I need to fence in run ins out of stalls that have small sacrifice areas attached (15’x60’) Im wondering what you had good luck with. This fencing will take a beating from bored horses.
I’m in the same boat, so curious what sort of responses you’ll get.
We’re considering Priefert Ponderosa fence or 440 fence.
We just came from a barn that had fencing panels for their runs, but that won’t work for us due to a slope off the barn. Was great for them. You can sort of see what I’m talking about behind the horse in this pic: http://www.hhquartercircle.com/images/walkerbud.jpg
I would do no-climb, with either a board or electric (or both) along the top, depending on how many cribbers/beavers you have.
I have seen way too many horses get hung up in round pen panels to feel safe about them in such close quarters.
DO NOT DO NO CLIMB!
I have a friend who lost a horse: horse kicked, punched a hole in the no climb, which then punched a hole in the horse. He bled out.
The barn I currently train at has no climb in the runs. Several mares have kicked holes in it, with nasty little bits of wire sticking out all over. Much fence (if not horse) repair needed at the very least.
I would do rubber rail with electric, myself.
I think electric is a bad idea in a run situation. Just too close. Perhaps a strand along the top of whatever fencing you’ve got, to keep two disagreeable horses from bickering, but not the whole fence. And not in normal circumstances.
LOVE making fence hot everywhere else, but not there.
[QUOTE=arlosmine;7795491]
DO NOT DO NO CLIMB!
I have a friend who lost a horse: horse kicked, punched a hole in the no climb, which then punched a hole in the horse. He bled out.
The barn I currently train at has no climb in the runs. Several mares have kicked holes in it, with nasty little bits of wire sticking out all over. Much fence (if not horse) repair needed at the very least.
I would do rubber rail with electric, myself.[/QUOTE]
Huh? Are we thinking of the same fence? I cannot imagine a situation in which no-climb, even broken no-climb, could “punch a hole” in a horse enough so that it bled out…
Also, good quality no-climb will not break when kicked…it bends, and then springs back into shape. (This is why you want the horse-stuff, the diamond or woven mesh, NOT the welded wire.) There’s a reason it’s one of the top recommended fences for foals.
I have a good friend whos horse punched a hole as well. It was the redbrand good stuff and a very expensive hunter whos areer was ended. I think all types have pros and cons.
Im leaning towards the flex vinyl, but I wonder if they will not respect it enough:( Its so narrow for all electric though.
I wouldn’t do no-climb in tight quarters, because I’m worried about tearing a shoe off so badly the foot is damaged. I only like no-climb with something hot to keep them off it. But, I’d never considered a horse actually punching through the stuff…scary.
If it is wide enough, I am ok with hot. My dry lot is 50’ wide (longer though) and it is hot Horseguard tape lined.
Otherwise something smooth and willing to take body damage with out splintering. My horse was injured pretty badly on (rough) continuous panel fencing, so anything is possible.
I like a hot top line if the horses can touch over the fence. Just not if the alleys are so close together the hot fence will keep them from being able to roll/relax.
[QUOTE=bluedapple;7795583]
I have a good friend whos horse punched a hole as well. It was the redbrand good stuff and a very expensive hunter whos areer was ended. I think all types have pros and cons.[/QUOTE]
The Red Brand is NOT what I think most of us are recommending. Unless there’s something different, at a search I only found the rectangles. A v-mesh no climb is the way to go with no climb, and I can’t imagine a horse punching a hole - though with horses, I would never say it’s impossible!
what type of V-mesh do you recommend?
This is the v-mesh: http://www.redbrand.com/Products/HorseFence/Keepsafe.aspx
But I have used this for years: http://www.redbrand.com/Products/HorseFence/Non-Climb.aspx in tight quarters and have had no issues. The key is that you really need WOVEN, not WELDED. That makes all the difference when a hoof hits it.
ok, thank you so much. I want to add the v-mesh to our perimeter fencing to keep the dogs in.
I have boarded at many places with many different types of small run fencing. (common set up in CA)
Favorite was vinyl with electric. The electric was mounted on very short mounts, so it extended just an inch or less away from the fence. Looked good, horses respected it, and if one did kick - a rail popped out - no big deal.
Second favorite - pipe panels - not great for kickers as it can be hard on their legs - but if the horses get along and have manners - works quite well (this is what my horse has now). Our panels are 6 rail.
I like the two Simkie suggested.
I am not a fan of wood - splinters and breaks (I have seen the worst injuries on wood fences - impaled from sharp broken boards etc).
