Looking for advice and suggestions regarding fencing for miniature horses. I tried to do a search on the topic but could not find much information. Any advice you could give me on what works for you would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!
I have an escape artist mini. Right now, he lives in a 60’ round pen that is a dry lot with my big horse, and they have 24/7 access to two box stalls. The pen is made of pipe panels that are 5’ high x 12’ long, and there are 4 heavy duty t-posts at the compass points (n, s, e, w) to keep the mini from moving the panels when he itches his butt on them. I’ve wrapped the entire thing in 2"x4" welded wire fence – zip tied to the outside – to keep out local dogs & coyotes. The mini does not mess with this fence. He does, however, routinely try to open the stall doors that lead to the aisle and feed room, and he tries to open the pen gate, which has two chain/snap set-ups to foil him.
I’m about to start turning him out into a field that’s fenced with 4 strands of HorseGuard. Wish me luck :winkgrin:
Thank you Frog Pond. Zip ties I never would think of. The mesh fence on the outside of the metal fencing is good to know about, too. We have not gotten a mini yet, but it is inevitable and I want to be prepared. Good luck with the little guy when he hits the big field! It should be fun to watch him run:-)
We have a hilarious video of him being turned out into the dry lot when he first arrived, and he went bucking and charging around – it ends with a dropped camera, and my husband’s voice saying ‘oh, SH*T!’ after one of those runs came a little too close :lol:
I felt like I should add that I plan to eventually wire the fence to the pipe panels to make it last longer, but, I buy UV-resistant zip ties on Amazon, and they last a few years. Good luck if you get a mini – they are fun, if somewhat harder to contain!
I find that mine is immune to the zap of the fence - too much hair? Just doesn’t give a sh*t? Who knows.
I have four board oak with two coated wires on the inside. That keeps him at bay. But when I had 1" tape fencing he just pushed right through it.
The FO where I live and take care of 30+ Minis just got the front acreage refenced with that Redbrand horse fence. Works GREAT, we used to have escapees all the time with the post and board- they would break the boards putting their heads through. We also have cattle panel, which I like as it doesn’t stretch when they rub on it. Just make sure it goes to the ground or you have a board along the bottom. My gelding rolled a few years ago, got caught on the bottom of the fence and ripped his back up. He still carries the scar- I cried…
Thanks guys! I will look into the Redbrand fencing. I am not familiar with that so I will do some research. We currently have two board fence with hot tape but although it keeps my welsh contained I know it’s not substantial enough for minis. We were leaning toward three board with three strands of four inch hot tape. But having something sturdy along the ground line sounds like a VERY good idea!
You gave me a lot to think about. I may be back with more questions before all is said and done!
My biggest concern would be keeping dogs out - so a mesh fence would be in order.
Molten lava and a fence powered by Zeus’s lightening. And they’d still manage to get out.
(in all seriousness…3 board fencing with 2 strands of wire kept mine in…90% of the time).
Never had any issues with dogs…mine was larger mini (39") and she took care of protecting herself.
Yes, I worry about dogs, although we do have a leash law and every one around here is compliant, but you never know.
We do have a fox or two that live up behind our manure pile. I see them occasionally sunbathing along the lot line. Are they something to worry about with minis? In all the years they have been around they have never bothered the big ponies (who get their rabies vaccinations religiously)
We probably won’t be getting a teensy mini, the ones we have been looking at are the “jumbo” sized ones 
. Still pretty small though!
I have horseguard bipolar for my dry lot. It separates them from very beautiful, yummy grass. It houses a mini donkey, donkey and horse. Donkeys have really thick coats. I have three strands. It is hotter than hot with a plugged in charger–I think hot is the key. The dogs touched it once and never again.
You can see it, the hair, and the mini in the blackacre blog below–second post (about the run in).
I use some no-climb in the pasture as well. My issue for the dry lot is the short runs, the angles, and the stretching needed.
TrotTrotPumpkin, the pictures on your blog helped, I will show them to Mr. Cayuse so he knows what I’m talking about. Thanks!
In the 18th Century it was said that fences should be “Horse high, pig tight and bull strong” and having formerly owned mini’s I would edit that to say “Horse high, mini horse tight and bull strong”.
A mesh fence with hot wire and pipe fencing spaced for mini’s is what kept mine safe and enclosed. My biggest concern was having a stray dog get in the paddock and chase them but that never happened, thankfully.
Woven wire gets my vote. Mine has curled at the bottom so a dog could get in but I know that the ponies can’t get out so I can sleep at night.
I’m beginning to think I have a very compliant mini 
He is easily contained with 4 strands of equi-braid provided the second from the bottom is always “on”. If I leave it off it only takes about 3 days before he pushes through for greener pastures.
Sounds like their ability to stay contained depends on if they are related to Houdini or not
We are still in the decision stage fence wise. Probably we will do board with mesh.
And hot tape. Lots and lots of it!
[QUOTE=Frog Pond;8216114]
I’m about to start turning him out into a field that’s fenced with 4 strands of HorseGuard. Wish me luck :winkgrin:[/QUOTE]
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
My mini loves my Horseguard fence. She goes right through it and has a fun romp around the farm. Minis/ponies here are enclosed either in cattle panels, no-climb horse fencing, or the metal panels that used to make up my round pen.
Make sure to have a good latch on the gate. I got a 3 am wake up call a week ago asking if I was missing two ponies. Since I have pretty safe fencing I didn’t think so but I went outside to find five goats, three sheep, and one good pony wandering about in the moonlight. The mini and the Shetland were a half mile away and were found inside the neighbor’s pasture that is fenced with four strands of hot wire. She woke up when her horses freaked out over the tiny intruders.
And thanks to everyone for the advice! Looking at a mini tomorrow, so we shall see.
[QUOTE=Murphy’s Mom;8226692]
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
My mini loves my Horseguard fence. She goes right through it and has a fun romp around the farm. Minis/ponies here are enclosed either in cattle panels, no-climb horse fencing, or the metal panels that used to make up my round pen.
Make sure to have a good latch on the gate. [/QUOTE]
Yeah, I am having my doubts that the tape fence will be sufficient. Mr. BossyPants (an alias to protect the guilty) has opened the dry lot gate AND the feed room door right in front of me in the past week. The fence guy is coming next month and I was just thinking that maybe a nice wall o’ no-climb is in our future.
God, I can just imagine him breaking into a neighbor’s field and freaking her horses out entirely. Glad your herd made it home safe!
We have 4-ft no-climb zip-tied to t-posts (with caps) and hot wire top and bottom to keep horses in and predators out.
My minis and ASPC mare stay in, but for two of them, I have to admit it’s by choice. My 38" gelding politely demonstrated that he could hop over from a standstill, then never did it again. My ASPC (American Shetland) mare is completely unphased by hot wire, while the two geldings are terrified of anything vaguely resembling electric fencing.
In addition to feral or unrestrained dogs, my biggest worry is NOT that they get out, but that they get part way out – jump and catch a leg or (as a friend’s stallion did) go under and get stuck. Because of this, I think that electric is essential no matter what else your fencing consists of.
