I am ready to pull the trigger on a 6ft high utility 70 round pen. Does anyone know anything about Baird? I like that they have square tops. I don’t want the heavy duty because 139lb panel is a lot to move around. http://www.bairdgate.com/products/round_pens.shtml
If their horse panels have these sharp metal vertical bars, that is one place horses can get cut easily.
If they kick at it, may deglove a leg, if they lick it and get scared, cut their mouth or tongue.
Panels for horses should have round edges to any metal, not sharp ones.
See pictures of both, first that company’s picture, from their web page.
Be sure if you buy their horse panels are not connected like that, but with some kind of rounded edge metal or pipe or rods.
Second and third, another company, the vertical bars have rounded edge metal vertical supports.
You can see the difference:
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Wow thank you for pointing that out! Back to searching the web.I figured it was a pretty safe since it had a square top and since the price isn’t horrible I could go bigger.
I have this one from Baird, bought a decade ago when we moved in: 6 Bar Galvanized Utility Round Pen 6ft. 2in. Tall (XT - Extra Tall)
The vertical braces are basically one of the same tubes, squashed and welded against the outside. Not the z-shaped brace. It’s all smooth on the inside (though you’ll want to run your hands over all the welds on anything you buy and file off any sharp bits.)
The only injury I’ve had is a cut from a horse lying down too close and getting a leg through it – which was my fault for placing the panel there, since there was a dirt mound and he couldn’t roll over away from the fence.
The tops are square but with the pin connections, it is hard to get them close enough together that a leg couldn’t get between them. So it’s better than the rounded tops, but still not ideal. I have them chained together anyway as horses can lift the panels and get them to come apart with only the pins.
So while the round pen has been useful I don’t think I’d buy another.
I am now looking at Noble Panels (which is FAR AWAY in Oregon) because they have the best ones I’ve seen, the braces are saddle cut and welded in between each horizontal. http://www.noblepanels.com/panelinf.htm
And also Red River which is in Texas and has a similar one called PHT. (Though I’ll have to see if they will leave off the mud foot, I don’t want a loop on the bottom, just straight legs.). https://www.redriverarenas.com/panels.html#PHT
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Thank you for your review! I actually emailed noble this morning for a quote :). The only thing I don’t care for is the straight legs. I basically live on a sand hill and I know they are just going to sink right into the sand. So a 6ft wouldn’t be a 6ft.
Noble has a different kind of foot – it’s a T-shape that sits flat on the ground and the legs slide into two uprights. It’s optional because you can also clamp the panels to posts in a more permanent installation, and then you wouldn’t need it.
You might also want to check into Alligator Brand from Florida Hardware – http://alligatorbrand.com/site/ .
That is who my feed store gets gates and such from. Shipping would certainly be less! Their ‘portable stall’ panels are square topped, but again appear to have the z-braces. Perhaps they would do a custom order with saddle cut and welded braces. But I think you have to go through a dealer.
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We use Powder River panels, seem to work well for us, have used them for over 50 years.
They are from far away, but there is always some dealer for them around here, are very popular.
These are their current ones, their models have changed over the years:
https://powderriver.com/product-category/gates_panels/rancher-series/
The second and third picture above are some of those, that we painted off white.
They also have a very stout cattle line, but for horses these are good.
We never had a horse hurt in them, but horses being horses, that is probably because we were lucky.
They are flexible enough that if a horse really would hit one that hard, the horse would not break, the panel would at least give a bit and bend.
The Noble panels no one around here has those, but they look like nice ones.
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@morgansnmind did you make a decision? If you got a quote from Noble Panels I’m interested to see what they’re running.
I kind of feel bad for steering you away from the Baird roundpen because the answer to your original question is YES it will hold up for at least a decade based on my experience!
When I was shopping, the gold standard was the John Lyons roundpen, which I believe was made by Fleenor. Fully welded, and the only one I’ve seen where the top rail sits on top of the end posts, so that when you attach the panels the top rail sticks out over the pin connectors and there is virtually no space between the panels.
