another store to search in and is big competition to Tractor Supply...
I would also strongly suggest you get 16' boards, may be a little harder to handle but it will allow you to stagger your board meet board joint spot and that adds strength to your fence.
Do *not* stack all your joints one on top of the other as it allows a weak point to develop in your fence when you not have at least one continuous board across...called staggering the joint.
If your climate is super excessive rain, allow for a slight angle cut to be done on the post top to channel water off or do plan on "painting/sealing" that top to keep moisture from accumulating and doing its damage with over-time seepage.
The bigger and better fence companies by me I see do that to their finished jobs. Looks nice too.
Hope that gives you some more to look for, think about. 
I too learned by doing the job, but asked a ton of questions to my local farm store who is a fantastic resource for "how-to" and do it right the first time.
:runninghorse2:....


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## Hondo (Sep 29, 2014)

FWIW, I'll throw this in. A 2x6 in span on edge is twice as strong as a 1x6. Makes sense. But a 1x12 in span, is twice as strong as a 2x6 even though both have the same material. Double the thickness, double the strength. Double the width, on edge, and it's four times as strong. Increases by the square of the increased depth.

Comparing say a 1x6 to a 1x9, the 1x9 is 1.5 times as deep. Square of 1.5=2.25 . So the 1x9 is a little over twice as strong as the 1x6.

But if the horses pushed against the boards, that'd be another consideration. I use electric to keep them off the fence.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Makes sense Hondo but there _will be_ supporting posts spaced at 8' or 10' intervals that throw that equation off. 
It isn't a long open span so much.
Many here in Florida span their posts 8' or 10' out...most do 8' and use the 1" lumber for the boards...no issues have I seen with sag.
We did closer spacing more for the aesthetics of it as this is directly looking out my 12' picture window in 2 rooms facing my backyard and we wanted "pretty" too. :smile:
I've also never seen dimension wood pressure treated in 1" x 9" either, and never on a fence for horses, just never.
I don't think I have actually ever seen that dimension at any store or lumber yard readily available.
Go to a sawmill, sure...but then she is back to regular untreated boards....
:runninghorse2:.....


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## Hondo (Sep 29, 2014)

The 1x9 was used just for demonstration purposes. I could have compared a 1x12 to a 1x8 but then I'd have needed to square a fraction of 2/3. Didn't want to get into that. Could have compared a 1x4 to a 1x8 but that wouldn't, in my mind, have shown the squaring as well. Some would just say, oh, if it's double you just make four times as much. Could have compared a 1x4 to a 1x12 which is 9! times as strong although only 3 times as deep. Maybe that would have been a better example.

And in retrospect, I suppose choosing a 1x9 as an example did throw a monkey wrench in the information I was trying to helpfully offer.


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## Thyme (Sep 4, 2010)

I contacted another lumbermill near me and haven't gotten the quote but they have a lot more options. In the email they didn't say treated but in my email to them i specified I needed treated lumber for outdoor use as a horse fence at least twice haha

"We have treated boards in many sizes. 1” x 4”, 1” x 6”, and 2” x 4”, 2” x 6”, 2” x 8”, 2” x 10”, and 2” x 12”. We also have posts from 4” X 4” TO 6” X 6”. We stock them all in bulk, and up to 20’ long. Delivering to (my address) is no problem. Thanks, Kevin – MVBC"


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## Change (Jul 19, 2014)

As this is for agricultural purposes (horses) check your state tax law, as well. When I buy fencing material for my horses from TSC, they don't charge state sales tax. Just a thought to keep the price down. This is, of course, Alabama law.

And, we get a lot of rain here. my pressure treated 1x6s are holding up fairly well and not showing any sag after 3 years. And they aren't painted ... although I hope one day to get around to it. You find, once you have horses at home that there are just so many other chores that take priority. LOL!!


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