Looks like whatever place I buy I’m going to have to put up at least some fencing. My personal choice is the high-tensile smooth wire, 5 strands, non-electric and I’m located in Iowa. Anyone who’s had this done in the past few years who can give me an idea of the cost of fencing 5 acres? ISU Ag Extension Office is saying $1.24 per linear foot, including labor. Everyone I’ve talked to says it’s several times that amount but nobody who’s telling me this has actually had agricultural fencing put up.
Call a fence installer for costs.
We have had high tensile for many years and love it. However there are consideration you need to make part of your planning to use this fence safely. First is the amount of strands. We have 8. This was the originally recommended number for horses, from Australia when tensile wire use got started. Cattle was 14 strands! They did a great job containing cows at weaning, no injuries as mama cows hit the wire, got thrown back, as they tried getting back with babies. Husband was quite imressed seeing that, said we needed that kind of fenciing!!
You have to be careful of putting too many animals in smaller paddocks. The low ststus ones can easily get cornered and hurt trying to escape. This also happens with other fencing, but everyone gets more excited it horse is hurt on tensile wire. Also with less than 8 strands, I think there is less strength in wires holding horses contained. Wider spaces with fewer strands, let more body thru, more likely to get hurt.
You need a good fencer and have to be committed to keeping the fences clean of vegatation so they are HOT all the time. I both weed whack and spray herbicide on fencelines to keep them clean. You need to check that all wires are getting electricity, on a regular basis, just like any electric fence.
Our fences have been very easy to maintain, they will pop a staple now and then, needs staple replaced. Deer may pull wires loose jumping over or thru the wires.
We have had a couple injuries over the years, usually because the dead fencer was not keeping the wires hot. We did not know fencer was not working. Had a couple lightning hits that killed the fencer, a grounding issue, so I now check fencer daily to be sure it is on. Had horses directly across the wires from each other fighting. Now there are 2 fences between all the horse groups. Better horsekeeping management! Wounds were clean cuts, healed nicely in time, horses quite usable after. Couple new horses we had that actually kicked the wire for zapping them trying to rub on posts! Sold those dumb ones fast, not smart enough to live here!!
I really suggest having more strands of wire. Fewer strands, farther apart, make it more likely horse will get hurt if they hit the wire, not enough strength to restrain the weight and force of body hit. We have actually seen a horse of ours hit the 8 strand fence, get tossed backwards, not be injured by the high tensile wire because we had all 8 strands working together to hold her back.
Local folks only use 3-4 strands of tensile wire, sometimes have the fencer on, but not always. " Horse knows where the wire is, got burned a couple times, so we save on electric leaving the fencer off". Any tensile wire injury I hear about, I ask questions. I get the details of poorly built 2-3 strand fence, no electric on, over-crowded paddock as the issue, not the fences’ fault.
I love mine. We have six strands with two hot. I can’t give you installation costs because my brother in laws put ours up. I can tell you that the materials cost was a tiny fraction of the materials cost for other types of fencing. We put ours on 6 - 8" round posts 20’ apart.
Can’t imagine putting up high tensile without making it hot. Sounds like a great way to slice your horses to ribbons. What the purpose of the fence?
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I’ll use non-electric wire. I’ve had any number of nasty experiences with electric wire and I’ve never used it at my own places. If it’s necessary I’ll add a strand of barbed wire to the top. My pastures will be definitely underpopulated, a couple of horses in 9 acres, broodmares who’ll be out all the time. Turn-outs for my riding horses I like to use pipe fence. This property is triangular in shape and the long side is along an interstate highway. Because of that I have extra-tall deer fence along the long side of my pasture maintained by the state.
Somewhere I saw the high-tensile wire that was coated and white for better visibility but I haven’t been able to recall where I saw it.
High tensile and barb wire for babies sounds like a really good way to get to know your vet very well :eek:
There are a lot of fencing options that would be much better suited. Why have you chosen to go this particular route?
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Ramm fence is one manufacturer of coated wire, can’t remember the other major one.
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I’ve kept horses with smooth hi tensile for 22 years and my vet even longer. DO NOT use hi tensile without a electric charger. Without a charger, hi tensile is a terrible animal containment fence. With a charger and animal training, it’s great and long lasting.
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I have the coated wire electric fence and I love it. I have five strand and it’s white on purpose, so that the multitude of deer that live here (central Illinois) can see it. So far no problem with the deer.
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I would never use it unless some of it was hot. Just saying. Barbed wire on top sounds like the disaster we all know it is with horses.
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I have to say I can’t imagine using high tensile without making some of it hot. I am a big advocate of putting a single strand of hot wire on the top of ANY fence, I have a strand of hot wire on the inside of my fancy four board post, board and batten fence. Keeping horse OFF the fence goes a long was to making any fence safer.
I’m having trouble imagining what kinds of trouble you can get into with electric?
I disliked high tensile until I watched a silly three year old run straight into it at a gallop and bounce off of it unhurt - high tensile when put up with the proper tension will not slice horses up, but why take the chance?
I have the plain smooth wire high tensile and it has been trouble free for 10 years. However, the paddocks are lightly populated, and I have a very stable herd dynamic. If I had it to do over again, I would do the colored coated high tensile or the electro-braid.
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I raised dozens of babies fenced in barbed wire without an accident. Most of the acreages in Iowa that have fencing are fenced for cattle, either 3-strand barbed wire or woven wire with a strand or two of barbed at the top. If that was what was in place I’d use that but it’s too expensive to put up. The long side of my pasture to be is kept fenced by the DOT and it’s tall deer fencing. The side that needs fence faces a dead end road and this property is the only one on the road. We’d be across from a nature reserve.
By keeping broodmares strictly segregated (keeping herd dynamics stable as McGurk says) and away from turnouts and training pens and keeping the pasture under grazed the mares rarely even go near the fencing with the exception of the gate area which I will do in pipe fence. I suppose it’s partly to do with the type of horses I choose, also. I stick with very laid back quarter horses or paints, the lazier the better.
The only fence related accident I’ve ever had to deal with involved a boarder’s very ill-mannered animal and a turnout pen.
I might go the 8 strand route as goodhors suggested. I really am not planning to use barbed wire purely because of the cost factor. That was a brain fog moment.
Hear him, Hear Him!!! 
Excellent advice. High tensile with electric is an excellent choice, particularly for larger areas where things like Electrobraid can get very pricey. But electric is really essential to “warn off” the horses from contact. If that just isn’t possible (for any reason or no reason) then add a strand or two of electric material.
As for barbed wire, my entire perimeter fence is barbed wire and in 28 years I’ve had no incidents with horses getting injured.
I don’t use it for cross fencing.
Depending on your terrain it might be the optimal choice and it might not.
G.
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