Any rancher can attest to the challenges in maintaining livestock. Fences should be selected carefully, in order to install the best method for you and for your animals. Some of the more unique animals to fence in are horses. Not only are they extremely beautiful and graceful animals, but also they are quite intelligent. Additionally, it doesn't’t matter if you’re retiring a horse or getting a new foal, all horses can be very mischievous so it can be quite tricky fencing them in. Horses can be hard on fencing, as they bump or lean against the structure to get to grass on the other side. Occasionally, they will kick at the base of the fence posts, which makes the fence less secure. Some horses will even chew on wood materials. This is something you should try and prevent, so ensure they’re kept occupied, have enough food in their horse feeders, get enough time outdoors, and perhaps even go to the lengths of installing a fence with a different kind of material. In conjunction with a fence, it may be beneficial to purchase horse barns so that the horses can be kept inside during the night, away from the fence. This way it’ll be more sustainable, and your horse is less likely to chew.
The first consideration you will have is the characteristics of your landscape. If it has slopes and hills, or a lot of trees, this will determine the type of fencing you will want to install. You must also decide on your budget for fencing. Some fences are naturally more expensive, but might be more effective for you. Others might be less expensive, but harder to install. The three methods that can be used for your horse fencing are traditional wood fencing, electric fencing, and wire fencing.
Traditional Wood Fence
People probably don’t realize the amount of skill it takes to install a dependable wooden fence. This wood fencing will definitely take someone who knows what they’re doing, as opposed to the straightforward simplicity of wire and electrical fencing. Wood posts must be very large and sunk deep with cement. Horses weigh half a ton, so it’s still possible for their weight to shift the posts. When installed properly, these will last a long time.
Wire Fencing
This is basically a big roll of steel fencing. The durable metal is very resistant to everything, and works well with horses. The rolls can come in heights as high as 8 feet, or as low as 4 feet. Simply stretch it out and attach it to either wooden posts, or t-posts. This should also last a long time when fencing is installed the right way.
Electric Fencing
This is a choice that some ranchers avoid, because of the implications of using an electric fence. It can be very effective for horse containment, as well as for protection from stray animals, or trespassers. Electric fencing is actually fairly easy to install, and can be built in many different shapes. What can end up happening though is that when stray objects touch the wire, they can ground out the electrical circuit. Not to mention the occasional pet or family member that might get shocked.
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