Feasibility of Relocating Fences

[Ziggy793]

A potential change in my boarding situation has me considering bringing the horses home. It has always been my plan to do so eventually, but this would be years sooner than anticipated and I’m not prepared right now to make the huge cash outlay I envision to get the property set up exactly how I want, which in an ideal world involves a new barn build.

That being said, we have an existing barn that I think could be fairly easily retrofitted to do the job for the time being. Problem is that the location of that barn would necessitate pastures in a different area of the property than where I envision them in our final long-term set up (if the horses are at home, having stalls directly connected to turn out is non-negotiable for me).

So, do any folks here have experience with relocating fencing? I’m tentatively thinking wood posts and electrobraid, though am open to options. Is there some way I can mitigate my losses from fencing a pasture that will eventually move or is it just going to be more trouble than its worth to dig up posts?

[Simkie]

Pulling posts up with a tractor is easy. Whether or not they come up without breaking does depend on how old they are.

But if you’re using electrobraid, you might consider wood corners with proper bracing and something less $$ for the line posts. Those corners might need to be concreted which would make them a loss (still can be removed with a tractor, but awfully hard to reuse) but covered/capped t posts or whatever for the line posts would be inexpensive & easy to change later.

[Ziggy793]

T-posts are an option for the line posts- they do make me a little nervous as primary fencing without a perimeter fence but I know they can be sturdier than they look. If pulling up wood without huge losses is a possibility (assuming they’re in the ground for maybe a few years?) I guess I’d rather go that route, since I’ll want wood eventually

[trubandloki]

@Ziggy793

So, do any folks here have experience with relocating fencing?

There is a private facility that I drive by frequently that I swear moves their fencing at least a few times per year. So clearly they think moving fencing is easy.
They have wood corner posts, periodic wood posts on the long runs, with T-posts or other such thing between the wood posts.

I agree with Simkie’s post above. Use wood posts for anchor spots and something more removable for everywhere else.

One of the issues with pulling and moving big wood posts is having to fill in the holes.

[JB]

@Ziggy793

Problem is that the location of that barn would necessitate pastures in a different area of the property than where I envision them in our final long-term set up (if the horses are at home, having stalls directly connected to turn out is non-negotiable for me).

Could the current likely fencing setup stay where you put it, then you just add more fencing later? Would you never use the existing barn after your ideal setup is done? If you don’t use it as a barn, can it serve as a run-in, with the fencing you set up, plus additional fencing to better suit the need?

In other words - can you do the short-term fencing in a way that it still has a purpose later?

What sort of soil do you have? We had red clay soil, and the entirety of the perimeter fencing is wood posts pounded in. 6" corner posts (maybe 8? it’s been a while!), 3" line posts, Horseguard electric tape which is hand tensioned so corners don’t need to be concreted. The gate posts are 8" posts, also pounded, with wire tensioning against them to support the gate. But you likely can’t do that with sandy soil, at least not any tensioned posts.

TBH, I think Horseguard is a safer option than Electrobraid.

The only way I’d consider t-posts is with a full sleeve and cap. That puts the $ on par with wood, but they’re also easier to get out and more likely to be fully intact.

[endlessclimb]

I wouldn’t concrete anything. I also would not bother with fencing that needs bracing.

I’d put one wood post in each corner, TALL and CAPPED T posts as line posts (that’s where tons of people learn to hate T posts - short ones are easier for a horse to get hurt on - get at least 7’ tall and drive them 2’ into the ground), and I would use Horse Guard electric tape. Looks good, easy to put up, and when the time comes for your final configuration would be super easy to reuse.

EDIT: I have tape gates T-post to T-post, so no need for wood there either, at least right away. You can put up metal gates later.

[luvmyhackney]

If you don’t concrete, pulling wood posts isn’t that difficult with a tractor or farm jack.

I pulled 30 posts with just my little tractor and it was time consuming but not hard.

I would just do the wood posts, price isn’t that much more and tposts scare me.

Just set it up so it’s minimal work steps for you to do the work or it will wear on you.

[NaturallyHappy]

As I’ve downsized over the years, I’ve moved fencing many times to change pasture size accordingly. I use wood posts and coated high tensile wire. It is not a terrible job, especially if someone can pound posts.

[Simkie]

@NaturallyHappy

I use wood posts and coated high tensile wire

Yeah, coated high tensile is another great option.

I wouldn’t consider horse guard without a more solid perimeter, especially for someone already worried about lack of perimeter.

[Ziggy793]

@JB

Could the current likely fencing setup stay where you put it, then you just add more fencing later? Would you never use the existing barn after your ideal setup is done? If you don’t use it as a barn, can it serve as a run-in, with the fencing you set up, plus additional fencing to better suit the need?

Unfortunately unlikely. The property is basically bisected by a stone wall closer to the house and then an old stone cow run out in the fields and the ideal eventual location is on the other side of the barrier. It might be useful as overflow pasture in the future in some capacity, but would involve putting halters on horses to move them to it, and my ultimate goal re: farm management is to have no halters involved for daily care

We have clay soil and if we could get away with no concreting that would be super.

[Ziggy793]

@endlessclimb

I’d put one wood post in each corner, TALL and CAPPED T posts as line posts (that’s where tons of people learn to hate T posts - short ones are easier for a horse to get hurt on - get at least 7’ tall and drive them 2’ into the ground), and I would use Horse Guard electric tape. Looks good, easy to put up, and when the time comes for your final configuration would be super easy to reuse.

This is an option I’d consider if there’s a decent price differential. Could potentially re-use t-posts as internal fencing (in my dream track system)

[Ziggy793]

@NaturallyHappy

It is not a terrible job, especially if someone can pound posts.

