Best fence posts for woven horse wire?

[jonem004]

I got my perimeter fence done so now I get to start on cross fencing. The perimeter is steel oilfield pipe with 6ft fall 2”x4” horse panels. It’s lovely, strong, and big-silly-stallion safe. I currently only have 2 horses at home, but we all know how that goes so I’ll set up for more “just in case!”

I’m not interested in having T posts on the property. I’ve read too many horror stories and have a big, silly, coming 5yo stallion who I don’t what to see shish-kebabbed.

So wood I guess?

Sir Stallion is easily confined by electric tape, and is compelled to stick his head through/rub his name out on anything lacking current.
I’m leaning towards 5ft 2x4 woven wire with a middle and top strand of electric. What’s best for line posts? I imagine I’ll need big pressure treated rounds for corner posts and gates? It’s quite dry here most of the year, with clay soil. Do I need every post set in concrete? Just the corners? Square? Round? Is there an alternative material I’m not considering? Safety, security, not $1000000, and aesthetically pleasing are my priorities in order. Property is just over 3 acres so not a huge space. In New Mexico, so moisture/rot are probably not as much of an issue here as in some areas.

[Bluey]

@jonem004

I got my perimeter fence done so now I get to start on cross fencing. The perimeter is steel oilfield pipe with 6ft fall 2”x4” horse panels. It’s lovely, strong, and big-silly-stallion safe. I currently only have 2 horses at home, but we all know how that goes so I’ll set up for more “just in case!”

I’m not interested in having T posts on the property. I’ve read too many horror stories and have a big, silly, coming 5yo stallion who I don’t what to see shish-kebabbed.

So wood I guess?

Sir Stallion is easily confined by electric tape, and is compelled to stick his head through/rub his name out on anything lacking current.
I’m leaning towards 5ft 2x4 woven wire with a middle and top strand of electric. What’s best for line posts? I imagine I’ll need big pressure treated rounds for corner posts and gates? It’s quite dry here most of the year, with clay soil. Do I need every post set in concrete? Just the corners? Square? Round? Is there an alternative material I’m not considering? Safety, security, not $1000000, and aesthetically pleasing are my priorities in order. Property is just over 3 acres so not a huge space. In New Mexico, so moisture/rot are probably not as much of an issue here as in some areas.

We use 2 7/8" pipe for line posts, pounded in, topped with 2 3/8" saddled in pipe for top, 4 1/2" for corners, concreted in.
That wire and pipe holds all horses, no need of electric, although electric is always good on top of any fence to teach respect.

Any woven wire is not very good for cattle, they seriously rub it out of shape in no time.

[clanter]

@jonem004

Do I need every post set in concrete? Just the corners? Square? Round? Is there an alternative material I’m not considering?

I have come to the conclusion that concreting a wooden post in is a last resort since the over time water will get between the post and the concrete causing the post to riot (treated or not)

An alternative wooden post would if available use black or yellow Locus as these have a natural expect life span of 80 plus years in most locations

Fencing, we have V Mesh that is forty years old with no sign of deterioration, some nearby was put up in the early 1950s and still is presentable

[Bluey]

One missed detail of setting posts, especially corner posts that will bear so much more pressure than line posts, is that most people don’t realize that it takes both, vertical depth to the post AND side width of the support to the posts.
A corner post set in as deep as you want to set it will still give if the ground around it is not supported enough sideways, or the post itself with a deadman system opposite to the direction of the pull.

That is why we use bigger around holes for corner posts, so we can concrete wider supports, not so much deeper ones.

Think how those huge wind turbines, many 300’ up there and with 150’ span wings are supported so they don’t topple.

They are on a turbine base of only 14’ wide and a concrete column about that depth, BUT, they are on a skirt to that 14’ deep concrete column 50’ around, which is what truly supports those towers.
We would think to support those super tall skinny turbines, what it was needed is a very long, deep post like support, but we would be wrong, the width is very important there.

Similar for fence corner posts.
It takes some sensible depth, but very important for side to side support is also the width of that support and for fence posts, concrete tends to be best for that wider base.

Just more to think about.

[jonem004]

I like that idea! I’ll have to see what’s around. I would definitely prefer something naturally rot resistant over the chemicals used on “pressure treated” posts.

[jonem004]

I see what you mean. I’m not too worried about a freeze/thaw cycle pushing posts up because of the dry here. Does seem like it’d be worth putting a good wide footing on the corner posts. I’d definitely prefer not to have an external tension anchor or some other trip hazard.

[aregard]

@clanter

I have come to the conclusion that concreting a wooden post in is a last resort since the over time water will get between the post and the concrete causing the post to riot (treated or not)

I’ve seen post bases wrapped in plastic to avoid this problem? One wrap was a kind of tape, looked rubberized, but did not have a maker’s brand on it, so I’m at a loss there. The other wrap was a plastic “sleeve”, black, PostSaver, Postshield? (4X4 size. Dunno if it comes in othet sizes).

[clanter]

@jonem004

The perimeter is steel oilfield pipe with 6ft fall 2”x4” horse panels

did they install slip joints in the rails? the summer heat at least in north Texas here will cause drill stem fencing to expand … I have seen long runs that were ended next to stone columns expanded enough to push the stone column

[jonem004]

I believe so. There are joints every 20 or 30 ft where a female end slips over the end of the next piece of pipe. The contractor was more concerned about tree roots pushing up the posts but I wasn’t going to let him cut down all of our shade so we’ll deal with that as it comes.

[ChocoMare]

For me, it’s Telephone Poles. Sunk deep, concreted in. I HATE sagging gates too, so more telephone poles.

[gradytb]

I’ve used telephone poles for corner posts as well, and the other thing that we do here are “H” braces. Big post at corner and the next (wooden) post on each side have cross pieces that attach them to each other and smooth wire Xs help stabilize them. All posts are set in concrete. I then stapled my v-mesh horse wire to the wooden posts. The wooden posts on my place have been here since the 1970s and we have our share of floods and wet. Their biggest threat so far hasn’t been rot—it’s ME accidentally catching one with the shredder or tractor bucket.

[wsmoak]

I build horse fortresses. That way I can sleep at night.

I have 5’ non-climb with a top board and the corners are 10’ long 8-10" round posts set as deep as we could get them. H-braces in the corners. I thought it would be enough… in our sandy soil, it was not, and the posts have shifted.

Going forward, all corner posts are concreted, and I’m probably doing a second diagonal brace after the first horizontal H-brace. I don’t concrete all the line posts, but will if somebody decides one is good for rubbing and starts pushing it over. But electric would also help with that.

If you are installing anything under tension, where it is pulling on the posts, the installation instructions for Centaur fence are really good. They have you dig the fence post hole plus an extra space for more concrete in the appropriate place to counteract the pull.