Which color fencing should we get?

[SFVine]

We are getting ready to put up our pasture. We have decided on wooden posts with coated wire. I like the idea of drilling the holes in the posts and using Finishline w/ an electric wire on top, or possibly alternate Shockline/Raceline, I haven’t 100% decided on the brand yet- but if you have reviews, I’d love to hear them!

Anyway, originally I was all gung-ho about getting it in the white, but then I thought about how much snow we get (Dec-Feb for sure, could be Nov-March). Will white coated wire lose enough visability to make it dangerous during those months? I would like to think that if the they are used to the pasture they would be ok, but…horses. lol.

Would it be better to go with the brown or black option? Would it be hideous to do 2 lines white, 2 lines black alternating(probably)? Am I waaaay over thinking this and the white is fine, and I should just tie some flagging tape on the top electric wire and move on?

We are fencing way too much to put a thick board along the top of the whole thing, at least not anytime in the near future.

[Simkie]

What color fence do you like?

The horses will learn where the fence is. They’ll be able to see it regardless of what color you pick. You probably don’t want to put a new horse out in a driving blizzard if the fence is white, or put a new horse out in the dead of night with a new moon if the fence is black. But you’re unlikely to do either, probably.

This is really about your preference. Black fence, imo, looks better than white as it ages. It doesn’t turn green or look dirty. When white fence isn’t newly installed or meticulous maintained, it can look pretty ratty. Imperfections are a lot more apparent in white.

[wsmoak]

What Simkie said. Get whatever color you want to be looking at day in and day out.

The horses will learn where the fence that bites is, and stay away from it.

What I want to know is… how on earth do you get those holes drilled level and straight so the fence wire can go through the posts?!

I just got a sample kit from Timeless Fencing, they make composite T-posts with holes pre-drilled.

[Montanas_Girl]

@wsmoak

What I want to know is… how on earth do you get those holes drilled level and straight so the fence wire can go through the posts?!

My fencing guy made a template out of a piece of scrap lumber so that he could drill holes at the same height on all my wooden corner/gate posts.

[2DogsFarm]

I went with white coated tensile & a top rail of the 2-wire “board” .
All run on 6" round treated posts.
17yrs later the lines still look good unless you are really upclose (& picky), but I am starting to hate that top rail.
It has chipped in places - mostly near the posts - and is starting to show some green discoloring. A couple of the brackets holding it have been pulled out & bent too. Not dangerously, but unattractively.
My top line can carry a charge, but l’ve never made it hot.
3 different pairs of geldings (now 3 with added mini) have never tested the fence.
They do graze through the fencing, keeping a 2’ border neatly trimmed all around the pastures.
I also haven’t needed to retension any of the lines, though there is one - runs between drylot & pasture fenceline - that is sagging.

[B_and_B]

I use white tape and rope, never had an issue with the horses seeing it even in snow, it really is a different shade. I did read somewhere that actually brown is the most visible fencing but not that much more visible. (something about how they see color). BUT, I can see the white very easily and that allows me to immediately check from a distance that the fence is up and intact year round. And that is very useful! The horses learn where the fence is in any case.

[goodhors]

I have galvanized tensile wire, which is not shiny, actually disappears looking across the fields. I buy Fence Flags that clip on the wire for visibility. Horses are not the problem, it is the *¥#^# deer shortcutting across the fields, taking down wires or breaking them!

Flags move in any breeze to catch the eye, warning fence is there. At preferred spots I hang layers of flags on the 8 strands, hopefully creating a solid looking area. Stupid bucks are the worst if horns get caught, they will pull down wire for several sections of posts. And they ALWAYS pick a new crossing each year!!

I get the Fence Flags from Jeffers, in their fencing section. You have to look carefully to find them there among other fence items. They last well for years, stay put on the wire pretty well. High winds of 40-60mph, might slide them over a bit. They rattle in wind, so a double warning when using them for the animals.

I would go with white fence, it will be more visible during a year than colors that match dirt.

[Texarkana]

I drive by a lot of farms with coated wire. It is insanely popular around here.

Most of them have white, but there are several with brown and black as well.

The brown disappears into the landscape. That’s a good and bad thing in my opinion. It give the property a “natural” look, but I imagine it wouldn’t be immediately obvious if a far away section of the fence lost tension or came down.

Black is a little more visible than the brown, but still blends in.

While white is super obvious to humans, supposedly horses don’t see white fences all that well. With that said, the certainly learn where it is just fine.

The farm we just bought has white. I’m not sure of the brand but I believe it is Ramm Raceline and Shockline. My only complaint so far is that the coating has peeled off in places leaving exposed wire, but I think this was mostly user error by the previous owners. It is attached to the post with staples, which is recommended, but they drove the staples in deep. Then when you try to tension the fence, it strips the coating since it can’t slide through the staple.

[Jarpur]

@goodhors

Horses are not the problem, it is the *¥#^# deer shortcutting across the fields, taking down wires or breaking them!

Ain’t that the truth!

[NaturallyHappy]

We have White Lightning coated high tensile in white. It is very easy to to check on it, survives the occasional tree that comes down on it, and looks great after 20 years. I think it’s made by Centaur. I use a heavy duty fence charger with it. I’d not use anything else after having this. Hope this helps you.

[fourfillies]

I have brown (also Centaur) on drilled wood posts. It’s been in 3 years, 4 strands. Top and bottom hot, middle not. It definitely does blend in to the landscape which is why I chose it. Horses and donks respect it. I’m very happy with it.

[Ponycatraz]

When I bought my coated wire the person I talked to said deer can see the brown better than the other colors. So brown is what I got. I don’t know if it makes a difference but I have not had any visible deer strikes yet.

[OzarksRider]

@Texarkana

supposedly horses don’t see white fences all that well.

I’ve heard that too, and that’s why I decided against white. I read somewhere that horses see browns and greens best, so I did my fence with brown coated wire.

@Ponycatraz

When I bought my coated wire the person I talked to said deer can see the brown better than the other colors

Last week a deer apparently got tangled in my brown coated wire fence. I had to tension one of the wires, but other than that no damage. And a couple of evenings ago I saw a deer jump the fence and hit the wire. Two entanglements within a week make me wonder if deer really can see brown better. Or maybe it was because it was nearly dark out.

@Simkie

The horses will learn where the fence is.

Before I got the coated wire, I had barb wire fences. My horse lived with it for almost 7 years and he knew very well where it was. He still managed to run into it while he and his buddy were hooning around.

[NaturallyHappy]

We have zero problems w deer or horses seeing white fence.

[Simkie]

@OzarksRider

Before I got the coated wire, I had barb wire fences. My horse lived with it for almost 7 years and he knew very well where it was. He still managed to run into it while he and his buddy were hooning around.

Yep, exactly. Color is pretty immaterial to them. Accidents still happen, which is why there are so many different approaches to “safe fencing.”

[Christa_P]

Horses learn to look for the fence posts if the wire is hot and not really visible. I have taken down sections of electric wire and temporarily left the posts a few times and the horses were very wary of crossing that line for a few days.