But those were pricey to begin with and then adding shipping made it way too much. I went with Baird and it has been fine. As noted, not 100% perfect, but, really, the one I pointed out has been a great choice and doesn’t have the issues that Bluey pointed out. (The braces are welded to the back, so it’s a smooth inner surface.)
I took some pictures I can upload if you want more data points on the Baird 6’2" one, let me know.
Sorry it took so long for me to respond!
The quote I got for the Noble 6ft 60ft round pen was $2660 plus $1547 in shipping. It’s a bit over my budget.🤪 Max being 2k. The powder river company never got back to me .
So my options are still the Baird or go with a 5ft rounded top tarter (Which I don’t like the idea of and seems more unsafe than Baird). I do have someone local that sells something that looks like Baird panels but they are the smaller 5ft and they have the same type of welds. At least with Baird I could go bigger. All the marketplace used ones don’t look anymore safe and rarely are they 6ft.
Would love to see pictures!
I
@morgansnmind here’s an album of the Baird 6’2" one. As I said, it’s been fine for a decade now. https://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmoak/albums/72157716565902076
I should have kept up with the rust better – not let the feet get buried in mud, sanded and spray painted the problem areas with Rustoleum, etc.
The pins are loose by design, so you can set it up on uneven ground. But that means the panels want to lean out away from each other and create a space at the top – this can be avoided with some manual labor, pulling them tightly in and attaching them with something. (The plastic baling twine works great and is easy to cut off later.). You might want to request chain connectors instead of pins, then you can get the panels closer. Or none, if you want to use clamps.
It’s possible that Baird can do the saddle cut and welded uprights – they obviously know how, that’s how the horizontal bars are attached. But as you can see, the braces are squashed to form and welded to the outside. The inside is smooth. If a horse hits it hard, it will bow out. I would also prefer not to have the loops at the bottom, called a “mud foot,” and I’d imagine they can just leave those off.
With these I’m able to move one panel at a time by myself. I use the tractor to pick up 4-5 of them to take them to a new location, then wrangle them into position.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you want a picture of something specific.
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we have a built in place round pen that is seven foot tall, but OP have you looked at Priefert Ranch Equipment?
https://www.priefert.com/products/ho…nel-round-pens
https://www.priefert.com/products/horse-round-pens
they have dealers all across the country so freight should be much less than a factory direct shipment to single site.
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Just to update this post I went ahead and placed the order for the 70ft 6ft Baird. 
I figured I need to since maybe the vet check I am having done Tuesday will go well ( hopefully…the last one didn’t). They verified that the braces are not the z braces on the 6 ft. They have the z style on the 5ft version. I really appreciate the pictures !
I did look at priefert a couple of months ago . There is one dealer about 40 mins away from me. They were difficult to work with getting a quote as it’s not something they normally get in. I actually told them at the time I wanted to place a order and they told me they would give me a call when they were doing a order with priefert and they never did. I can’t remember what they quoted me but it’s quite a bit higher than Baird and I would have to go pick it up. I wouldn’t have been able to get a 6ft one . I just would rather go taller because of the sand here and to help prevent leaning. Some of the reviews on coth on priefert weren’t that great either. Sounds like it bends and rust quickly.
If the connecting braces are like the ones in the light grey panels the orange tractor is moving, those are horse safe.
They are regular vertical braces of pipe crimped on ends to weld them in place, or crimped in the middle to set them smooth against the horizontal bars.
Is the braces made with the sharp edges on the connectors that could become a problem if a horse got a leg thru the panel and would cut itself on that sharp edge.
Still, many such are used without any trouble.
Hopefully most people are not going to be chasing horses in round pens until they hit panels.
Good that you could find something you can use.
Panels have so many uses, they are great for all kinds of fences, now a round pen, later who knows.
I think mine are Priefert brand and have held up really well. Heavy but I can maneuver them by myself.
