|
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 878
  
Location: "...way down south in the Everglades..." | We finally got our own place this summer and I love it, except for the fencing situation. Although I dislike barbed, I am not looking for a debate on whether or not barbed wire is okay for horse fencing. I just need some advice on the best way to solve my dilema.
There is a wide variety of fencing throughout it but most areas use barbed wire. Some areas are just 3 strands barbed, other areas field fence with barbed on top, and some other areas have barbed on the top and bottom (ground level) with field fence. I'm going to replace the front smaller pastures with vinyl for both looks and safety reasons.
However, my battle is the larger back pasture and I can't afford to replace all that with vinyl or wood. The second issue is it is a shared fence on both sides. The one side has a neighbor with horses and it's field fence with just barbed on top. I'm not as concerned with that one at the moment. The other side is low visibility with just the 3 strands of barbed but the neighbor on that side has cattle. He isn't exactly neighborly and taking the barbed down would likely start a huge fight. So I'm looking for options for what I can do on my side of the fence to make it more visible and safer to keep my horses off the barbed wire.
I have one mare that is accident prone and cut herself up really bad on electric tape with a top smooth hot wire...so I can only imagine what she could do with barbed. |
|
| |
|
 Swiffer PIcker Upper
Posts: 4015
Location: Four Corners Colorado | Build a new safe fence right next to the old one. I am replacing all my fence with 60" 2x4 no climb horse fence. It is costing me a bundle but it keeps all my animals in and the neigbors out. Luckily none of them mind me replacing it. I am putting two strands of electric on top as well. |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1119
| The outer perimeter of our property is all barbed wire (done before we bought). Luckily, everywhere that my horses are the wire is basically in trees - a hedgerow on one side of the property and a wooded area on the other, so there's not really any reason for my horses to be near the fence other than to stand in the shade. It may be cheaper to just build a second fence inside your property line than to plant trees, but that's my only other suggestion! |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 585
Location: Texas | Run a hot fence about 3 feet in. It solved our problem. |
|
| |
|
 The Vaccinator
Posts: 3810
Location: Slipping down the slope of old age. Boo hoo. | workerbee - 2015-08-12 10:18 AM
Run a hot fence about 3 feet in. It solved our problem.
This. Purchase a solar charger and some wire or elec. rope and use that to fence off the shared fence. Problem solved. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 878
Location: "...way down south in the Everglades..." | I would love to do the no climb or even wood fence in several years but I don't think my budget could swing it yet as there are so many projects to tackle and none of them cheap around the house and property.
Actually our back side has the tree row and it does keep them out of it. But I don't think it'd be very cheap to do the other side.
I did think about running electric tape as an interior so that might be my best bet for a couple years. I actually had thought of buying a couple rolls of that snow/safety fence just for visibility until I can get the electric one set up...would look goofy but might help.
Thanks for all the responses so far! |
|
| |
|
Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| I ran a 3-strand electric fence on the inside of my "scary" fencing and used a solar charger - works great! |
|
| |
|
 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | We have barbed wire fencing in our horses. It's all gnarled and hazardous for sure. It's even curled over enough that my gelding somehow stepped over it and escaped. But we rent. So I can't and won't replace it. So we strung up electric fence a foot in from it and called it good. Seeing as how you have the option to put in new fencing, just set it a foot inside the old fence. Problem solved. |
|
| |
|
 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3314
Location: Jersey Girl | Do an electric fence to keep them off the barbed wire. You can buy a solar charger is getting electric out there is a problem. |
|
| |
Folks on-line