Round pen panels: 4' vs 5'?

[normandy_shores]

With my latest (lightly started, barely broke) pony coming in soon, I’m looking at putting up a round pen. I’ve always just lunged (always had broke horses), but I have the space and extra footing, and she’s used to working free in a round pen. I can get a complete round pen with ride through gates for roughly $800-900 (light duty).

The options are 4’ x 7’ panels or 5’ x 10’ panels. I think the 5 x 10s are more designed for horse round pen (compared to for small livestock), but I like the portability of 7’ panels if I end up taking a few of them to an endurance ride or the like. I also may on occasion set them up in conjunction with permanent fencing to create a smaller temporary paddock if needed.

Is a 4’ height suitable for a horse already introduced to round pen work, etc? My ring fence is roughly only 4’ high…

[Horseychick87]

I’d rather go with the 5 foot panels as 4 foot isn’t always the best deterrent if a horse or pony is thinking of jumping out of the pen for some reason.
If you want to take some to the rides I’d suggest investing in a few smaller, lighter weight panels, but keeping the bigger ones at home for the round pen.

[goodhors]

Taller panels are ALWAYS the better choice for round pens. Horse may be feeling crowded, so 4ft is not much height to slow him down, even if only pony sized. You may end up asking MUCH from the horse he is unwilling to always give you, so horse is safer with the height.

In our Round Pen Learning Curve, we put too much pressure on one horse and he went up and over 6ft wooden rails!! He did break one rail, took down the next lower one, but was only scared, not damaged. Our fault, we apologized to him, and he never did it again. We had no issues with our other horses trying to escape in that tall round pen because WE got better at handling and asking the horses.

Should you later wish to sell the pen, it will be easier with taller panels. Those 10ft lengths are much easier to get a nice BIG ROUND pen than short 7ft panels will give you.

[gumtree]

Depends on the horses you will be working with. I have broken/started my fair share of 2 year old TBs and have never found a need for a round pen. They are all done in my ring. I may or may not leave the jumps in place. They are all are able to W-T-C in 7-10 days. Rarely do they give a buck and or problem. I rarely lunge them. The majority are raised here though.

[normandy_shores]

I wish I could get 5’ tall with the 7’ width… would mean more panels for the round pen but easier portability. I really don’t want to spend an extra $300-400 on separate panels JUST for the occasional temporary paddock set up when I go to an endurance ride/camp.

MIGHT be able to get a 5’ tall with 8’, though the supplier is supposedly out of those and they aren’t offered as a package (Currently).

Thanks for the input.

[CrowneDragon]

An additional issue with 4’ panels is they are easy to lean on, and for a pen that isn’t anchored, the horse can more easily walk off with the pen or push it over. No bueno.

[SuckerForHorses]

[QUOTE=normandy_shores;7990695]
…The options are 4’ x 7’ panels or 5’ x 10’ panels. I think the 5 x 10s are more designed for horse round pen (compared to for small livestock), but I like the portability of 7’ panels if I end up taking a few of them to an endurance ride or the like. I also may on occasion set them up in conjunction with permanent fencing to create a smaller temporary paddock if needed.[/QUOTE]

Instead of carrying these panels along, I would suggest just using step in posts, some electric braid fence, and a solar electric fencer. Much less bulky anyhow. And some horses don’t even need the electric, mine being one of them. I could string up baling twine and he wouldn’t bother it.

Then, I would get the taller 5’ tall panels, and leave them at home for permanent use there.

[rustbreeches]

I may be in the minority here, but I don’t like the pipe corral panel roundpens for training purposes. I much prefer the solid wood that they can’t see through or over. I have seen several accidents with the panels.

[normandy_shores]

[QUOTE=rustbreeches;7991945]
I may be in the minority here, but I don’t like the pipe corral panel roundpens for training purposes. I much prefer the solid wood that they can’t see through or over. I have seen several accidents with the panels.[/QUOTE]

And I don’t debate that, but on a property I won’t own for that long, with a round pen I won’t use much beyond this spring, and with my budget, that’s just not an option. At least the panels I can resell at the end of the season, repurpose, or move with us, vs spending a few thousand to put in a solid walled round pen I don’t think I’ll use that much and lose the $$ when we resell the property.

[goodhors]

[QUOTE=normandy_shores;7992383]
And I don’t debate that, but on a property I won’t own for that long, with a round pen I won’t use much beyond this spring, and with my budget, that’s just not an option. At least the panels I can resell at the end of the season, repurpose, or move with us, vs spending a few thousand to put in a solid walled round pen I don’t think I’ll use that much and lose the $$ when we resell the property.[/QUOTE]

I will agree with you on your reasons for pipe panels.

We only have a round pen because it didn’t cost much beyond son and husband’s labor. We cut a LARGE Oak tree, had it sawed up for lumber, and the boards for round pen were part of the uses we put the wood to.

We also don’t use the round pen much, but sometimes it is just the best tool to get the results you want from horse. Just some bit of work, horse sees things your way, done with pen for a while again.

Pen is inside another grazing paddock so mostly the horses use round pen for grazing!

Sides are 6ft, but 4 boards high, so it is a good visual barrier most times. We didn’t do solid because we have tall horses, 16-17H, still could see over. We want horse to LEARN to pay attention to the person working them! Doesn’t matter if other horses are being ridden in the arena, bike riders, dog walkers, joggers are going by on the road. HUMAN in the middle is what you listen to and obey!! Our horses go other places, must be listening to US as the rider or driver. Horses MUST to be able to manage any distractions they meet, without solid pen walls as a crutch to getting results we need.

[normandy_shores]

I have a whackload of “extra” footing that came out of my ring, and the space. Between being able to use the panels in a pinch to make a smaller paddock in my fields (layup, etc) and the ability to resell, I’m having a harder time not justifying it.

Normally I’d just lunge…

[buck22]

You know, this may just be a very silly observation and not even worth time time to read… but I’ve boarded places that have had round pens in place for several years and after time and a lot of use, the ground inside the pen gets compacted, erodes, etc. and the pen panels end up sitting on ground at least 10" higher than where the horses travel.

If you have the disposable space, and a whackload of footing, what about tracing your out your round pen circle and then building up the sides by a foot. Order your 4’ panels, but it’ll still be a 5’ hurdle for the horse.

Probably a dumb thought!

I agree, even for ponies in the 13hh range, 4’ is way too tempting. Heck, a lot of little guys can jump the moon. Besides, beware the pony brain.

[Horseychick87]

For the portable corral, as already posted you could do step in posts and rope or tape fencing or you could get a light weight PVC/ plastic corral, they tend to go for under $800 and can make a 12x 12 pen or even bigger when set up along a horse trailer. They’re super light and can be expanded/ made smaller. You can also make your own for even less, though it likely wouldn’t be expandable.