Jump to content
BC Boards

Replacement fence question


Miztiki
 Share

Recommended Posts

Our back fence (174.5 feet) is chain link. It was in need of repair when we bought our house. There are two horses on the other side, and they had knocked it down and bent it. Their one horse hopped over the fence to welcome us to our new home!

 

We propped it back up and I've left messages with the neighbor about the fence but they haven't responded.

 

So, we won't be able to take their wants and needs into consideration since we don't know what they are.

 

What type of fencing should we replace it with? Something safe for the horses, but one that will keep the dogs (plural!) inside?

 

As with Boyden, Lucy will be on a leash for at least the first several weeks. I have a friend coming down for a few days at the end of May and I'll put him to work on the fence then. If hubby decides to take this job he was offered, then I will be able to put up fencing for the sheep, goats, chickens and all the other critters too!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only real consideration you need to take is to make sure the fence is safe for the horses, and most of the fencing you'd use for your dogs is probably okay for horses (you see horses behind field fence all the time, but if they are inclined to bother the fence and your field fence has 4" x 4" sections, the horses could catch a hoof I suppose). Frankly, you might want to consider an electric wire at the top of whatever fence end up with so the horses don't just push on the new fence and knock it down too.

 

Also, when I was growing up, we used to have neighbor horses that were constantly getting loose and coming into our pasture. They were looking for the salt block. So if the horses are pushing the fence down, it could be because there is something yummy on your side of the fence....

 

J.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What's that fence called that looks like painted wood boards, but the "boards" give some when the horses lean on them? It's meant for horses if I recall correctly. Yes, I'm worried about the horses getting their hooves stuck in anything and I'm scared to death of electric fences. Had a bad experience with them.

 

These horses are quite frisky and starved for attention. I've never seen the owner even go out and pet them. When her horse came over to our place she couldn't even hold onto her halter. The horse was very friendly, followed me around for love and pets, but can't even be led. Sad really.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

beware of wood that they can get their teeth on. If they're chewers or cribbers you'll have nothing but splinters left in very short order (though not all horses do this). High tensile strands are bad, too although many people do use it for horse fencing. I've encountered several horses with horrendous scars after hitting the fence in a panic and the wire goes right through them like a cheese slicer. 4"x4" wire mesh is used extensively where barbed wire is converted to horse safe fencing. I imagine a hoof could get into it, but I've never heard of it actually happening.

 

With the plastic coated high tensile tape (the board stuff you're thinking off) you'd still need a strand of electric on it or the horses may happily take it down in the process of reaching your tasty grass.

 

Any traditional type of fence would need lattice or mesh of some sort to keep the dogs on one side, and if the horses chew wood, you aren't left with many other options.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes Julie, that's what I had in mind. I was hoping they made one where the spaces between the boards were too narrow for Lucy to go through.

 

We have a shared fence law here, but since they won't get back to me, and since I highly doubt they would pay their half, I guess I should consider my own needs.

 

Thanks to both of you for your help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have some common fence between one of my sheep pastures and our neighbors' horse paddock. We have a three-board fence. They didn't want field fencing (woven wire) stapled to it, for fear of hooves getting caught in it, so we went with welded wire (14 gauge, with 2" x 4" openings). It's worked very well--dogwise, sheepwise and horsewise. They used to have an electrified "scare wire" on their side of the top board to keep the horses from chewing on it, but they haven't had the juice on for years now, and no problems.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

that vinyl high tensile tape is pretty flexible. Even with the tape close together, a dog could squeeze through. You can space them however you'd like, it's just a matter of where you screw in the tension rachets and put the staples. There's all different widths, too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that would work. If we are ever able to get goats along the back fence line then that would still work. I could get a 2 or 3 rail vinyl horse fence with the welded wire you just mentioned. Yeah, I think that would work. Thanks Eileen! What would I do without you guys?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

oooh I thought you were talking about the tape stuff like this:

 

RF_fence_gallery_4quarterinch_pic003_lg.jpg

by Ramm Fence.

 

I wouldn't trust a horse behind that solid PVC stuff without a good strong electric strand! Though it sure looks nice. It doesn't have 'give'. The tape has give and is very strong when installed properly. The PVC faux boards will just crack under enough force, which isn't very much. PVC is brittle and not particularly strong in long sections. I don't know anyone who uses it for horses.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lauren, the link Julie gave is for vinyl fencing made specifically for livestock, including horses. It has 5 times the tensile strength of wood and 4 times the flexibility. It has a lifetime guarantee too! It's not as cheap as wood, but you don't ever have to paint it or worry about termites or anything like that. Over the years it is much cheaper.

 

I remember the commercials showing horses leaning hard against the fence, and the "boards" giving very nicely. The commercials touted it as a safer alternative to other styles of fencing.

 

Check it out! I don't think it's the same stuff you have in mind. It's made different and is quite strong and has lots of give.

 

Eileen, good point. I'll be sure to look into that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have some of that useless plastic horse fence (vinyl board) on this farm. It doesn't slow a dog down, let alone contain it. Looks sharp, I suppose, and will contain a horse that isn't too inclined to get out. It will not contain sheep, goats or anything smaller than a horse, for sure

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Originally posted by Miztiki:

What type of fencing should we replace it with? Something safe for the horses, but one that will keep the dogs (plural!) inside?

If hubby decides to take this job he was offered, then I will be able to put up fencing for the sheep, goats, chickens and all the other critters too!!!

