round pen

[LittleblackMorgan]

I’m in need of oh, 200 feet of round pen panels…for the back of my paddock that can’t have regular fence due to ledge and boulders.

I have no idea where to begin. I’m in NH, if that helps. TSC has some panels but guessing they are subpar quality…I don’t know if I should go that way?

2 horses will be together and there will be electric along the fence. Nothing but woods behind the line.

I know Priefert is supposedly really good?

Anyone else in the New England region have any companies to recommend, specifically places I can talk to a human and order these things? I’ve tried contacting companies online that will ship with no answers.

TIA

[mjhco]

Priefert panels are wonderful.

I have lesser quality panels for my runs. Shade bends them. But would not if I had a string of electric on the stop.

[Simkie]

I like my Priefert panels. I have the mid-grade ones.

I’ve found the Priefert people very responsive and polite if you call them.

[moving_to_dc]

Most TSC’s only stock the rounded corner panels, which some people shy away from due to the chance that a hoof could possibly get stuck between the panels.

Priefert offers square corner panels, but as far as quality… Well, the Preifert gates at the barn I work at are all bent to hell, in less than 2 years after purchase. I am definitely not a fan…

I have TSC - Orscheln - Atwood’s gates (12-16’ long, red, blue, green) that have held up for 13 YEARS of use and abuse and TORNADOES that are not bent at all, and aside from a bit of rust here and there, are still fabulous.

In my opinion, if you want the best quality, you need to find a local welder that makes his own panels in small batches out of pipe. They are everywhere in the Midwest and West, but hard to find on the East Coast. I have a dozen 12’ panels that were made by a welder in Oklahoma, and they are vastly different in finish and quality than ANY commercially available product.

[goodhors]

[QUOTE=moving to dc;8630767]
Most TSC’s only stock the rounded corner panels, which some people shy away from due to the chance that a hoof could possibly get stuck between the panels. [/QUOTE]

I believe they sell covers to go over where panels meet, to prevent any part of horse getting caught there over the pins.

You may also want to find or add something to the pins, to prevent the “busy or bored” horse from removing those locking pins to have all the panels fall down! A friend had that happen with their pony and his busy lips lifting the pins out of the holders to push panel aside for an escape.

Make any electric stand off the panel, keep the animals away from them to prevent horse or panel damage. They are not forgiving to legs kicked thru. Fighting horse might pull down the whole run of panels or at least bend them up pretty good. No telling what damage the horse might do to himself. Much will depend on your horse mindset, busy, quiet, no-fuss or CAN NOT leave things alone types. Some do fine in panels, others don’t.

No help on brands, we don’t use them.

[Bluey]

We use Powder River, the heavy duty for cattle pens, the medium, square corners for horses.
They also have now a light duty panel, Powder Mountain, that looks like it may bend if something scratches on it.

The red ones from TSC are very strong, but have the rounded tops.
Priefert tends to bend if something hits it hard, but some like those.

Check with other brands, some may be local, some local welding shops may make you some.

We make our own for odd sizes, but is cheaper to buy ready made ones, those companies buy the pipe by the ship load for half what we can buy it for.

If you have horses across from each other, get the heavier ones, if only for boundaries, a bit lighter is ok, where horses won’t be hitting on the panels while trying to get to the other horse across it.

[Frog_Pond]

Not sure how far up in NH you are, but, the Essex County Coop in Topsfield MA sells Behlen Country panels & they deliver. Jack’s the manager & he’s great – he can explain what they have on hand and what they can get. I’m on ledge, too, and my paddock is about a 70’ roundish-pen made of 12’ x 5’ BC panels that chain together. They’re lovely panels, strong & safe, and my herd tests them regularly. I bought a few of the 10’ green panels from TSC with the drop pins and they are a joke – my 32" mini has dented them with his tiny little hooves, and the connections are just loose & sloppy. I’m going to use them to make a dog pen because I don’t trust them with the horses.

[LittleblackMorgan]

I called Essex. 140 a panel (!) I heard back from one of the companies I requested info from, $80 per panel delivered.

[goodhors]

Quality, good solid steel panels cost. Plus shipping to get them to the dealer cost more because of fuel to deliver. But they do last longer and look better over time. You can also sell them for better money later on if you no longer need them.

I have never found going cheap for horse equipment to be “a better deal” in the long run. Horses break poorly made stuff or it just is not holding up in use, so you pay AGAIN to get another, better item to replace the first one. Horse gets hurt, laid up on the breaking things, so what is loss-of-use time worth to you, with Vet expenses thrown in too?

Better to pay and do it right the first time around, not have any regrets after when cheap thing breaks.

[LittleblackMorgan]

The only reason the others are so much cheaper is because they are off colored. I don’t care what color they are so long as they are safe. They will have electric fence on them as well.

[nhhaflngr]

Farm Way in Bradford, VT used to have a nice selection of fence panels, but they seem to be doing more with clothing, shoes, furniture now, so not too sure if they still have the real farm stuff (unfortunately). But might be worth checking out, if you are in western NH.