# Fencing materials



## Koolio (Apr 7, 2010)

I am hopefully moving to an acreage in a couple of weeks and will need to build a fence for my horses. I have researched a variety of possible fencing materials quite a bit, but wanted to know if anyone had any experience with some of the materials I am considering. I am trying to find something that will be safe for my horses, relatively easy to maintain, and reasonably priced. I live in an area that has winter for about 6-7 months a year, so the fence must be able to withstand both heat and cold. Here is what I am considering...

FlexFence - 1" strands - 2 high tensile wires covered in polymer plastic (in white). I would use four strands and possible one strand of electric wire on top if needed. How does this stand up to horses pushing on it? Does it stretch much? Does it seem to last in the weather? This is also available in 4" and 5" strands, but gets very expensive. 

Polymer coated high tensile wire - this is single stranded high tensile wire covered in a 1/4" poly coating. They use this at the stable where my horses are now, but it seems to stretch and the polymer separates from the wire. It is not installed properly however, as it is nailed to the fenceposts. I belive it is supposed to be able to slide through the fasteners. Again, I would use four strands.

Does anyone have any feedback on these two types of fencing materials? Any other suggestions?


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## ridergirl23 (Sep 17, 2009)

you could just use wood rails maybe? And if your horse leans on them, put a strand of electric wire on the top rail.
Except some horses like to chew it.


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

Koolio, 

I have plain high tensile; I'm not sure what the advantages of the polymer coating would be. 

Of course I would have loved to fence my entire place in oak boards, but that was just out of question cost wise. I have four board oak on the road frontage; and 6 strands of high tensile on 6 - 8" posts 20 feet apart on the rest, with the top strand and the second from the bottom electrified. It was relatively inexpensive, decent looking and *very* easy to maintain. The tension of the wire does change with weather conditions, but we keep a socket wrench in the golf cart, and when we see a loose strand we tighten it, that's it. It's very important that it's installed through staples that allow it to move freely. It's safe, cheap and easy to maintain. 

I am leery of any of the electric or electric/polymer combos that are installed on lightweight posts, because when the electric goes out (not if, when) the fence can easily be pushed over or crushed by a falling tree. Since my horses live out, and are often unsupervised while out, that wasn't an acceptable level of risk for me. Lots of barns do seem to manage quite well with one of the heavier electric/polymer combos on lighter posts because the horse's turnout is usually supervised.


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

A place I know of installed that Flexfence stuff, the thicker stuff I think it's the 4" and they have problems with breakage. It is more visible and safer than the high tensile wire though, so I think with a strand of electric it would deter leaning and scratching.
Now I do not like HTW, I do not like it at all. I would keep my horse in a stall and drive to the barn twice a day to hand walk him before I would turn him out in HTW. I just have these visions of sliced tendons and caught up legs.

By far, the safest fencing I have come across is wooden posts with metal tube pipe going through the posts. It is quite expensive but I have seen a horse roll, get cast in the fence, get himself uncast, stand up and be absolutely unscathed and completely sound.









Honestly, I would just suck up the bill and pay for all wooden, it's not as expensive as the aforementioned fencing, but it is safe, sturdy and stands up very well to winter. I would also worry a lot less about a horse leaning on it or getting a leg through it than with the HTW especially, but also the Flexfence. You always get what you pay for.

Good luck!


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## mliponoga (Jul 24, 2010)

I don't use HTW, but somewhat like that and I've never had any issues. The difference is the wire is much thinner and stretches. If a horse runs into it for whatever reason the wire just stretches out and will not cut them. HTW from what I know will stand up to a horse running into it and therefore hurt the horse. I'm not a fan of HTW either!


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

Wow, no high tensile lovers here, huh? I wasn't a big fan of it either, I just viewed as another form of wire, until I was at a facility with a paddock fenced in it and watched a horse run into it full tilt and bounce off it unhurt without a mark on it. I've had it at another leased facility since then, and 3 years at home, and haven't had a fence related injury. Three points are crucial - have it strung correctly so it's truly taut; that's part of the safety aspect; have multiple stands fairly close together (I'd say 5 is minimum) and have a top and bottom strand electrified to keep the horses off of the fence. Actually, the last is good advice for any fence. And it's probably a good idea to flag the fence when you first put horses out in it. 

Anabel, if I had your glorious horse, and spent the time, money and effort to get her to where she is, I'd be very, very particular about fencing, too. 

