Anyone have trouble with cattle panels?

[Marty]

Before I begin a new paddock made of cattle panels, I thought I'd ask if anyone has had any problems with them.

I was looking at my panels today that were being stored behind the shed, when Michael's Noelle came up for a visit. She's lovely by the way, but of course I'm prejudiced.

I don't think anyone else could do it, but it seems to me, it wouldn't take much for a little baby like that to get her head stuck in one of those squares. Or am I just being an over protective paranoid mother again?

Also, do they sell any hot wire attachments for them? I haven't seen anything around here that looks like they would work as far as size to attach onto the squares.

Looking for input.

Thank you all very much.

 

[Miniv]

Marty,

We use either sheep or goat panels so the metal squares are smaller. And our plastic insulators are hooked/snapped onto metal T-posts. We've also used wooden posts and the insulators for those are scewed into the wood.

MA

 

[Triggy&Blue&Daisy Too]

I agree with MA, the cattle panels squares are too big for horses of any size. Trig got his leg through one once so I removed them and replaced them with what they call combo panels which are 2" x 4" openings and I think are much safer.

 

[Jill]

Don't you currently use field fencing? Aren't the squares just about the same size?

There's no comparison in how nice I think the cattle panels are compared to field fencing which is why we are replacing ours and are nearly done with all the paddocks.

I have had several foals in the cattle panels -- which is not a lot. But, so many, many mini people use them. Hopefully you'll get some feed back from the breeders who do and they can give some input.

Some of our cattle panels are called combo panels, but I put the small squares at top so feet don't get stuck in the 2" or so sections. On our "combo panels", the majority of the panel ahs the same size square as the cattle panel.

 

[frekles93]

[SIZE=14pt]I use cattle and hog panels also electric and barbed wire..... I dont care what kind of fencing you use... if a horse can hurt themselves they will...... The hog are my favorite. You can run a strand of electris over the top and make a very good stud pen..... [/SIZE]

April

 

[Frankie]

I have cattle panels in all 3 dry lots, been there a long time. We probably all know if something will happen it most likely will happen here, but I have never had any problem with them. I have had a horse or two get a leg through them, but the leg easly came back out. The space is the same as my field fence and I do use electric attached to the t-posts.

Just make sure posts are not too far apart, the panel will bow. Mine are 6 feet.

They work for me and I can't afford a solid wall to make sure there is never a problem.

 

[Ashley]

I had my mare get her leg stuck in it once kicking at a stud on the other side. But have never had a foal get stuck in them yet. They are used along with feild fence, electrice and chain link at my aunts. My moms is just Electrice and split rail.

 

[Cathy_H]

but it seems to me, it wouldn't take much for a little baby like that to get her head stuck in one of those squares.

Marty that was one of my concerns when we bought our panels. We have cattle panels between two of our big dry lots. We have had several foals in those lots through the years & have had no problem to date....... Wanted to add that I think ours is called hog panels - is there a difference?

 

[rosaroca]

I couldn't live without cattle panels. I've used them almost exclusively since I started in Minis, and I've only had a couple of horses get caught in them. Keep a good pair of bolt cutters handy and with a couple of snips, you can get a horse loose without delay.

Now, at the new training stable, we use a combination of cattle panels and horse panels (with 2" X 4" openings and extra tall and long). Horse panels are used for all stall runs and anyplace where horses are enclosed in small areas and more likely to fight through the fence with their neighbors. Cattle panels and metal t-posts are used on the round pens, etc. They're also great to add to metal gates between the pastures to keep little ones from sticking their heads through and biting the neighbors.

The price of the horse panels (around $45 each!) is extremely high, but I love them and wouldn't use anything else on the smaller pens.

Pat Elder

Rosa Roca Training Stable

Oklahoma City, OK

author of the "Outstanding Miniatures" books from Small Horse Press

 

[whitney]

I've had cattle panels for 4 years now. Knock on wood no injuries. I run a strand of electro braid at the horses chest level and one at the top of the fence to keep out any "climbing" wild animals or stray dogs. My tee posts are covered with 2x2 vinyl covers.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

I would use hog panels and not cattle panels while I know many use them with no problem I have heard of some friends who had some serious issues with them.OF course we all know that can happen with ANYTHING some horses just seem to look for trouble and would find it in a padded stall

While I was a the farm store yesterday I saw some guy moving something that would be perfect for stall fronts.. I tracked him down and asked him what they were he called them hog panels the squares were MUCH smaller then cattle panels and they were shorter as well very long but looked to be about 3 ft tall?

 

[joyenes]

Marty, I love my cattle panels.

