Clearing fenceline or leave it?

[SugarCubes]

I am preparing to bring my two horses home in a couple of months. Our perimeter is currently all fenced in field fencing with a top strand of barbed wire. I’ve used Centaur in the past and plan on using that for cross-fencing and to replace the fencing that is falling down or easily accessible to the horses.

However, there are a few long sections of the original fence that is in good shape, and while I’m fully aware that field fencing with barbed wire is NOT horse safe, it’s also behind 3’-4’ of thick brush/thorny bushes that I cannot fathom the horses going anywhere near. Given that fact, it is also going to make it quite a challenge if I DO need to replace it, as getting to it will require some clearing.

Our property perimeter (and fencing) is mainly located in the woods, the pasture is around an 8-10 acre clearing in the middle of the property and I just don’t see them wanting to venture into the woods where the fence line is located…but then again, horses :sigh:

Advice?

[NancyM]

I have left most of my wire fencing. We have replaced some spots where the pasture size is small. We have a large acreage, 160 acres. It is perimeter fenced with barbed wire, and some cross fencing is barbed wire too. The barbed wire is a necessity on the perimeter, because our neighbours have cows, and it is necessary to keep cows OUT. We can not afford to double fence it with post and rail on our side. I have topped a lot of the fences with an electric added wire, otherwise my horses will reach over the fences, get too close to them for my liking, and damage the fences. I also ENCOURAGE the growth of thick bush and wild roses to grow up on these fencelines, to make a hedge. Hedges are the BEST fencing for horses, especially hedges with prickles on them, nasty stuff. If there is a wire fence of any sort in the center of that hedge, that’s OK, it can stay there. Those places where we have good hedge growth around the wire fences, the horses do not go anywhere near these fences, they are a good barrier. I have found that as long as there are not horses also on the other side of a barbed wire fence, and if your horses KNOW where the wire fences ARE, there have been no injuries on these fences in the last 13 years we have been here. If pastures are large, there is no incentive to go near the fences.

As an aside, the WORST injury I have dealt in 50 years of looking after horses with was a horse who got cast in a 2 X 6 post and rail fence, and completely destroyed it, and damaged himself permanently as a result. ALL fences are dangerous. What is best is if horses stay away from them, actively avoid them, and have large areas in large pastures to do their horse things together away from fences.

So my answer for you is “yes”, keep and encourage the growth of hedge material in your good quality wire fence. If it ever has to be replaced, a bulldozer will clear the area prior to building a new fence. This plan is working for us.

[Simkie]

I would either clear and run a line or two of hot wire/tape on stand offs, or not clear and put a line of hot on step ins, to keep them off and away.

Because the tastiest bits are undoubtedly in that brushy mess, and, well…horses :sigh:

[SonnysMom]

I would leave it if it is dense enough to discourage horses from it. My friend had 4x4 wire fencing that she shared with a neighbor farm. It had a lot of brushy and thorny growth on both sides of the fence. For 30 years she had no problem.

If you clear it, remove the barbed wire then you should probably keep it cleared so that is more maintenance work. Leaving the brush is less work now and less work going forward.

[clanter]

@SugarCubes

Our perimeter is currently all fenced in field fencing

Advice?

one day I notice my daughter’s horse standing next the fence, it was a standard field stock fence (without barbed wire)… he was just looking at the horses across the next pasture… three hours later there he was standing and looking … so I went to see what he was looking at.

He was just waiting for help. He had hooked his left front shoe onto the bottom 9ga wire of the fence… had to use bolt cutters to cut the fence then pull the shoe to get the wire out

[pony_grandma]

@clanter

one day I notice my daughter’s horse standing next the fence, it was a standard field stock fence (without barbed wire)… he was just looking at the horses across the next pasture… three hours later there he was standing and looking … so I went to see what he was looking at.

He was just waiting for help. He had hooked his left front shoe onto the bottom 9ga wire of the fence… had to use bolt cutters to cut the fence then pull the shoe to get the wire out

I just happened to be working at the DR table looking out the back deck doors yrs ago and there was the neighbor’s horse loose standing at the back fence line. I started outside then turned and came back for a halter, lead rope and wire cutters! Same thing except it was a strand of barbed wire caught under the heel of his shoe, before we wood fenced (used to be a cow pasture olden days) I haltered and tied him to stand still so I could cut the wire, drawn taut, so it wouldn’t ping back at either of us.