My fencing is a compromise, no doubt about it. Fencing the whole place in board, like I would have liked to, would have cost 25 grand, instead of the 8 grand it cost to have the road frontage in board and the rest high tensile (that was with borrowed equipment and a crew of relatives to put it up.) However, it's a compromise me and my horses can live with. 

Individual results may vary.


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## Koolio (Apr 7, 2010)

*How about electrobraid fencing?*

Does anyone have any experience with electrobraid fencing?


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Koolio said:


> Does anyone have any experience with electrobraid fencing?


Our friends down the road use 2 strands of electobraid and love it. It's inexpensive, safe, and quick and easy to install. To be honest, at first I thought that it couldn't possibly compare to the security of board or woven wire fencing, but in six years they've never had a horse escape.


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## Mystical Acres (Sep 21, 2010)

*help*

:???:I'm getting ready to add *electric to my wood fence* so my yearling won't try and play with the horses on the other side. Do I need to train him or will he just know?

Read more: The Horse Forum - View Profile: Mystical Acres


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

I'm going to be putting up field fencing, with an electric strand on top to keep the horses from leaning onto/over the fence.

I like field fencing. It's neat, clean, and doesn't cost a boatload. I'm going to use a combination of wood posts and metal t-posts, to help keep the expenses down.

Wooden posts every 40 feet, with t-posts in between every 10 feet. 

Field fencing costs about $150.00 for a roll of 330 feet. I figure for the rest of my acreage, the rolls of fencing alone are going to cost me $1,500.00.

Add in the wood posts, t-posts, fence clips, t-post caps, staples, hot wire insulators, hot wire, and a solar fence charger, and it's going to cost me quite a bit of money. Still cheaper than all wood fencing, though!


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

I think the safety and effectiveness of electrobraid depends entirely on the posts you use and how deeply they're sunk. There's two places near me that use it - one has posts of insufficient diameter, not sunk deeply enough, and not adequately braced in the corners, and the fence is down after every storm. I wouldn't turn horses out in it, ever. 

The other has wooden 4 -6 " posts, 12' apart, with 1/3 of the post in the ground. It looks attractive, and is absolutely secure. 

A compromise can be what SR suggested; using a mixture of wooden posts sunk properly in the ground, with metal T-posts in between for stability. 

I would not trust any fence that's all T-posts, or has a long, uninterrupted run of T-posts. Too easy for a tree limb or an itchy horse to push over.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

maura said:


> I would not trust any fence that's all T-posts, or has a long, uninterrupted run of T-posts. Too easy for a tree limb or an itchy horse to push over.


Exactly, maura. That's why my fencing hasn't been finished. There's no way I'd put up JUST t-posts, regardless of whether or not the fencing is electrified.

I want to do it right and have it be permanent, so I'm not going to do a sloppy, haphazard job. I'm buying materials when I can afford them. As soon as I have enough, the first pasture will be fenced _properly_.

I have two areas right now that the horses can go out into, but the pastures on the right and left of the house are the ones that need to be fenced.


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## Koolio (Apr 7, 2010)

*Fencing tomorrow*

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

Well, tomorrow we are pounding in posts. We are going to use 5" treated wood posts spaced 12 feet apart and then string 4 strands of electrified rope. The rope is made of the same material as the electrobraid, but a slightly coarser weave. It is also electrified with stainless steel wire rather than copper wire, so it should resist corrosion just that little bit more. I plan to electrify the top and third strands, as once the horses encounter the electric fence, they usually stay well away from it. 

We are also placing the posts within the perimeter of the property by about 10-15 feet so that we can mow around the outside (and get around with a truck). The grass in the pasture is a good healthy mix, so the horses should have little reason to challenge the fence. I don't think two horses will be able to eat down all the grass on 8 acres, especially considering I will need to feed hay for our 6 months of winter. There are also trees and thick brush surrounding almost the entire property (except the driveway), so we also have a natural visual barrier just beyond the fence. 

I have ordered two 8'x16' run in horse shelters that should arrive today. One will be used for hay storage until spring and the other for the horses. The pasture area will be divided into two halves of a few acres each with a shelter in each so I can rotate them in summer.

Aside from the pounding and hammering, all that is left to do is to bring in my hay and set up an insulated water trough with a heater. 

Did I forget anything? Is it worthwhile bedding down the shelters with straw?


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Koolio, as long as you keep the shelters cleaned of manure and the pastures dragged to break up the manure, you should be fine. No real need for straw in the run ins.


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