We are about to build a round pen. I've gone through several different styles and designs. My husband wants to build one like this with coated wire (this is not my picture). I've never used or seen one that wasn't livestock panels or wood. Thoughts on this style? As far as usage, I won't be breaking any broncs in it. I have seasoned horses that don't push their luck with fencing. It'll be 60' and mainly used to warm up and work on little things for my daughter. 

I've always considered high tensile wire dangerous to man and beast.  My niece who is a vet can't say enough bad things about it because she's treated many animals that have gotten caught up in it.

I have to agree. If you have a horse that decides they don't want to be a participant and decides to jump out,  you are going to havre serious problems. I think that is one reason that many people have solid walls on their round pens. Mine is just panels but they are 6 feet high. 

i agree this is not a good idea  our roound corral was 7 feet high solid wood with 2 feet of  rubber matt around it. i loved it. never had 1 go over but did have 1 or think about it.

we did use high tensile for pastures.  i did have 1 get hung up in and got lucky. i would use coated tensile on  big pastures in a second

let's just say my 3 year old wouldn't have front legs anymore,if I had that type. I would go with a bullpen , the wood all the way up.

Just my opinion about that stuff but I think it is only good for rubbing manes out and cutting the heck out of legs.

Hard pass. Looks like cut legs just waiting to happen. Panels or solid walls would be the way to go :) 

Hard pass even for the most broke.  Especially with a child at the reins.  One bad day ends up being scars for life. 

You always have to prepare for worst case scenario and that looks risky.  The money you spend up front making it as safe as possible is the money you are saving down the road on an injury.  Although that fencing looks kind of pricey with the cables. 

Oh heck no girlfriend! As a colt starter, I'd be scared to put a horse in the round pen, let alone have me ride a colt in it... I really think you're asking for all sorts of problems.

As long as you are exercising broke and same horses, you should be fine. I don't have any experience with the wire, but it looks nice. Horses seem to look for ways to get hurt but you can't bubble wrap them. Build what you want to build. Mine are fenced off inside barbwire. (Knocks on wood) I've never had a problem.

This set up would be a no from me also. The wire looks like a wreck waiting to happen. Granted, I use my round pen for colts, so there would be more "activity" going on, but I like a solid bottom at least. I'm not a fan of something they could slip and slide a leg under the fence when always going in a circle. I don't like posts that stick up above the fence. And I'd never have posts on the inside of the fence like this one has. Knee or foot getters for sure. That being said, you can never build something that a horse or rider would never get hurt on- accidents happen- no matter how safe the facility. Build what you feel comfortable with.

NO'S ARE 10,000 TO ZERO YES'S ...  

Cut the size of your round pen down to 50 ft, the 60' pen will walk you to death and invite horses to speed up or have a runaway. 

The circumference of a 50' round pen is 160' or 14 panels 12' long x 6' high 

DO THIS ... 12 PANELS 12' long 6' high .. plus a 6' walk thru bow gate ... and a 16' equipment gate added to the pen.   

12x12= 144' + 6' bow gate+16' gate = 166' circumference ... 

Horses are attracted to gates, especially the one they entered by .. so make sure both gates are raised to 6' top rail to match the height of the pen.  This also keeps the loose horse in the pen from hanging their head over and pawing the gates.  (and shoot anyone that wants to stand or climb on your gates)  Yes, I said a 16' equipment gate .. anything less will be a PITA to get any type of drag equipment thru them.  Why the 6' gate?  You can lead a horse easier thru a 6'gate than a 4'gate. 

On the 16' gate .. screw several treated boards or short piece of post on the gate post to rest the weight of the locking end of the gate on and take the strain off of the post on the hinged end of the gate. 

One ER or trip to the vet will pay for a safe and long lasting roundpen .. 

NOTE: Square railed panels are tuffer than the thin round railed panels ... if you are located in freezing winters ... all panels leak water into the rails .. before you set up panels .. drill a 3/8" hole in the bottom of each rail and feet of the rails to allow water to escape so it does not split or rust the inside of the rail.. easy to do when you turn the panel upside down.  This includes the gates.

Almost forgot .. when selecting panels .. measure center to center on the rails and buy the panels that are 9 inches or less.   I have never had a horse or foal stick their head thru a 9" c/c rail.   I have chased several horses down that were wearing one of the round cow panels ... lol 

If your hubby wants to have a viewing stand ... dig two holes for posts and screw two 8'x2x6 boards for your feet to stand on...  one foot off the ground and a 2x6 to lean on 50" higher.    You can change this configuration just a little bit by adding 2 more posts and a couple of boards to sit on. 

HAVE FUN and my compliments as parents teaching their daughter to become a horsewoman .. 

this is a pic of ours after changing it several times. 60',  Railroad ties for posts set in concrete, panels and then a pole on top of the panels.  There isn't anything that's going to jump out of this thing LOL  One of the posts has a log chain with a innertube piece to tie up at. 

I like that, nice and safe to ride in..

Nope nope nope. There's a reason you don't see this type of fencing with anything to do with riding. Even arenas are panels or boards, thick plastic, etc. A stirrup gets caught, leg gets caught on a hard turn, eesh. My colts and even finished horses knock knees or hocks on panels sometimes. Couldn't imagine if it was wire that why could potentially bend and get their leg through. Could do something like this if you really wanted to, least they can't get super cut up in it.

Even the brokest, quietest horses sometimes get a wild hair when moving around. I would be worried theyd get a wild hair and then get hung up