Top sight rail on the fence necessary? Settle this for me once and for all

[BroncoMo]

I have wondered about the longevity. We get bitter cold and windy. I don’t know if the cold would make it brittle. I know it’s supposed to be rated for down to negative X degrees. But surely the cold will take a toll on it over time.

I have a mixed herd. Mostly quiet lazy broodmares who have a fair amount of self preservation. I’ve been tempted to do 3 flex rails with 2 hot poly strands for the foaling paddock. But really, why not just introduce the babies to the fence that they’ll live behind once weaned? So I may just do hot poly strands in the foaling paddock too and shut it off when they’re tiny; I don’t think I could take watching a day old baby hit an electric fence…

I do have yearlings through whatever age they finally sell at, so those can get a little goofy. But as it stands, they do get turned out with multi strand smooth wire and I think I’ve only ever had one hit it when they saw it at the last minute and turned on the brakes. So while they can get a little rowdy, they’re smart critters and will figure out that the fence bites.

[Montanas_Girl]

Foals can and will roll/run/slide/fall through the flex rail. Chaos then ensues when baby can’t get back to Mom and/or ends up in a paddock with an unfriendly neighbor. I’ve seen both happen multiple times. I’ve also seen an entire herd of weanlings get chased through a flex rail fence (student worker “accidentally” turned an unfriendly gelding out with them). The resulting injuries were ugly.

I have Finish Line fence, which is similar to the coated wire in theory but doesn’t actually have wire in it. This year’s foal did somehow go through it once, but she popped right back through while I was trying to catch her. No damage to baby or fence, other than that she ripped out the plain (low tensile) electric wire I use between the middle strands to keep the horses off the fence. That was a quick 5-minute repair. My broodmare does an excellent job keeping her newborns away from the fence lines, generally. Your mileage might vary there. Lol.

[BroncoMo]

@Montanas_Girl

My broodmare does an excellent job keeping her newborns away from the fence lines, generally. Your mileage might vary there. Lol.

Yeah that one is up in the air haha. I have a bunch of maidans right now (a whole lot of unknown and possible batshit crazy). The most experienced mare I have now doesn’t give two craps where her baby is until she realizes she may have left it somewhere if she doesn’t see it for an extended length of time. I miss the super quiet yet attentive ones I sold a while back…

[Jarpur]

@BroncoMo

I don’t think I could take watching a day old baby hit an electric fence…

The horse I ride is a homebred. When he was a very young baby (not just a day old, though), and turned out in our front pasture with his mom for the first time, he decided to check out the single strand of electric that was a stand-off to keep horses from the perimeter fencing.

He touched it, received a shock, looked quizzically at the fence, then deliberately bit down on the electric strand! I couldn’t believe my eyes!

He did a little jump when he received a shock – while still holding onto the strand – let go, shrugged it off, and has never touched an electric fence again.

[BroncoMo]

solid plan. Bite the source of the shock. Doesn’t everyone do that?

[Jarpur]

Yep, bite it back!

[Montanas_Girl]

@BroncoMo

solid plan. Bite the source of the shock. Doesn’t everyone do that?

Every foal I’ve raised has tried that move. I guess it makes sense in their baby brains. Lol.

[Texarkana]

I have 5 strands coated high tensile wire; the top strand is hot. Ideally I’d like the 2nd strand from the bottom hot, too, but I just haven’t gotten around to replacing it (fence was here when we moved in).

I love it. No complaints. I don’t miss the top rail at all.

If you drive around the eastern shore of Maryland, practically every 3rd farm has the same fencing as I do without a top rail. I hear no complaints.

[LCDR]

Well, is it settled for you once and for all yet?

[endlessclimb]

I’m assuming you quoted me by accident.

[LCDR]

Yes I did. I apologize. You were one line below the OP and I have a mini phone and big finger.

[BroncoMo]

Yep it would appear so Guess I just needed a little reassurance (peer pressure?) to sway me. It would make the job sooo much easier to budget for if I can just drop the idea of the top rail. Thanks COTH