New Barn: Fencing Questions

[cswoodlandfairy]

We purchased 17 acres and are about to break ground on a house and barn. So of course we need fencing. Currently the property is 3/4 fenced with cattle fencing. My plan is to take 1/4 down (it is fully exposed, remaining sides covered in thick bushes and horses wont be near) and replace it with no climb fencing for horses. So Its looking like roughly 1800ft of fencing we will have to replace. Luckily for 800 feet we have posts already. What is the best no climb (bang for buck) that you have found? I found a fencing that is 4 ft tall, 330’ long with 6" x 3.5" openings for about $150 a roll, which is roughly half of the higher end products by Midwest Air Technologies…has anyone ever used this?

For “interior” fencing we were originally going to do 3 board fencing. I’m looking at about 1800ft of that as well. But I recently discovered Ramm fencing and was thinking of doing that as the cost is basically the same but the maintenance is lower than wood. Anyone use this? Love? Hate?

Also open to other options. I want it safe but we also are on a strict budget so looking at all options. I will use hot wire inside the perimeter fencing to section off fields etc, my horses completely respect it.

Thanks in Advance!

[NancyM]

You pay your money and take your choice. All fencing is dangerous for horses, each has it’s strengths and weaknesses. A horse can wreck itself on any type of fencing if it tries hard enough. Hot wire makes it safer because it keeps the dam horses away from the dam fence.

Our place is 160 acres. Our neighbours have cows. We are perimeter fenced with barbed wire, unavoidable. I have added electric where I can, on both these fences and others. This fencing was done before we bought the place. I encourage wild rose bushes to grow up through fences, especially barbed wire, as it keeps horses away from mixing it up with fences of any type, with the prickly hedge that grows over time. A prickly hedge is the best type of fencing, works like electric does- keeps them away from it. As long as there are not horses on both sides of the same fence, horses tend to not get mixed up with fences, if they have enough room that they don’t have to get close to fences. The fencing WE have done is a mixture of a variety of different things… wooden rails, “farm fence” which is wire squares much like you describe, and no climb woven wire on smaller paddocks. Most also has electric wire also involved.

[bdj]

OP, do you have a link to that Midwest Air Technologies fence you’re considering? Did a quick search and can’t find good info from the manufacturer for it. I see something advertised as “field fence” by them, but it looks like welded wire to me, not woven. I went with Red Brand no-climb (woven) - it costs more, but it’s safer/better than welded.

[cswoodlandfairy]

This was the first place I found it. I attempted to look up their site and any other info, but no such luck either…

Is there a reason welded is different or better than woven?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000RZCIHG/?coliid=I25CK9Y5MF8CEH&colid=1E9V5PDEUHJB6&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

[SonnysMom]

I used welded wire for dog fencing once. Never again. You can’t pull it as tightly because you pop the welds. The welds rust and pop over time. With woven the strands are wrapped around each other and you can get a nice tight pull so the fencing doesn’t sag over time. 6" x 3.5" openings is much bigger openings than I would be comfortable with for horses and ponies. Red Brand is 2" x 4" openings so much smaller.

I have used the Red Brand no-climb fencing quite a bit. I have it in my current dog yard. It is 13 years old and in wonderful condition. I have a few spots of minor damage from the riding mower where I caught the grass shute on the fence but I could put horses in there today and never worry at all. My old BO used Red Brand for her fields and we helped her install it. 17 years later it is in great shape. Neither fence has rusted at all.

With fencing you get what you pay for. Pay for the quality now and it will last a long time. Go cheap/inexpensive and you will be paying to replace it in a few years or pay for it with injuries to your horses. It is no fun to have to rip out fencing and replace it.

Are you going to be installing this yourself? I am guessing from your question about woven versus welded you have never installed no climb fencing before. It can be done DYI but you really need to have the help/guidance of somebody that is experienced in putting it in. There is an art to installing woven wire fencing well. Everyone has different tricks that help with the installation. Having somebody experienced do it or help you do it is invaluable.

