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A horse fence is not only one of the most attractive but also the safest features of your horse facility. You need to erect a horse fence that will keep your horses not only safe but also not hurt them. Therefore you need proper planning before installing the fence.
With these easy but effective tips, you will install the best fence not only for your property but for your horses too.
Table of Contents
Fence material
Not all fence materials are the best for your horses, no matter how good they look. You also need to go for a strong fence material because, as we all know, horses can be pretty strong.
Therefore, the best fence material should be hard enough to withstand the horses’ force in case they run into it, but also not hard enough to hurt it. One of the commonly used materials used in horse fencing is wood.
With the proper care, a wooden fence can last for up to 25 years. The planks are mostly oak, pine, or poplar. If you use pine, you need to treat it with chemicals to harden it enough.
You can also use polyvinyl chloride planks, which look like wood from a distance but last longer. Mesh is also another material used a lot in horse fences, but you have to ensure it has a vertical pattern with woven instead of welded wires.
For posts, wood is the best material, but you have to ensure that they are strong enough and have a strong foundation. For strength, go for driven posts instead of those that are hand set.
Size
The size of the fence depends on the size of the fence, but generally, it should be high enough such that the horses can’t jump over it. It should be around 54-60 inches above the ground. You might need a taller one for stallions or horses that are good at jumping.
At the bottom of the fence, you should leave a clearance of about 8 inches to avoid trapping any part of the horse. It also discourages the horses from reaching under it for grass.
The spaces between the fences should either be big enough to provide a small chance for leg, head, and foot entrapment or small enough that hooves can’t get through. The openings’ sizes depend on the size of the horse, but the ideal size is less than 3 inches.
Gate
The gate should be as strong and tall as the rest of the fence, which means that you have to go for a sturdy design. Even though gates with diagonal cross bracing are a little stronger, the diagonal cross bracing can trap your horse’s feet, legs, and head.
To ensure the long life of your gate, the post supporting it should be wider in diameter than all the other posts. It should also have a deep foundation. The fence on either side of the gate should also be strong enough to withstand the weight and movements of the gate.
It is important to have the main gate and a human passage gate. The main gate can be used by the horses and vehicles that get into the facility. Therefore, they need to be wide enough (up to 16 feet) and also strong.
The human passage gate doesn’t need to be as big as the main gates but needs to be wide enough to allow a lawnmower to fit through (around 4-5 feet).
You should also locate the gate strategically. The best place is in the middle of the fence line to avoid trapping horses in a corner.
Ensure that you concentrate more on the strength of the fence where the horses are normally crowded, like feeding and watering areas.
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