Hello all,
I’m looking at buying a large farm and considering running fallow deer & red deer, yes they are legal in my state. In the majority of what I’ve read/seen people use chain link, I’m guessing because of height necessity. That got me thinking about how CL seems pretty one & done with very little maintenance, unlike board or wire fencing. Has anyone tried using CL for horses??? Any and all experiences welcome, either personal or heresay!!
Thanx in advance!!
Rosie
The risk with chain link is a kicking horse. That really has nothing to do with shoes–any horse shod or unshod can kick and get a foot trapped in chain link. That’s not a risk I would be willing to take.
Not to be dense, I’ve never had CL, but the “diamonds” are so small, do they stretch?? Seriously, they look smaller than my mini’s feet.
Now I want to find some & see about the stretch factor!!
Hubby just told me he’s seen baseballs go thru, so yup, no CL!!
THANX!!
PS - He should have said that when I first mentioned it!!!
Electrify the interior of pens so animals can’t rub the wire. Chain link stretches incredibly when pushed.
There is an old horse farm nearby that used 6ft chain link many years ago, in place at least 40 years because I looked to see horses as a very small child driving by there. The fence is still in great shape, no stretches or pulls to deform it. So if I could afford chain link, I would not hesitate to use it, plus inside electric wire, to contain horses. This was a breeding farm, perhaps none were shod to snag shoes in fences.
I suspect the real reason chain link is not more common on horse farms is the cost. It’s a very pricey fencing material. It seems to be reasonably durable but if it gets damaged you don’t fix it; you replace it.
On our last visit to Texas we drove past several “game ranches” with fencing 8-10 feet high. I don’t think it was chain link like you might find in town. We didn’t stop and get out to look at it.
A quick Google search found two types of fencing suitable for deer:
https://southwestagriculturesupplies.com/collections/deer-exotic-game-fencing
https://www.kencove.com/fence/21_Woven+Fence+Options_resource.php
G.
Thanx, everyone!
Guilherme, thanx for the links. I have mostly been on seller’s sites and the NADeFA sites ,loads of info about height, not so much on materials! Most of my info was gleaned from white tail farms. Fallow and Red, tho legal, aren’t common around here. Obviously I’m still in the research faze!
I saw a horse hit chain link, popping the top metal rail (which consists of long metal tubes with slip joints, not exactly the sturdiest arrangement in the world) and impaling itself on one of the ends thus exposed, severing its carotid and bleeding out in moments,
jennifer
chain-link fencing is excellent for a horse to rub its butt on, at least that’s what they think it should be used for
We have 6’ heavy duty chain link panels on two sides of the house yard, that are the horse pasture and pens.
We have had chain link here and there where horses were across that fence and never in probably 70 years had any horse or horse shoe or hoof tangle with it.
One local vet clinic has one of their barns with 10 stalls all stalls are chain link fence panels, for decades.
If you make the chain link fence right, it can work about like any other fence.
The worst fence injury I know was on a three board fence.
While there are fences that are less safe than others, it is not the fence itself some times, but how the accident happens.
There’s a former Standardbred farm here that now houses Iberian mares & foals mostly.
They have had chainlink up so long most of it looks rusted.
Does not seem to be a problem for mares or babies.
I have had chain link for about five years now. Absolutely no problems with it. I went with 60" high, and it was actually less money to install than regular field fence, as quoted to me by a contractor. Half the price! We did it ourselves, too.
I think some of the “accidents” with various kinds of fence are the fault of the individual horse injured or how the horses are managed. Example would be too many in a paddock or barnyard, no room to move away. Very agressive horse after another horse all the time, when agressive horse needs to be kept alone or with horse he won’t chase. I have seen injuries with every kind of fence. No food to nibble or graze on. All management issues. No one fence is ever perfectly safe for horses.
We have come to think it is Darwin’s theory in practice with certain animals or families of horses that seem to always get hurt. Some horses are just too stupid to survive. You can’t fix that or train it out of them. There is no safe fence when they get excited and brains fall out. They are wIlliing to run thru wood and wire to “get their way” or react badly to a situation. At that point you can only hope fences will withstand the impact to keep horse contained.
We do not own such horses, do not overcrowd paddocks or pastures, no terribly agressive horses chasing others. My fences are high tensile wire, that is feared by horse owners. Hated only second to barb wire. This fence has 8 strands of hot wire, fencer is always on. This was the recommended method of installation by the manufacturer, put in by professionals. I consider it money well spent, has been great fence for us over many years with minimal injuries. I am saying not even 10 fence injuries in 30 years, with a quantity of various breeds and ages living here inside the fences. Most of them were management issues, including horses across a single fence fighting. I sure don’t do that anymore! Fencer got hit by lightning, didn’t know it was off, had horses trying to graze under the wire. Now I check fencer DAILY ti insure it is working. All the injuries healed up well, horses remained totally usable in hard work.
We have found high tensile fence to work well for us. Exceptions were a couple stupid horses who would NOT leave it alone despite getting badly shocked by the fencer. I thought the fencer wasn’t working and touched wire in the same place, got knocked down! They were resold ASAP, not the kind of brain we wanted to own!! I SURE don’t want to ride or drive a horse that does not learn fence will bite after several painful shocking lessons! That kind of horse will get you hurt or killed, no survival instinct! I don’t care about their looks, talent, how well we get along otherwise. Not leaving the fence alone is my “early warning” that horse is not going to work here.
@Bluey Those look great!
I used to worry when I saw horses behind the chainlink I described,but I’ve been here 13yrs, the barn has been there - fences & all - for much longer.
Seems to be working for them.
For all I know they have a hot wire run inside - if so, it cannot be seen from the road.
@goodhors - I have coated tensile with a top rail Centaur-type clone with 2 wires embedded in 4" rail.
The worst “injury” in my time here was my TWH who somehow managed to get a foot thru the corner wire bracing - he stood for I don’t know how long (quietly - a couple piles of manure behind him & no signs of struggle) until I could work him loose.
Took a few gimpy steps & was fine - not a mark on him.
The only other downside is I do NOT make the fence hot & they do graze thru it - resulting in the Equine Combover Look that has me roaching manes so they look civilized.
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