[Bluey]

Consider how to fence horses.
If you have a very small space, you want super safe fencing, because horses will test it and hit it way more often than a larger space, that can have lesser fencing.

If you have enough space that horses can run around and get away from other horses or whatever may be or they think is chasing them, then you can get by with lesser fencing.

Also consider liability, your outside fences should be as good as you can budget for and no one that sues you can prove you didn’t do your due to keep horses in, if your horse got out for not having the proper confinement for your horses and that causing whatever problem your loose horse caused.

The gold standard for safety for horses, a fence horses will rarely run thru but bounce off and that will keep other out has traditionally been woven V-mesh wire fences, best with something over the top so a horse won’t bend the top, pipe, boards, other you may be able to keep hot.

Any fence with hot something on it as an added protection will be great, as it teaches most horses to respect fences, even when scared.

Now, welded wire is not as good as wowen, both being of similar design and strenght, because welded won’t be as flexible, if hit or rubbed on can get loose ends and those cause injuries, when woven wire will just give and stretch long before it will break.
The bigger around welded wire has it’s place, like framed with pipe in panels, but for self standing fencing, generally woven is better.

When it comes to fencing, you can do what you can do, there is no perfect fence a horse can’t get hurt on, so you go with what makes the most sense for your place, horses and budget.

[ElementFarm]

Our perimeter is all red brand no-climb wire with a sight board on top. That has worked great for keeping horses and farm dogs in (and coyotes out). There are some great videos on line on tricks for installation that made a big frustrating/difficult job into just a medium frustrating/difficult job. You didn’t mention what kind of posts already exist, but I’d recommend full or half rounds along the runs, with full rounds concreted in all the corners +1, and to support gates.
You def want a board along the top for visibility and so the horses don’t damage the wire trying to graze on the grass outside the fence. And even then, if you have big horses, you may want to run a string of hotwire on top.

We have split rail for cross fencing and it’s easier to put up than the wire, and more attractive, in my opinion.

As others said, there’s no 100% safe fencing. But having adequate space and food inside seems to keep everyone happy enough to leave the fencing alone.

[IFG]

Do the five foot. You will not be sorry, especially if you have one of those years when it snows in VA. We have Red Brand Woven Non-climb. There is a really nice horse fence with triangle openings by Red Brand, but it was more expensive. Our fence is 12 years old, and the only thing that is not showing its age. Sight board on top and horseguard. Have had small trees fall on it, and it bounces right back.

[cswoodlandfairy]

Thank you all!!! This was so helpful!!

We do have someone who will help us who is familiar with wire fencing. I had it on my old farm many years ago, but I was young so had no influence or knowledge of how it was installed! I will do the Red Brand! That was the original one we were going with anyways, I was just searching to see what else was out there and any deals I might find if they prove worthy!

The side that has posts are round posts. My objective with wire versus other kind is to, as ElementFarm, said is to keep the horses and dogs in and everything else out!! One side is along a highly traveled road so I want it to be safe on all aspects. I was planning to continue to round posts on the outside from a look perspective! We also were planning for a Sight board on top as well, but may substitute the Ramm fencing instead of wood since maintenance it seems less work and longer lasting!

Thanks again and please keep them coming if you have other pointers/advice!

Currently Ill probably have 12-15 acres of pasture for only 2 horses (though a third is in the works). So plenty of room and pasture, thus hot wiring inside to section parts off so I can move them around and hopefully even hay half of it!

[susanne]

The Midwest fence the OP inked is NOT welded wire. It is field fencing, which has its own problems. (I took the info on Amazon and did a Google search for more complete information). I assume what you have now and refer to as cattle fencing is field fencing?

Tractor Supply carries Baekert no-climb at a slightly lower price than Red Brand. I haven’t used the Baekert, but the reviews make it worth comparing the two.

This may not apply to your situation, but we’re looking to expand our big corral up our hill and into the woods (just like the musical). We have no tractor and will need to drag whatever we use uphill and around fir trees, so the 100 ft. rolls, while a bit more expensive, are very appealing to us. Those 330 foot rolls are heavy!

