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Pasture design that worked

Around The Farm
#1

I recently rearranged the layout of my pastures and put up some new fence. Since folks here often discuss how to lay out their farms, I thought I would share the things that ended up working out really well.

Walk-through gates. I saw an article years ago on different kinds of walk through gates and thought they sounded like a good idea. So, I put some in. OMG, these are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Maybe even since canned beer. I put in what are called “Y-gates” or “V-gates,” like this one: http://www.foxborocompany.com/wp-content/gallery/gates/702-1.jpg. The usefulness of these gates far exceeds my expectations. Plus, it’s great fun to watch a mule try and figure out why he can’t just follow you through. :slight_smile:

A central area with my feed and tack sheds, fenced off from the pastures and accessible without entering a pasture, but from which, you can reach all the pastures directly, without having to walk very far. I can’t claim this as my idea. I copied it from an older gentleman who set his place up with a view to the future when he and his wife would be less physically able. The whole layout just worked so well that I replicated it as much as I was able, given my property shape. Bonus: if you keep feed tubs that hang on the board fence on hand, non-horsey family members can feed for you while at all times remaining on the “no horses” side of the fence.

At least one pasture that is separated from adjoining pastures by a lane wide enough that the horses can’t reach across. This is a standard fence arrangement for many farms. I’ve never done it, primarily due to extra cost, but also because I never felt like I needed it. I ended up with one pasture like this because I planned to take down the old fence, so I build the new one 8 feet over from the old. Then, I added another equine that did not (yet?) integrate well into the existing mix. Having a truly separate pasture has been a great help, so now I’m just going to spruce up the old fence and leave it in place.

There are a few things I’m going to end up changing at some point. For example, I should have hung the gates in the pasture fences on the sides of the posts instead of in-line with the fence, so that they could be opened back flat against the fence when I want to leave two adjoining pastures open to one another.

#2

Yes! I love our walk through gates! We’ve got them near each gate, as well as near the house and by the ponds. Although I did have to put some plywood doors up last summer when we had our bucket calves…

#3

The walk-through gate looks great - I feel like a horse could run into the protruding bit and/or misjudge the opening at speed. This obviously hasn’t happened for you?

#4

Where do you go for ideas for pasture layout? I am looking to make some changes for the spring (only put the fence up in September, but have never had a horse at home so it’s all been learning as I go). Any good resources that are go to’s?

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#5

I love our walk thru’s. From the eye’s view you can’t even tell they are there. Our fence guy leaves a person size opening in a long line of fence. And in front of it (not on the pasture side but on exterior side of fence), he puts one section wide of fencing - picture the 2 posts and the 3 boards between - just one section). From a distance, it looks like one seamless fence. Nothing sticks out. You just walk behind the single section and through the opening. I’ll try to take photos.

I found the best way to plan pastures/fields/fence was to: talk to fence guys and barn builders, but even moreso, visit alot of barns and farms and talk to the owners, and take note of what you like and what works for them from a management perspective.

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#6

Interesting. So it’s not a full “v”, just a half “v?”

Sadly, my history with pasture arrangement has been mostly years of saying “gee, that didn’t work out like I thought it would,” and “darn, I wish I would have thought about that before I built that fence.” This time, I actually looked at something that was working really well for someone else and copied it. And still ended up with a few things about which I’m saying "“darn, I wish I would have thought about that before I built that fence.”

#7

Thanks for the information. It really is helpful to those of us who are planning our facilities. I can see where the walk-through gates would be welcome – I would love them where I board.

#8

I am going to be redoing some fencing in my drylot right next to my new run-in shelter (currently the shelter is outside the fence, so I basically need to “open” the fence to it). I was thinking of installing a four foot gate for me. No horses would use it there. Now you have me thinking about putting in a pass-through gate.

I am terrified of a horse getting loose. Or my donkey or miniature donkey, both of which are more curious and smaller than the horse. Thoughts?

My other issue is that I ran electric on the inside. I’m afraid they would chew down the posts for the pass though, since this is the “boredom” zone. Do you have issues with this? I could run a tape gate across it. One tape is much easier to mess with than a metal gate latch.

#9

I like the walk through gate idea but as we eventually want to add goats to our pastures, I don’t think that would work for long!

