What kind of paddock fencing do you have?

[Pocket_Pony]

I want to get new paddock fencing - I don’t like what is there now. Currently it is pipe fencing, but not like any kid of horse fencing I’ve seen before. The horizontal runs are made up of long metal pipes that have male/female ends and slide into each other. They are held on to the vertical posts by welded rounds. When the horses play they have been able to move the fencing a bit (push a vertical post) and when my pony paws, she has been able to knock one of the horizontal lines, which is a PITA because they come apart and are hard to get back together, blah blah blah.

I’m having my fencing guy come out next week to give me an estimate for some other materials. He came into my office yesterday and we chatted briefly and he said he’s been doing a lot of welded steel paddocks lately. I think that might be too much, but I’m not sure. I’ve seen it around at various places and it looks nice, but . . . ?

I have three paddocks. The rest of my fencing is no-climb with either a top rail or round. I’m thinking of doing no-climb on one outside line to match everything else, but I don’t know about no-climb between the paddocks.

What do you have between your paddocks? Wood (rails or rounds or ?)? No climb? Pipe? Tape? Stretchy wire?

[btswass]

We have the ramm flex fencing which I hate. They guy that put it up before we bought the place didn’t do it correctly and it looks awful plus my donkey keeps escaping so we need electric. We put up a round pen using horseguard electric tape and it was soooo easy and simple so thats what we’ll be using for the paddock fencing. It looks really nice too. We decided to go with t posts instead of wood posts. Horseguard has these plastic “t post guards” that look really classy plus we won’t have to worry about drilling holes or cementing in wood posts in the corners. Its a little more pricey but worth it in my opinion

[FraggleRock]

4 strands of electroplus silver rope, it’s great stuff! I used to have wooden rails with a bit of electric added to keep them off, but have slowly rid myself of all the rails.
No climb and pipe are basically unheard of around here. I’ve literally never seen either. Wooden rails or electric are the most common. Some bigger farms have wide spaced wire square fencing for bigger pastures but that’s about it.

[wsmoak]

I was just at a big farm in Aiken and they have board fencing with boards on both sides running between the large pastures. Expensive, but less than a double fence, and you get ‘boards on the inside’ on both sides.

For paddocks, they have squares and rectangles of boards (mostly) on the inside, separated by 8’ or so. These are for people who rent the stalls, but I like having the horses be able to see each other, but not touch.

That said, I hate the maintenance on board fencing. A board is always splitting/popping off/etc. But, it wins for using local materials – we have lots of pine and hardwood around here.

I really liked the welded steel “mare motels” and paddocks people used in Arizona. The pipes were smooth, and I didn’t see/hear of any injuries from the pipes.

(Watch out for cable used for cross bracing any gates though-- it formed a triangle at the bottom and a horse got a foot stuck.)

I see you’re in Oregon… is rust going to be an issue if you go with steel? I’d make sure to touch up any spots yearly, and watch anything that is in contact with the ground or in concrete.

No-climb between paddocks is tough – someone has the ‘wrong’ (rough/pokey) side of it, and as above, if you brace the posts with wire that needs to be covered up if it’s inside the other paddock.

-Wendy

[SugarCubes]

I have three rail white vinyl with a single strand of tape along the inside of the top rail to keep them from fighting over the fence. Never had any issues, zero maintenance, safe, and looks really pretty.

[LauraKY]

I have four board with electric on the top board.

[Bluey]

We have livestock panels in the smaller enclosures.
That is what everyone has used here now for decades.

Horses having a silly moment tend to bounce off it without injury.
If a panel is damaged, it is easy to fix or replace with another one.
You can change your configuration at will.
You can keep safely horses across from each other, unlike with wire, unless it is hot.
High initial cost, but worth the years of no problems.

The gold standard for years was v-mesh wire with pipe or boards on top.
The trouble for us, we have that here and there, it is permanent.
We have changed what we do and where over the years, so that we could pick up panels and reconfigure or take them to another place is a big plus for us.

[danacat]

I have Ramm Flex Fence in black 4" – put up correctly and it looks great! Been there for over 8 years so far – still good as new.

[Pocket_Pony]

AAARRRGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!! Effing horses!!!

So I go out to feed lunch and let Pony and Paddy out together and put Mac back in his paddock with his hay. Pony goes running around up into Paddy’s paddock, turns around and runs out, and Mac decides he’ll run, too, and realizes that his back gate is closed so tries to jump it and gets a leg caught and flips over and then some other leg is caught (happened so fast, I think he caught a back leg) and then he gets free and they are all running around. Mother EFFER!!!

I can’t put Mac back in through his gate because it is bent and the chain is so tight that I can’t get it undone so I have to lead him through Paddy’s paddock, through the barn, and then into his stall.

I am so ready for some new/different fencing.

I did Horse Guard between my paddocks at my last place and it was fine. I do like the “moveability” of it for changing paddock shape/size/whatever. My only concern here is with the snow coming off the roof and maybe knocking it down. Anyone live in a snowy area with snow falling off the roof onto HG fencing? I use it in other dry lots around the property and the horses respect it.

Did a quick once-over on Mac and his forelegs have some scrapes on them but nothing requiring stitches. He’ll probably be very sore so I’ll give him some bute.

GAH!!!

[Palm_Beach]

I am slowly replacing everything I have with electric tape plus a top board. I am leaving one paddock with 4 board, and I have a couple sections of 4 board in areas near the barn where I tie the horses to tack and bathe. They just stay off it.

[Bluey]

Mere electric fencing is not viable here, too dry, takes a heck of a charge to do much good, plus with our winds and stuff blowing on wires, it takes a lot of maintenance and that is not even counting our antelope and deer, that run regularly thru any wires and take them with them, they just are not wire broke.

We need a physical barrier, then we can add electricity to it to keep horses and cattle off.
A self standing wire or tape or any such, many have to use them for temporary fencing, but spend all day checking and repairing those, they are not very reliable here.

[ASB_Stars]

My perimeter is non-climb, with a board on top, and a post every eight feet, which I like.

Cross fencing is four board on both sides. I tried non-climb as cross fence, and it is a huge pia. You have to have boards on both sides of the top, and them electric, and it just was more aggravation than it was worth. I also wanted something taller. My posts are 6" by 6". Yes, you do have to replace the oak boards, when they get broken, or split, etc. But all in all, it is the safest bet, for me anyway.

[saultgirl]

3 strand electric tape + t-posts.

[secuono]

4ft field fencing on thick wood and metal posts.
Electric for cross fencing.