[Bluey]

@susanne

The Midwest fence the OP inked is NOT welded wire. It is field fencing, which has its own problems. (I took the info on Amazon and did a Google search for more complete information). I assume what you have now and refer to as cattle fencing is field fencing?

Tractor Supply carries Baekert no-climb at a slightly lower price than Red Brand. I haven’t used the Baekert, but the reviews make it worth comparing the two.

This may not apply to your situation, but we’re looking to expand our big corral up our hill and into the woods (just like the musical). We have no tractor and will need to drag whatever we use uphill and around fir trees, so the 100 ft. rolls, while a bit more expensive, are very appealing to us. Those 330 foot rolls are heavy!

We carry any wire that comes in rolls with two people and run a long pipe thru the middle of the roll/s.

Two people can carry way more that way than each one alone and with less effort.

[OneTwoMany]

Good advice above. And I’m going to second the recommendation for 5’ no-climb with top board. If your horses are even slightly athletic, 4’ fence may be something they decide to test.

[IFG]

@OneTwoMany

Good advice above. And I’m going to second the recommendation for 5’ no-climb with top board. If your horses are even slightly athletic, 4’ fence may be something they decide to test.

I will add, I only got the 5’ after getting recommendations here. SO GLAD I DID 12 years later.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I did 4’ because I wanted a big enough gap at the bottom to mow under. I do not regret doing it that way. I just assume if a coyote or something wants to go under the fence, it’s going under the fence regardless. I have hot Horseguard on the top and halfway down to keep everyone from rubbing on the fence.

This is probably my least favorite fencing on my property. I prefer my coated wire and my horseguard.

[JB]

@cswoodlandfairy

Also open to other options. I want it safe but we also are on a strict budget so looking at all options. I will use hot wire inside the perimeter fencing to section off fields etc, my horses completely respect it.

Horseguard is very economical compared to pretty much everything else, other than cheaper brands of tape. They are definitely not all created equal. You don’t need bigger line posts (though you can certainly still use bigger ones), and repairs are much cheaper, and usually a lot faster, than board or vinyl.

We’ve had our HG for 14 years now and the tape is still as good as new. Insulators do get a bit fragile after some years’ exposure to sun and cold, but it’s not like they just fall apart and let go.

[Dressage59]

When we bought our property, it had barbed wire and 4-board fencing on the perimeter. It had 4-board and straight wire as cross fencing. The straight wire cordoned off a pen that is wooded and not used. We put up Ramm fencing along the creek beds. While it was our intention to electrify it, we haven’t gotten around to it. Still catching up on other chores. That said, we love the Ramm fencing!

[RedmondDressage]

I have Ramm which we installed last year. It replaced my old vinyl 3-rail fence, which I did not like. I love, love, love my Ramm. I did a top/sight rail of the Ramm Flex Fence and then 4 lines of their Shockline coated wire product. I had plans to electrify it but so far haven’t needed to. The horses haven’t messed with it at all - and I have one who loves to test the fencing. Other than tensioning it once in a while, it’s been no maintenance and looks great.

[ThirdCharm]

Any fence with 6x3.5" openings is NOT no-climb, or safe for horses. That is the perfect size opening to trap a hoof or a the very least, pull off a shoe. No climb has small narrow mesh (usually 2x4) too small for a horse to step on the horizontal wires and ‘walk it down’.

Jennifer

[JB]

Good catch - that size opening is awesome for horses putting a hoof through and slicing the back of their pasterns

[Bluey]

@ThirdCharm

Any fence with 6x3.5" openings is NOT no-climb, or safe for horses. That is the perfect size opening to trap a hoof or a the very least, pull off a shoe. No climb has small narrow mesh (usually 2x4) too small for a horse to step on the horizontal wires and ‘walk it down’.

Jennifer

True, best wire mesh for horses is woven wire and V-mesh is the proven best of those.

It does cost a bit more than no climb 2" x 4", but it will stand to horses without bending much better.
There is some around here that was put in the 1940s and is still like new.

Other will work fine, v-mesh is the best.