Temporary Horse Pasture - Fencing advice please

[grsthegreat]

I have 10 acres across the road from me that the neighbor lets my horses graze. For the past 8 years (or so) the have been kept fat and happy with 5 foot metal t post spaced at 10 foot intervals and nylon electric fence wire strung in 2 runs. Everything is heated up with a 5,000 volt electric charger. As long as there is good grass in the pasture they don't get near the fence. I do have to keep checking it cause deer tend to jump it for the water trough, and sometimes break a wire. Nice and cheap fencing though. If i ever buy that 10 acres, ill put a permanent fence in.

 

[grsthegreat]

All the 11 years I lived at my old place I never had any serious injuries on our horses. I ripped out all the barbed wire and put in 2 by 4 mesh wire on 4" wooden treated posts with one electric wire at about butt level to keep them from rubbing on it. It did great.

In a years time here at the new place I have had 2 serious injuries where one tore flesh off at the knee on barbed wire and another one tore half it's foot off on an old rotted piece of culvert pipe at the pond which I never knew was there, when I discovered it after following the blood trail I promptly got it out of there. Then we had one fatal injury on my yearling after he got caught up in barbed wire. I was not home when it happened and he lay there for hours with the wire wrapped around his pastern cutting off all blood circulation and it was so tight I had to cut him loose. I worked for 6 weeks trying to save him but unfortunately he lost the hoof and had to be put down. That horse was an awesome palamino stud colt. He was my buddy and I miss him.

We have never had so many injuries until we came here. But we are going to be working on installing all new fencing here and we will be getting rid of all barbed wire. I hate that stuff.

This place is nice but it was set up for cattle and needs quite a bit of work on the fences to get it how we want it for the safety of our horses. Oh by the way, the other two horses healed from the wounds they had and are doing great. The foot injury was a $500.00 loss which sucked.

The post above by Ken is very true. You get a bunch of horses together in a very small area it is a disaster waiting to happen. I have seen horses get drove right in to fences especially at feeding time in small areas and it aint pretty.

Here is a picture of my stud colt that was put down because of the stupid barbed wire and then a few pics of the type of horse fencing I like to build:

Great looking fences there.....nice job

 

[whistlepig]

We board horses. When a new horse is introduced in to the pasture with the other horses there is some sort of primaeval horsey thing that goes on here. Its who is going to be boss horse. Sometimes these fights will last a couple of hours. The horses have to be watched the entire time until they get these things sorted out. This is where safe fence is most important to us. After watching vets put several hundreds of stitches in horses we have learned a few things. Single strand steel wire cuts a horse like a scalpel. Barbed wire is worse. It cuts a horse like a chainsaw. When a horse slides sideways and all four legs slide between the 4"x4" openings in cattle fence it takes several people and ropes to get them out. Stitches again. After all this we went to RedBrand No Climb fence with a single strand of Ramm nylon electric fence over the top. This works.

 

[USNative]

Great looking fences there.....nice job

Thanks!

 

[MossflowerWoods]

UPDATE - Almost ready to start!:thumbsup:

For along the driveway I will build permanent fencing, an just extend it as I finish the rest of the pasture. The rest will be electric...

I've found a good local source for PT posts and fence boards. Right now I am planning on using 6-7" x 7' half round PT posts (on the outside) with 2x6" x 16' Poplar boards (3 board, staggered, on the inside. Oak boards are approx $1 each more expensive, is it worth it? Pine is also an option, but they looked twisted etc. already. Poplar is probably local, we grow plenty here.

I am a little concerned right now about how wet my property is. I seem to have a high water table and even though it has been dry for days since the last rain, I have MANY puddles still. I am worried that even PT will rot if too wet. An good horse buddy suggested again I look at "synthetic" fence options but I fear they will be cost prohibitive. I need to decide on concrete, concrete and dirt, or just dirt on the posts.

I plan to put in one permanent gate, a metal 10' or 12', with a 7' round PT post, and a wheel to help support the weight.

I am looking at a generator and a compressor used from a buddy who lost his job and has too many (needs the money too).

I plan to buy a new heavy duty 9' auger and borrow my neighbor's 3pt PHD, but I might buy a 12" just to minimize my need for hand digging and ease of alignment.