I do have a very sturdy husband if that’s what you mean!

[Simkie]

@Ziggy793

We have clay soil and if we could get away with no concreting that would be super.

It looks like electrobraid doesn’t need concrete:

https://www.electrobraid.com/manual.html#g

Anything tensioned will need bracing, but is also more likely to keep your horses inside the fence.

[endlessclimb]

The HorseGuard stuff really is far higher quality than the big box store stuff. My tape doesn’t flap at all, and it was SO easy to put up and adjust if needed.

[JB]

@Ziggy793

We have clay soil and if we could get away with no concreting that would be super.

Clay is great for pounding! I get what you’re saying about the location and having to really just move the fencing.

FWIW, Horseguard has been our sole perimeter fencing for over 20 years. Has a horse gotten through it a few times? Absolutely. The same can be said about wood fencing, braid, wire, all of it. And nobody has gotten impaled by splinters, gotten hung up between boards (or worse, broken a leg), had a leg degloved, or anything like that. I keep the fence hot, and they respect it, but they’re horses and crap happens. Fixing HG is incredibly simple and most of it is just re-tensioning, occasionally splicing or replacing a tensioner or insulator. Quite a few of my friends also have HG as the sole fencing and also with few, minor injuries.

@endlessclimb

ALL and CAPPED T posts as line posts (that’s where tons of people learn to hate T posts - short ones are easier for a horse to get hurt on

FWIW, I had a horse who was running, slipped in mud, and slid into the bottom area of a T-post, severing his extensor tendon. That’s why I’d never use them without sleeves. I DO agree on taller is better, but still capped, to reduce the chance some funky airs above ground antics has a horse coming down on top of one.

@endlessclimb

EDIT: I have tape gates T-post to T-post, so no need for wood there either, at least right away. You can put up metal gates later.

Yes! Horseguard has gate handles that make things simpler this way. I used that when I temp-sectioned my pasture for weaning. It just takes a bit more patience and attention to work the “gate” while leading a horse, but it’s 100% doable.

@Simkie

Anything tensioned will need bracing,

Hand tensioning, like HG, does not need bracing. Unless maybe you’ve put posts into unstable soil. I’d never use HG against a t-post for tension, that needs to be a sturdier wood post

@endlessclimb

The HorseGuard stuff really is far higher quality than the big box store stuff. My tape doesn’t flap at all, and it was SO easy to put up and adjust if needed.

YES, this is so important. I heard so many awful stories about box store e-tape that I almost didn’t go that route. Then I started finding people who’d had lots of HG and for a long time, and realized it was just so much better. Ours has been up over 20 years, through tropical storms. ice (lots of ice in central NC), snow (our snow is wet and heavy), the 1000’ back fence line catches ALL the wind, and it’s been the easiest thing to maintain.

[Ziggy793]

This is good to know. You have HG on wood posts? And @endlessclimb your main fencing is HG as well?

[endlessclimb]

That really is a freak injury on the tpost! I don’t think mine are sharp enough to sever anything, at least not in a way that literally any kind of fencing wouldn’t do.

The worst injury I’ve had on my fence is where my pony spooked and wiped out right in front of the fence - her jaw caught the end of a ziptie holding a tensioner on the tpost, and left a decent gash. She took both lines of the fence out when she did it. Oops!

I had the fence back up and re energized in 10 minutes.

While a hard-tensioned fence sounds great, if it is not ALSO electrified, to me you’re just asking for additional injury - if they get stuck in it, you’re in big trouble because it won’t give.

[JB]

@Ziggy793

This is good to know. You have HG on wood posts?

Yes, all wood posts, all pounded into red clay soil. My temp cross fencing has always been (many times now) the HG fiberglass posts. For sure they could do some damage as well under the right situation, I’m not trying to imply they’re 100% safe because nothing is.

@endlessclimb

That really is a freak injury on the tpost! I don’t think mine are sharp enough to sever anything, at least not in a way that literally any kind of fencing wouldn’t do.

Plenty sharp enough to do damage to a leg coming at it from speed and the right angle It was just a generic run of the mill t-post. A wood post would likely have caused some damage as well, but not a slice far enough into the leg to do that.

@endlessclimb

The worst injury I’ve had on my fence is where my pony spooked and wiped out right in front of the fence - her jaw caught the end of a ziptie holding a tensioner on the tpost, and left a decent gash. She took both lines of the fence out when she did it. Oops!

She was pretty specific wasn’t she LOL! Oouch! The worst injury here was when my SAME horse rolled too close to the fence. He got a hind leg in it, got up and ran a bit, getting the tape wrapped around once. The line insulators all broke, and when the tape hit the tensioner, the tape broke. His leg was fine, save for a bit of rope burn. E-braid or wire would have degloved him.

@endlessclimb

While a hard-tensioned fence sounds great, if it is not ALSO electrified, to me you’re just asking for additional injury - if they get stuck in it, you’re in big trouble because it won’t give.

Yep. Either way, it all needs to be HOT. If you’ve got a horse who likes to test things, you can also put a strand of low tensile wire inside the fencing, make it HOT, and the combination can get them backed off more.

[Ziggy793]

@JB

all wood posts, all pounded into red clay soil.

Did you hire out the pounding? I’m telling myself we could rent a post driver and do it ourselves but also foresee us regretting that decision about 1/4 of the way through

[JB]

oh yes, we don’t have the equipment to pound, hubby was doing contract work out of town, and I had a broken hand LOL Even if we were both here and able-bodied, it just wasn’t something we wanted to learn how to do for the job at hand, far too many fence posts.