[QUOTE=GoForAGallop;7795686]
This is the v-mesh: http://www.redbrand.com/Products/HorseFence/Keepsafe.aspx
But I have used this for years: http://www.redbrand.com/Products/HorseFence/Non-Climb.aspx in tight quarters and have had no issues. The key is that you really need WOVEN, not WELDED. That makes all the difference when a hoof hits it.[/QUOTE]
Actually, as I think about it - I believe my perimeter fence is called no climb and horse pens are v-mesh not labelled as no climb. I prefer the v-mesh (like the link from GfG, I’m not sure what brand we got) but no climb is great on the perimeter and keeps neighbor horses/dogs off our property when they don’t dig under the fence.
I’ll repeat what several others said that woven and NOT welded is an absolute necessity. 
My gelding got lucky when he hit our welded gate - he barely cut himself at all, but put a hoof through between the wire and the rail it was welded to. Dingbat was looking at me while running, forgot about the end of the pen, turned, saw it, started to set himself up to jump it then realized he wouldn’t hit the second fence correctly to get over it as a 1 stride and tried to stop instead.
My runs are larger, its a 1/2 acre for 3-4 horses and attached feed stalls. I use white lightening and covered t-posts. kind of like this http://centaurhorsefence.com/coated-single-wire.html
You don’t have to electrify it, but I would:cool:
T-posts have slip on covers that cover the entire t-post and make them look similar to woods poles. You do have to brace the heck out of it with wood poles on such short runs to keep enough tension to make it tight.
Only had 1 horse bust through it, that was when we first put it up. it was a pushy fresian trying to get to mares on the other side. No injuries and had the fence back up in a matter of minutes (just slipped through the tensioner) took longer to catch the stupid fresian out with the mares. We keep it hot and it packs a punch. horses don’t mess with it as long as its on!
I only used 4 rails because I have primarily lesson horses and quiet boarders. Although the company recommends doing 5 or more rails for mares and foals or studs. The horses will stick there head through to eat grass on the other side if you don’t keep the electricity on. Been using it a couple years now. Just keep it tensioned and very little maintenance.
I fenced my runs with all electric last year. I’m cheap and used 3 strands of electric rope for the interior fencing (my perimeter fence is coated tensioned electric).
They’re 18’ wide at the widest by 70’ long, the narrowest spot is 14’ wide. One even has an L to it since my property runs the wrong way off the barn.
I’ve had no issues with anyone being afraid of the electric, and in fact I don’t think anyone touched it after the first day. I originally put it up to separate two geldings (1 in with my mini mule). And while they made faces at each other over the fence, it didn’t go any further.
That said, I know there are many of you shaking your heads in despair over my use of electric. But I love electric.
I also have electric on my paddocks. The perimeter is wood in places, then Centaur HTP mostly. Cross fencing is 3 strand Horseguard tape. The stalls open to paddocks that are separated by the Horseguard tape, on covered t- posts (the full plastic covers that come from Horseguard and match…everything is brown). Even though right by the barn, two paddocks are as narrow as 12’, I’ve not had an issue with this type of fencing. The worst thing that happens is the one horse that twirls his jolly balls on ropes gets it wound up in the fence and pulls it loose, so I have to retightened it.
I’ve boarded where they used the pipe panels and it wasn’t too bad, but I had more bell boots destroyed by horses reaching under, blankets destroyed by horses reaching over, and manes and tails chewed by reaching through, than ever happens with my current set up. If I did pipe, I’d still add electric just to keep them out of trouble!
We have had V-mesh in the stallion pens, between stallions, for decades, without anyone ever being injured, even when they played on both sides.
I don’t like the square no climb, but the V-mesh would be very rare a horse could kick thru it?
That is what we are thinking for our 16’ x 60’ runs off our stalls and the small horse traps.
Either that or pipe and pipe, if horses interact along it, they can get scraped if they kick thru the pipe panels.
Wood is really not as safe in close quarters.
A friend had a mare scratch her behind on a wood fence, get a splinter and a huge abscess from it.
The trouble with using electricity in very small, narrow pens is that horses really are too tight in there for that, can’t hardly move without getting shocked.
Some between two horses that fight is ok, all around on a very small, narrow pen, not without very good reason, like a cribber or so, maybe not so good for the horse’s comfort.
See, I disagree that they can’t really move when they’re fenced with electric in narrow runs. Everyone I’ve ever had will stand right up next to it, poop within inches of it, play bitey face over it, and run along it. And my charger is big and my fencing is HOT.
I think it sort of depends on the horse, but that most will deal just fine. Clearly they don’t want to actually touch it, but the condition of the sections of no-climb and 3-rail fencing that I have leads me to say that I’d rather they not touch it. I’m going to have to completely re-do 100’ of no-climb next spring that they’ve used for scratching (my fault, I didn’t put a line of hot wire on it) and a previous tenant ate a lot of my 3-rail and I probably should replace those poles.