#10

I would think that the mini-donkey could almost certainly get through a v-gate that was big enough to be useful, as would goats or calves.

There are other kinds of walk-through gates that might work better for smaller livestock. The article in which I saw the v gates had several other types. Unfortunately, I seem to have lost it the last time I moved. But, one I remember was shaped like a squared off “U” on one side, then a regular hinged gate was hung so that the free end of the gate was inside the “U.” A person could walk in by pushing the gate “closed” against the far side of the U, then step up into the end of the U, swing the gate “closed” against the opposite side of the U, and then walk out the other side. When an animal tries to walk into the U, they just push the gate closed against the other side, so can’t get out. I suppose you could put a simple latch on top to keep it closed when you’re not going through.

The thing I love most about the walk-through gates is that I can walk into the pasture with my hands full and I don’t have to juggle a gate or worry about any of the equines escaping.

#11

So confused…

I always love it when folks post about farm layouts because we are building our house on 30ac and the next step will be barn/pasture. I feel really silly and I’ve been studying the photo, but I really don’t understand the concept of the walk-through gate with the V-fencing? Can someone explain to me where the gate is placed and how this is better than a regular inline gate?

Thanks,
Katie.

#12

I found a bird’s eye view diagram that might help.

http://ourfirsthorse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/fence-walkthrough-v1.jpg

You just walk up one wing of the “V” and out the other.

Most of mine are immediately adjacent to a regular inline gate. Look at the diagram I linked to and number the posts from the bottom: 1, 2, 3a and 3b, 4. In my set up, a 12 ft gate is hung on post 1. The chain that keeps the gate closed wraps around post 2, which is also the post that serves as the base of the “V.”

#13

Donkeys snort with derision at V or Y gates. :wink:

For ours back in the day, we just added a piece of chain with a snap at one end, low enough to dissuade all but the most determined donk, on “their” side.

#14

Like this:

|
|_

\ /
|
|

#15

The arrangement Romany shows would address the concern Kalidascope had about a horse running into the part of the V that sticks out in the pasture.

I think a picture of one like that showed up when I was googling for images of the V gate like the ones I have. Aaaand, of course, now I can’t find it. But, I did find this, which is kind of cool:

The “C” gate and Half “C” gate. http://thecgate.com/products

#16

I have seen this as well:

I
I
I
I
I

#17

Mine was supposed to look more like this, lol - the l being the chain, and I’m sorry I can’t find \ or / with a better angle on my keyboard!

__l_
. /

#18

Lightbulb!

Thank you for the pictures/diagrams, now I get it! In 30 years of horses, I had never seen that implemented in-real-life. However, it’s a very clever concept, I like it!

#19

Now we need stories about horses who have managed to get themselves stuck in a walk-through gate.

#20

And then there are stile gates (I think I’m too lazy for these):
http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/48/7e/3f/487e3fe0be4d307f7d4a9908484562ed.jpg

I’m definitely too lazy and uncoordinated for this:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Stile_with_dog_gate_OS_SY567846.jpg

Here’s a way I could kill myself with style. I can just picture myself on the ground, groaning, holding a sprained ankle or pressing a bloodied head, covered in the hay I was trying to carry over this gate. But what a picturesque way to go! And if I were not carrying anything awkward, it could work just fine:
http://www.simplybrooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/stile21.jpg

The caption is missing. It should have said, “You go on ahead, Johnny. Leave your old grandpa behind. I’ve had a good life.”
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/stile-2.jpg

This is also missing captions. The first photo should read, “Now what!!!” The next photo is simply titled, “Aaaaaaaaaaghhh!!!”
http://www.badfa.org.uk/gates&stiles/images/bigstiles/Big%20stile.jpg

Now this is just plain civilized. I like it.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Ladder_stile_Snowdonia.jpg

Oh no. I don’t think so. Maybe for cows. I just know my horses would get into trouble with this:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Squeeze_gate_stile_on_Cotswold_Way_-geograph.org.uk-_197374.jpg

This is interesting. Kind of like a miniature version of a catch pen. Yes, I know it is totally not what OP was talking about because it still requires a gate to be opened. It is called a kissing gate on several sites (a term new to me):
http://www.asfengineering.com/productimages/images/1040697392.jpg

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