Here's a link to the fence that is between me and my neighbor's horses - 48" high, 2x4 inch woven mesh - it keeps my dogs in just fine, and does best for horses with a board or electric wire on the top - so they don't lean over into your yard and bend it down. It will hold any kind of other livestock I can think of, too. Advantage of electric wire would be that you can use metal T-posts instead of wooden posts (that you would need for a board on top). Either way, it's very safe fence. There's also a "yard variety" that is welded wire instead of woven - I have some of that stapled to the 3-board fence in my yard. it comes in different heights, fine for dogs, but isn't as sturdy for livestock.

http://www.mytscstore.com/detail.asp?pcID=...&productID=9415

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lauren,

I've never actually seen a horse caught in field fence either, but if the horses are knocking down fence already they might be just the type to get a foot hung.

 

As for high tensile, I still remember many moons ago when the vet I worked for put it up for his cattle and one of his wive's horses got down and got a leg hung and lay there for some time before she was found (and it was a hot wire she was hung in). She didn't survive.

 

Miztiki,

Even if you don't like electric fence, it is worth putting one strand of hot wire at the top to keep the horses off. As Eileen pointed out, once the horses learn to avoid the fence, you don't even need to keep it on. But is surely would help protect your investment from destruction by the equines.

 

As a side note, are you familiar with body scoring, etc.? Are the horses in good condition and just never handled, or are they lacking water, feed, salt, etc.? If they are well fed they really shouldn't be knocking down the fence, no matter how much greener the grass on your side seems to be.

 

Not the prettiest of fixes, but you could use wire to connect your field fence to the vinyl fence. Or you could jut put in the occasional T-post and then use clips made especially for the purpose to secure the wire fence to the vinyl fence. The field fence doesn't have to actually hold anything in by itself after all, it's just there to keep the dogs from going through the vinyl boards (and believe me dogs can go through some really small spaces!).

 

Laurie (and Lauren),

I use the 2x4 welded wire for my dogs, without a board on top. That would certainly work well for Miztiki's yard, but then again it's not always as attractive as the vinyl fence, which by the way is all over the place around here--keeping both horses and cattle in (granted, cattle will stay behind one little strand of electric wire, usually, but lots of big horse pastures around here are fenced in vinyl--but then again, maybe they use something sturdier for their smaller paddocks where the fence is likely to get more abuse)!

 

J.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really busy today, so I'll skip alot. The horses have good weight on them and appear very healthy. They have good muscle tone too. They just don't seem to get much, if any, attention.

 

I don't go back there anymore to talk to them or pet them, so they've not bothered the fence. I think it was just attention seeking that caused the one to come over, though I don't know why they knocked down the fence before we bought this place. Maybe the previous neighbors went back there and paid attention to them? I'd love to buy their 1.7 acres behind us, including the horses! If hubby gets this job then I'm going to ask them.

 

(If hubby gets this job, then I'm going to buy LOTS of things!!!!!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have a couple corners made of the pvc stuff - we started out here with a neighborhood covenant (to keep out people like us!), but then we all agreed to ditch the covenant. All three of us. The sellers were originally going to turn this 300 acres into high-dollar developments but we three bought it up and kept it farmy. :rolleyes::D:D Although my neighbor has a house that looks like it heard of the housing development and showed up in the wrong neighborhood.

 

Oh, anyway, the pvc stuff literally blows down in high wind. It also mildews if you don't clean it way more than you'd want to bother with a fence. I think there's a way to attach the rails so they don't blow loose, but we haven't figured it out in nine years.

 

My neighbor has HT for his horse but she's very calm and the stuff is topped with fluttery tape so she can see it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

re: high tensil fence and horses...worked for 17 years at an equine veterinary referral hospital...you don't even want to know what that stuff can do to a horse's legs if they get tangled in it... :eek: and dogs can still go thru it if it's spaced wide enough.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

beware when fence manufacturers throw about facts like "stronger in tension than wood!"

 

Tension is only measured along the longitudinal axis. So if you stand on one end and I stand on the other and pull, it won't break. But now apply a bending moment to it, like a horse pushing against the center with the two ends secured, and it's very weak. I know it's designed for livestock, but that doesn't mean it's very good at it. Then again, it depends on the horse, how high strung they are, and how much they want to be on your side of the property

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If a horse wants to get out of the vinyl board fence, all it has to do is take advantage of the flexibilty of the stuff. If it pushes hard enough, it will pop out of one post or the other.

 

As Eileen says, if the field is big enough that they aren't challenging it very much, it'll probably work just fine. But it will not contain dogs or sheep (nor do the manufacturers claim it will).

 

I was probably a little harsh to call it useless. I am very annoyed by it because it is in my way here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

and flexibility... sure it's more flexible than wood, but in this case, that's not a plus because it's weaker.

 

High tensile wire... **shivers**

 

I knew a BEAUTIFUL Arabian mare, about 5 years old. She was dark bay, striped face, absolutely stunning. During a thunderstorm she flipped out and ran face first into the fence, shearing off a flap of skin. The scar is horrendous. Also, an appendix QH I broke a few years back got a leg struck in a high tensile fence when she was 2 and a good quarter of her hoof at the coronet band down was sliced off. She's a bit upright on that side now, but otherwise recovered fully. And I haven't even been 'in horses' that long. I can't imagine how many high tensile injuries you must have seen, Laurie.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...