I am down to two choices for framing nailer. Lowe's has the Hitachi reg price $199 (I can get -5% for Lowe's card, or maybe -10% for veteran), comes with a 3 year warranty. Home Depot has the Rigid for $229, lifetime warranty, (MAYBE I can get -10% veteran, big maybe). If you have an opinion which is better, clue me in.

For the electric fencing I plan to use Electro Braid and plastic step in posts.

OK, that is the update. I am ready to pull the trigger and start buying & working. My questions to you experts are...

1 - What am I forgetting?
2 - Where is my thinking flawed?
3 - Which Farming Nailer?
4 - Who wants to come help?

Thanks in advance for all the new advice, and please know I am in debt to you for your past advice and education.

Be well all,
David

 

[bullbreaker]

UPDATE - Almost ready to start!:thumbsup:




I am down to two choices for framing nailer. Lowe's has the Hitachi reg price $199 (I can get -5% for Lowe's card, or maybe -10% for veteran), comes with a 3 year warranty. Home Depot has the Rigid for $229, lifetime warranty, (MAYBE I can get -10% veteran, big maybe). If you have an opinion which is better, clue me in.
For the electric fencing I plan to use Electro Braid and plastic step in posts.
OK, that is the update. I am ready to pull the trigger and start buying & working. My questions to you experts are...
1 - What am I forgetting?
2 - Where is my thinking flawed?
3 - Which Farming Nailer?
4 - Who wants to come help?
Thanks in advance for all the new advice, and please know I am in debt to you for your past advice and education.
Be well all,
David

I don't use it every day but my Rigid frameing nail gun has never failed me. Even came in Kubota orange !
Who can argue against Hitachci when it comes to frameing nail guns.I bought the Rigid because at the time they were $200 plus tax and the warrantee you mentioned.IMHO you can't go wrong w/either.
Also some good info here : Electric Fence Supplies for Fine Electric Fencing
3 ｽ? Round Head Framing Nailer - RIDGID Professional Tools

3-1/2 in. Round Head Framing Nailer-R350RHD at The Home Depot

3-1/4 in. Stick Round Head Framing Nailer (21 Degree - Plastic Collated Nails 2 in. - 3-1/4 in.)-NR83A2(S) at The Home Depot

Be Well Yourself David those are kind and humble words !

Boone

 

[Ken45101]

I wouldn't worry about PT posts holding up. Heck, they use PT timbers for pole barns that are supposed to last many years. I recently pulled some PT posts that we had put in 8 years ago. They were in perfect shape.

I'm not big on board fence but if you are going to use it, make sure the boards are PT, unless you want to maintenance of painting the fence every few years. I would also run a strand of the electric rope along the inside of the top board to keep the horses from leaning over the fence and damaging it (we've had that happen).

Electrobraid is good but premier1 has electrified rope at a better price (they have multiple grades) and I have been happy with their products and service.

I would NOT use the plastic step in posts for a permanent fence, I would go with metal T posts.

Ken

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Electrobraid is good but premier1 has electrified rope at a better price (they have multiple grades) and I have been happy with their products and service.

I would NOT use the plastic step in posts for a permanent fence, I would go with metal T posts.

Ken

Ken,

The electric fence is specifically TEMPORARY while I finih putting in the rest of the pastures. I have 1+ acres of grass now out of over 5 total that I am still working on.

Does Premier1 have a web site? who sells it?

Thanks,

 

[gilbertmsg]

David, I put up about 2000' of horse fence 5 years ago last month and used 4"x4"x8' PT posts from Lowes. They have held up fair. I will have some that will need to be replaced within the next five years. I would not use any larger than the 9" auger as the larger the hole, the more loose dirt will be around the post. You want to keep the soil as compacted as possible. I used 30 lbs quikrete in each hole and tamped with a heavy steel rod and backfilled with soil, then tamped each side of post with 15lb tamper. I would also spend the extra $1.00 per board and use the oak. The boards have held up great and have aged and look great. The will be here for 20 more years easy. I also used a 2" top white electic tape on the top of each post, works great for letting the horses see where fence is and keeping them off the fence.

Good Luck!!

Eddie

 

[Mike476]

Have had our horses in an acre fenced off with PT posts every 10 feet and single strand electric wire fence, two runs, for the past 13 years. A thoroughbred and a morgan, they use up every inch of it when playing and have never had an injury. I have seen horses injured inside a wooden fence, and PT boards doesn't stop most horses from chewing, not the best thing.