Minimor
Well-Known Member
Our preference for fencing is post and rails--natural spruce/tamarack rails. We use treated posts so they really don't rot, at least not for years and years and years, and since 'natural' rails are meant to be natural and not painted, once they're up there is no maintenance. We use 3 rails and for the most part don't have much problem with the horses sticking their heads through, just because of how the rails are spaced.
Because our snow can sometimes get deep, the fences can sometimes get too low--our rails are just tied on, not nailed (thicker rails are just too difficult to nail on securely, and once there's a big spike nailing that rail onto the fence, it's there to stay--once in awhile a rail does get broken or need to be raised/moved and it's just too difficult to pull a spike out. We started out using spikes and then learned that tying/wiring was much better). So, if we have to make the fence higher it is quite easy to raise the top rail to make it higher above the snow. Also, by tying/wiring the rails in place it's very fast/easy to take them down in the event that a horse rolls into the fence and gets cast or gets his legs stuck through the rails. It doesn't happen often, but once in awhile. Had a big 16.1 hh Morgan roll into the rail fence once & he got a leg through the rails. I hadn't a hope of freeing him otherwise, but was able to cut the rails loose and he was free within moments of being discovered.
We do have field fence around our pastures. For the most part the horses leave it alone; it doesn't work for corrals, because in smaller areas the horses tend to lean/rub/push on it more & it gets ratty pretty quick. While I'd like to have rails for all our fencing, it does get costly, plus the field fence is nice for keeping stray dogs out of the pasture. It wouldn't stop a determined dog that was really determined to get in, but when the neighbors walk down the back road and don't bother to control their dog...it is kind of amusing to see that dog charge at the horses and bounce off the field fence when he hits it head on, full tilt!!
Because our snow can sometimes get deep, the fences can sometimes get too low--our rails are just tied on, not nailed (thicker rails are just too difficult to nail on securely, and once there's a big spike nailing that rail onto the fence, it's there to stay--once in awhile a rail does get broken or need to be raised/moved and it's just too difficult to pull a spike out. We started out using spikes and then learned that tying/wiring was much better). So, if we have to make the fence higher it is quite easy to raise the top rail to make it higher above the snow. Also, by tying/wiring the rails in place it's very fast/easy to take them down in the event that a horse rolls into the fence and gets cast or gets his legs stuck through the rails. It doesn't happen often, but once in awhile. Had a big 16.1 hh Morgan roll into the rail fence once & he got a leg through the rails. I hadn't a hope of freeing him otherwise, but was able to cut the rails loose and he was free within moments of being discovered.
We do have field fence around our pastures. For the most part the horses leave it alone; it doesn't work for corrals, because in smaller areas the horses tend to lean/rub/push on it more & it gets ratty pretty quick. While I'd like to have rails for all our fencing, it does get costly, plus the field fence is nice for keeping stray dogs out of the pasture. It wouldn't stop a determined dog that was really determined to get in, but when the neighbors walk down the back road and don't bother to control their dog...it is kind of amusing to see that dog charge at the horses and bounce off the field fence when he hits it head on, full tilt!!
