Fencing questions for first foal?

[Sparky_Boy]

Quick questions I’m putting in new fencing for the baby paddock. It’s probably an acre or two, rectangle shape, nice level area with a few trees for shade and scratching

Plan on woven wire mesh - but which one? Diamond/V-mesh or 2x4 No-Climb?

Line posts set at 12 ft.

Height for WB baby and LARGE mom. 60" or 72"? I think the wire fence is set all the way to the ground.

Instead of a sight board I’d like to run a top wire of this: http://www.centaurfencing.net/products/white-lightning-1-320-ft-coated-wire
Should I also add another line of it, maybe halfway up? Or 12 inches below the top? Just to keep them off the wire fence later on?

I could keep the electric off for baby if necessary. I have 4 rails of this on all my other pastures and it works well for the adults.

[Marla_100]

Just finished up numerous pastures- I used Red Brand 2x4" No Climb. It’s what most nicer places around here use. So far, it’s been great.

Mine is 48" fencing w/ 6" sight board so about 54" tall. This is for larger horses 16.2-16.3. So far none have tried to jump it and I’ve not had any other critters in the pastures either. Unless you have a confirmed fence jumper, the 60" fence is probably adequate.

We put our posts 8’ apart w/ the no-climb, I think this is what my neighbors suggested, but I have very soft sandy soil so maybe your area is different.

My only complaint in using no climb w/ newborn foals is they have a hard time seeing it and I’ve witnessed several crash and burns w/ babies. I’d probably use some surveyors wide vinyl tape to hang/tie 3 ft. off the ground for the first few months. Sometimes those babies can really ZZZOOM around.

[secretariat]

I don’t recommend wire at all for babies. Take your lead from the Kentucky thoroughbred farms where the babies can be 7 figures in values.

[SouthernYankee]

My baby was in a small paddock with 60" 2x4 no climb for the first 8 weeks, no electric on top. And no issues. Post are set 12’ apart and the fence isn’t as tight as it should be, it needs to be re-stretched and we plan on redoing it this fall. Like Marla recommended though our no climb has flex rail on the outside of the fence and served as a sort of visual barrier.

The rest of our farm is 4 strands of Centaur coated wire 5’ tall. We keep it hot hot hot. She is now 1 1/2 years old and has yet to have a fence injury. I know she’s gotten into the hot wire because I’ve seen slide marks and had broken insulators. But she didn’t have a mark on her.

[SouthernYankee]

Double post

[quietann]

Both the breeders I have bought horses from are lower-budget operations. They use highly visible electric tape and keep it turned on – babies need to learn very early that the fence will BITE them. Filly’s breeders also have some three-board fencing, again with hot electric tape run along it. The “just electric” is mostly used to make smaller areas within the board-fenced areas. When the horses are unsupervised, they are always contained within board fencing; just electric wouldn’t be used for an “outer” fence

[Bluey]

Everyone around here with the fancier barns uses V-mesh, most with something over the top, most here pipe and some pipe in the middle also.
With V-mesh, foals bounce off it if they hit it.

These are some pictures of that kind of v-mesh fencing taken off the internet, to show how those are built:

[Sparky_Boy]

I like the pipe fence but I know its pretty expensive.

Do we think 5ft is high enough?

[Irish_Love]

I went with a 5 ft high 2×4 coated no climb 8ft apart with a top board. Worked perfectly.

Didn’t use these personally but found them appealing for cross fencing… check out the equi-tee top board attachment. Also has a hot wire option.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

Anecdotal, but my filly was foaled out at a veterinarian’s farm that breeds Arabians. While not fancy by Arabian farm standards, they have sold their horses to Saudi Arabia and the like, so I think they do ok. ;). Anyway, they had a sight board at foal height (and the mares) and the rest of the fence was electric. They electric was on either right away, or after just a few days (I can’t remember). No no-climb, probably because the indivual mare paddocks were’nt that large–that would be a lot of bracing. Eventually the mares and foals get turned out together in a large paddock, but they spend the first week or so in a smaller run off the stall. FWIW, my mare kept the baby from the electric anyway.

I would have no problem with using electric tape either. I know farms that do and breed many foals a year.

Diamond mesh is the top of the line fence. It is priced accordingly. I think for many it comes down to the cost and no-climb is cheaper. Bluey’s second picture would be great. Sight line at the top and at foal height. Whatever you do, if you are doing wire fencing, I would put a sight-line board (or flex fence) in at a height for the mare and for the foal.

Just my two cents.

[MysticOakRanch]

I just want to point out - if you do use electric, you may need to wait a week or so for baby to go out on it. Young babies do not understand to back away from pain - they only go forward into it. I use electric tape (horseguard) for all our horses, but my babies spend their first few weeks in smaller pastures with no-climb.

And also realize foals lay down and roll under stuff, so you need a lower fence bottom - if using electric, that means something pretty low to the ground.

Finally, I always point out there is NO such thing as 100% safe fencing. Horses get hurt in everything. They are just self destructive:no:

[HorseKrazy]

My paddocks are fenced using the white lightening product. No complaints here, yet. I just had my first foal and had the electricity turned off while the baby met the fence. Once he started using it as a chew toy the heat was turned back on. I think he was probable a little over a week old. Honestly, I think I will re do our fencing to make it more visible and appear more sturdy. Our post are set at 10 feet and we have four strands of the white lightening (only the top and bottom are “hot”). I think I would prefer the top and bottom rail to be the 5" centaur fencing and tighten up the four strands…

[ise]

We have diamond mesh with a top board and posts 8’ on center. Had slip board at our first farm and didn’t like it . The deer would squeeze through and break the boards and some horses figured out how to wiggle the boards out. With the diamond mesh we have had minimal issues. Wouldn’t use hot wire or tape with youngsters.

[NoDQhere]

We have raised many foals in Horse Guard Electric tape. The mares foal and spend the first few days in steel panel fencing, then into the electric they go. We have had a couple pasture births (extra sneaky mares) and have never had a foal injured by the tape. The mares do try to keep the foals away from the tape but the little stinkers ALWAYS have to touch it, get a shock, run to Mom, she stamps her feet and all is well. IMO training a foal to electric fence is one of the best things you can do for them.

[crosscreeksh]

[QUOTE=Sparky Boy;7755930]
I like the pipe fence but I know its pretty expensive.

Do we think 5ft is high enough?[/QUOTE]

We have some sections of pipe fence (ex-cattle ranch) and I HATE it!! It scares me to death with any of the horses. Pipe doesn’t forgive!! If a horse puts a leg through the pipes…the leg gives…not the pipe!! Our entrance along the long driveway has a three inch top pipe at 5 feet…then four strands of vinyl coated cable below. It looks nice, is safer, but very pricey. I prefer 2x4 horse mesh or diamond mesh for ultimate safety and containment.

[Sparky_Boy]

Thanks everyone. Great tips here. Since I have to redo this pastures fence anyway, I just want it to be right and do it once

I figured they could be turned out in the indoor for the first few days until the eyesight is stronger. I also have a round pen I can set up somewhere, if thats a good option.