For a gate between paddock & pasture, would you choose a 20 gauge (lighter gauge) with mesh in body of gate or a 16 gauge (heavier) with 6 horizontal rails? I cringe when I see a horse pawing at a gate & possibly putting a foot through the horizontal rails. But I really like the heavy duty gates that only come with rails. See samples below.
http://www.behlencountry.com/index.aspx?ascxid=behlenCatalogProduct&i=276
http://www.behlencountry.com/index.aspx?ascxid=behlenCatalogProduct&i=238
I would never use example number 2 for the exact reason you mentioned.
I think either of those gates are very safe and appropriate for horses. I have not had problems with legs going through the pipe gates and getting hurt.
I tend to say heavier gates are better and worth it, especially if you have a horse that might push on a fence.
Mesh is better if you’re trying to keep dogs or kids out of the paddock.
In my particular neck of the woods, there are local fabricators that make both kinds of gates, and I would buy from them rather than Behlen. They tend to use heavier materials and also I think their rust prevention is superior. Steel is heavy to ship and so a national product tends to be lighter to stay cost competitive. Behlen is a decent product and I have some, but their stuff will start rusting after a season or two. That said, 10 years later, the gates are still perfectly functional and keeping animals on the correct side.
In California, the open pipe gates and for that matter pipe panel fencing are ubiquitous. I’ve seen them used in large boarding stables under heavy use by a lot of horses and I’ve seen almost no injuries from them. Because they are smooth, if a head or foot goes through them the head or foot also tends to come back out easily.
The one thing I’d avoid are notches at the top if the top of the panel is curved rather than square. That’s a place a rearing horse can catch a foot.
Used both gates never had a problem with the second type but I use the mesh on as the gate to my property as it keeps my critters in.
I had a horse get a pretty serious coronet band injury with the mesh insert one. Appantly, it had gotten kicked, which popped a weld holding the wire along the bottom in one place, and don’t you know, one of my horses picked that exact place to paw…
I only use the round bars now. And in as heavy a guage as I can get.
I like the plain bar gates. They seem to last forever. I’ve never seen a horse put a leg or head though a bar gate that they didn’t slip right back out. I’d only use the mesh gates if I had small critters I needed to keep in.
We have been making our own gates and buying plenty also and all are pipe gates without mesh insert.
I don’t think any one kind is more apt to have a horse get hurt.
Horses will get hurt in all places, all kinds, it is the nature of horses.
You can keep horses safer with management, under most kinds of sensible fencing, with who you put together or next to each other and of course not do something like putting horses in a smaller enclosure or across each other over a barbwire fence, hot wire or not!:eek:
I have seen all kinds of strange management practices many times without trouble, but I would think that really ups your chances of a horse getting hurt.
Ideally, I would like a tall diamond mesh on pipe fence for safety, but in our windy country, with tumbleweeds piling 20’ on it, that is not the best idea.
Practically all our horse and cattle pens for a good 70 years now have been pipe fence and gates and have been happy with them as far as keeping horses safe.
Just look at the weight of the gates and you will have your answer. 51 vs 103 pounds. We have an 8’ version of the mesh gate to keep our dogs in, it is very light. I am pretty sure I could fold it in half with little effort, a horse could crush it with an evil thought.
[QUOTE=airhorse;7206132]
Just look at the weight of the gates and you will have your answer. 51 vs 103 pounds. We have an 8’ version of the mesh gate to keep our dogs in, it is very light. I am pretty sure I could fold it in half with little effort, a horse could crush it with an evil thought.[/QUOTE]
Yes, those 20 gauge gates a horse can rub it’s fat behind on them and bend them out of shape.:eek:
I don’t think 20 gauge is that good for horses.:no:
I was going to add my thoughts on the weight as well. The most important thing to consider is if a big butt rubbing it will bend it. IME the mesh are way too flimsy.
If you have a horse that leans on the gate at feeding time, they will shortly put a bow in it. We needed to keep small critters so we wired 2’ “No climb” to the gate.
Yeah, I had one of the mesh covered gates, what a waste of money. I would not recommend them for any area that contains horses. They are way too lightweight and not enough cross bars. My gate bowed in the middle in a very short time. I laid it flat on the ground and “flattened” it by walking on it, but it bowed again of course. I gave it away to someone that desperately needed a gate quickly.
chicamuxen
We have two mesh gates and one did indeed get bent quite quickly. They also came with a very useless chain that was not at all horse suitable. (DH bought them because they were a pretty green colour). I would go with the heavier ones if you have the choice.
Additionally, the Behlen mesh-filled gates, in gray, RUST like a son of a gun! We have them on our driveway (one at each end) and in less than 8 years, the mesh is falling out of one (rusted through the welds), and the galvanized hinges have rusted through the pipe!
On the other hand, we have the galvanized mesh-filled gates (not Behlen…I’d have to go look, but I think they’re a “local” company) in the paddock and they’ve held up beautifully to the 1500 pound warmblood monster who rubs on everything. No rusting, no bending.
I am far more comfortable with pipe gates vs. horses–legs slide through.
Could you get the heavier gate and have someone local weld some mesh on?
I was looking at a yearling a few years back and his pasture buddy stuck his head in between the rails of their gate and then lifted up. Off came the gate, horse spooked and got the loose end of the gate stuck on a tree (the other end was still chained to the pole). [B]Luckily[B] this horse went stock still, otherwise, well I though he was going to break his neck. Owner got him untangled and everyone was fine.
Tube gate
My gelding literally destroyed one of those heavier tube gates last night. Don’t have a clue as to why he did it, but he kicked through between rails, got caught up in it and and fortunately the gate broke free from the post. Bent that sucker almost in two in the middle (14ft three section gate). :eek:
Bent, mashed, but the metal did not tear and the only thing we could see on my gelding was a little gray paint. Go for the heaviest gauge you can find, in the long run, it’s worth it. I may have to replace the gate, but believe me, it’s cheaper than the emergency call out and vet bills! :yes:
I like to have mesh on the bottom of my gates. None have it, so we added it ourselves. Mesh means no legs get in it, also dogs stay out or in. We also do 12’ gates. Never know what may have to travel through that gate in the future, be a shame if it was too small to get ?? through it.
I have the mesh bottom gates in my horse pastures/paddocks and they’ve been fine there, but all have electric across to keep the butt rubbers and pawers off them. The lack of cross bars does make them less sturdy than the all pipe ones. If I didn’t have the electric to keep horses off, I’d probably go with the all pipe just because they are more sturdy. You can add mesh, but be careful of edges as any protrusion is bound to cause an injury.