: They are the best fencing I've ever had. I would be more leary of the smaller holes that the foals could get their legs stuck in and not be able to get them out easily. I have never had a problem with cattle panels but I do put electric up. I attach it to my T post, and place it chest high. I use the insulators that stick out from the fencing about 8 inches so they cant get close enough to climb without getting a poke. I attach my panels together with the heavier electric wire, cut into small strands. They will never come apart or sag. I'm only paying 18.00 for a 16 foot panel so it's not terrible. Each year we put up more to replace the horse fencing. Someday it will all be done

:

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

We have our front pasture/dry lot,which is very large all done in cattle panels, I also have 5 stallion runs which are 16 X 32'each, all done in panels. Those have been up for about 5 years and look great, have kept there shape, we just bought another 20 panels to start the 2nd pasture with..I want to do the front half with panels, and the back have (which we are going to split) with field fencing...which is what is up now, until I can afford to buy more panels :bgrin , the back half of my main pasture/dry lot is also done in field fencing, which we hope to eventually replace with the panels. My panels have the bottom 3 rows of squares, very small, compared to the rest of the panel, and they are 52" high.We just paid $23.99 a panel. I love the panels, there so easy to work with and put up...plus our tractors are to big to get thru our pipe panel/gates, so if Bob needs to get into a fields to replant it or whatever all he has to do is take 2 panels down. Field fencing seems to sag in time. I have never had anyone get stuck or a hoof thru the panel, I dont have electric hooked on to mine either. Corinne

 

[Debby - LB]

Ditto what Lisa said

OF course we all know that can happen with ANYTHING some horses just seem to look for trouble and would find it in a padded stall

But Marty to answer your question from my experience. YES they can and do get their heads stuck, once they poke their head through and the back jaw gets hung and they pull and pull and can and do get hurt. The fence is rigid so it's like poking their head through a gate, some will still do it with field fence but not usually since it moves and flexs, but horses will put their heads through gates and they will will put them through the panels...or I should say the horses whose heads are small enough. NEVER put a weanling you've just taken from it's Dam on the other side of a cattle panel.

Never put the small section down, always put it at the top, foals will lay down to roll and foot goes through, they turn to get up and it's locked in. I've had both of these scenarios happen.

I use them to cross fence in my big paddocks and I also use them in my dry lots, as well as the small paddocks up at my little foaling barn. I use them and love them but there are problems and this fence is not forgiving.

 

[Chamomile]

I use the cattle panels and really like them as well. I actually have more trouble with my horses getting their feet in the field fence than the panels. I have never had a horse put a foot or a head through a cattle panel (knock on wood) in the 7 years that I have used them. I prefer the cattle panel over the hog panel as I have had some of the horses over the years jump over the hog panels. They are just not tall enough for my horses. Not once they think they can jump! I do have three pens that are built out of hog panels, and can only put three of my horses in them, and no visitors can go in there, just to be safe! I am in the process of building two big training pens, for horses here in training and will use the cattle panels, with a rail along the top and half way down as well. I think they look nicer than field fencing that just doesn't hold up to my big girls constantly scratching their rears on the fence

: I wish I could replace all my fence with the cattle panels as Jill has

:

 

[kmh]

We have used cattle panels for several years now without many problems. However if we have to pen a stallion next to mares....we do put a 6-8 foot "dead space" between the mares and stallion. It takes extra cattle panels to do this, but it is safer in the long run. We put up the cattle panel on the mare side....go 6-8 feet away from that panel and put up another panel for the stallion pen to keep them separated at a safe distance. Hope this helps.

For young foals in a cattle panel enclosure we use the green or orange plastic snow fence on the cattle panels to cover the holes to prevent getting their heads in the squares. Just use zip ties to hold the snow fence on the panel. They have a minimal chance of getting injured with the zip ties...just cut the excess end of the zip tie off once you attach it to the cattle panel.

Steph

 

[Marty]

Yes there is a difference in size between hog and cattle panels as the hog panel squares are smaller.

But Marty to answer your question from my experience. YES they can and do get their heads stuck, once they poke their head through and the back jaw gets hung and they pull and pull and can and do get hurt. The fence is rigid so it's like poking their head through a gate, some will still do it with field fence but not usually since it moves and flexs, but horses will put their heads through gates and they will will put them through the panels...or I should say the horses whose heads are small enough. NEVER put a weanling you've just taken from it's Dam on the other side of a cattle panel.

Debby, that is just what I was thinking and that if a foal got a head caught and you were not right there with the bolt cutters, he'd break his neck. Withj field fencing, at least there is some "give" and it would be easier in an emergency to cut them loose with a wire cutter if they got a head in there.

Jill, I have double rows of field fencing all around my perimeter. That's mostly for predators to help keep them out.

The front fields have board fence.

As I look at these panels, I don't think I'd have them up without hot wire or use them where I'd have a baby. I can reserve them for my big horse.

 

[Jill]

I'd actually be less likely to use cattle panels for a big horse over a mini. Depending on the size of the hoof, I'd worry on that getting caught. For my situation and my horses, I feel they are a great way to go. I have not used hog panels, but just looking AT them and knowing my horses -- they WOULD jump them. See....

:bgrin

 

[Erica]

Other than my front fences around the front/outside of the property (which are landscape timbers) is cattle panels. I love them for many reasons, the horses can't bend then from rubbing on them like they do with field fence, they are easy to put up and move about too.

I have cattle panels as hog panels wouldn't work here, some of mine would just hop over them............since I have to put a strand of electric at the top of one of my pastures (cattle panels) as I have a "grand prix jumper" who can clean a cattle panel from a stand; yep he's 34"

:

 

[Jill]

I think I know just who that is, too, Erica

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