My DD just bought a place perimeter fenced with old woven wire, top stranded with barb. And entirely tree lined with deep multiflora thickets as a barrier before the fenceline. We’re deciding whether to reduce the mess or leave it also. It will be a rabbit haven since the older field just got bush hogged and they ran for the shelter. I walked it no one died…

[pony_grandma]

@clanter

one day I notice my daughter’s horse standing next the fence, it was a standard field stock fence (without barbed wire)… he was just looking at the horses across the next pasture… three hours later there he was standing and looking … so I went to see what he was looking at.

He was just waiting for help. He had hooked his left front shoe onto the bottom 9ga wire of the fence… had to use bolt cutters to cut the fence then pull the shoe to get the wire out

I just happened to be working at the DR table looking out the back deck doors yrs ago and there was the neighbor’s horse loose standing at the back fence line. I started outside then turned and came back for a halter, lead rope and wire cutters! Same thing except it was a strand of barbed wire caught under the heel of his shoe, before we wood fenced (used to be a cow pasture olden days) I haltered and tied him to stand still so I could cut the wire, drawn taut, so it wouldn’t ping back at either of us.

My DD just bought a place perimeter fenced with old lg sq welded wire, top stranded with barb. And entirely tree lined with deep multiflora thickets as a barrier before the fenceline. We’re deciding whether to reduce the mess or leave it also. It will be a rabbit haven since the older field just got bush hogged and they ran for the shelter. I walked it no one died…

[SLW]

I have really, really poor perimeter fencing that has been up almost 30 years. We have patched and added band aids to avoid having to totally replace it…there is always a strand of hot wire working above the sagging part, unless a tree branch has shorted it out. That being said, a wise cowboy told me years ago always have the fence hot and working up by the barn or area where the horses gather for hay/turnout/grain etc. because that is where they will jostle for position and possibly hit the wire. If its hot there they will think it’s hot everywhere if it’s been hot everywhere at some point in time.

I think if you leave the fence in the thorny bushes you should be okay. You could always run a strand of hot wire in front of it to help train them to stay out of there.

[Scribbler]

We get Himalayan Blackberry here. Very invasive. It will create ten foot thick fences or hedges. Horses eat it but not as fast as it grows. I would be perfectly content with a hedge of that as a fence line and wouldn’t even question what was inside. But it is very invasive and will take over entire lots. Like Kudzu.

[Calvincrowe]

I’d leave it. There’s no sense in undoing a good, solid hedgerow. I have two sections of our lower field that have field fencing in them, buried behind plum trees, blackberries, wild hazelnut trees, ferns, etc. It’s a lovely hedgerow that creates a windblock, shade, safe passage for all sorts of critters and my horses leave it totally alone. Have done so for 16 years. We keep it trimmed back to a few feet from the actual fence so it doesn’t begin to invade the pasture. My entire perimeter fence is wire field fencing to control canines, wild and domestic, from getting in (or out in the case of our own pack). Topped with a smooth wire, it has been trouble free for years.

My worst horse v. fence incidents have all involved blankets getting snapped or snagged to the no-climb we used in the paddocks, topped with a pipe rail.

[SugarCubes]

Thanks, all! You’ve just saved me a TON of work :lol: I didn’t quite know how to describe the growth around our fenceline, but yes, its a thick “wall” or hedge. Very tough to get through without tools cutting things out of the way. I think I’ll leave it alone and just keep an eye on the horses, adding electric if needed.

[Another_Poster]

I vote for leave it too. It sounds like it creates a nice privacy hedge

[ReSomething]

@Scribbler

We get Himalayan Blackberry here. Very invasive. It will create ten foot thick fences or hedges. Horses eat it but not as fast as it grows. I would be perfectly content with a hedge of that as a fence line and wouldn’t even question what was inside. But it is very invasive and will take over entire lots. Like Kudzu.

Kudzu with fat delicious berries for eating, pies, yum, but yeah it’s a vicious weed. Kept in the landlords sheep that is until the other tenants kids started burrowing into the mass on our side to pick berries and the neighbor on the other side had his removed to the property line. Took about two week till the sheep were out as there proved to be no fence at all.
The most prickly thing I know of is the Osage orange which can be a tree or bush, and the old guy used to stand there with his eyes closed dreamily while he completely stripped it of leaves as far as he could reach, we had planted berry vines and once they were established at the fence line and I took the barrier down the mare was in there scratching her stomach and devouring them. One of the larger bad moves I have made, we don’t have vines anymore. So be aware!

[Weezer]

I took down the barbed wire in this situation because the stuff terrifies me. The prickly bushes tore me apart the whole time. A couple years later, a spooked horse lost its rider on a trail ride and jumped a clear section of the fence to get back to the herd. The top third of the fence was bent over, which means the mare would have torn out her belly if the barbed wire were still there. If your fence line is solidly covered, it may be ok to leave but if there is a gap, they will find it.