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A horse fence should be carefully planned out before you start to build it. The beauty of having this type of fence is the guarantee that your horses will be safe from unwelcome guests. A well-built horse fence also brings out the beauty of a horse home.
Before building the fence, though, there are things that you need to keep in mind. The point of the fence is to keep your horses safe. If you are also running a business, you must consider its value and attractiveness. That means the materials should not be of low quality. That doesn’t mean you have to build a horse fence without considering the cost. But this is a pricey project, regardless, so it needs to be executed in the best way possible.
There are different types of horse fences. The one that is ideal depends on the owner’s goals. Standard fences can be made of rail, galvanized and vinyl-coated wire, or wood, or they can be electric, or you can choose to combine all these elements. The fence should be visible and resistant to damage, especially by horses.
Let’s look at how this project should be undertaken, including the preparation, planning, building tips, set-up, and every other detail related to horse fencing.
Preparation
The first thing is to prepare and have a clear vision of how and where you want your structure to be built. You can consider these points to help you make a decision.
The Ideal Gate
While planning for your horse fence, note that different fences will be put up for specific reasons. For example, there are fences for pastures, riding areas, exercise paddocks, and securing property lines. Your land topography will influence your fence’s look, effectiveness, and installation process.
Paddock layout must be set up uniquely to make the movement of pastures, hay production, or grazing easier. In addition, the pasture design must incorporate enough space to allow field equipment like mowers, bailing equipment, manure spreaders, etc. to be moved with ease.
Different horse groups should be taken into consideration. There are weanlings, stallions, geldings, mares, and mares with foals. These will all have different kinds of fencing since taking care of them is not done in the same manner. The fence should be high enough to hinder horses from jumping over. Don’t leave any openings because a horse can trap their feet or head. Discourage weak fences that horses can easily knock out.
With a well-thought-out plan, the fence will stay intact for a long time. Furthermore, there will be a reduction in the time taken to work on the horse farm. That will help employees and volunteers have an easier time and work effectively with minimum struggle.
How to Choose Posts
Posts are the most critical parts of a horse fence. They play the most prominent role, so they are supposed to be carefully selected. The preferable posts are driven posts. They don’t need concrete or digging of holes. Wood posts are preferred, but they must be treated because they are prone to termites and ants. A good treatment should be applied. Note that if the post is already treated, the price goes up. But these posts are long-lasting, giving you a service of more than 20 years.
Also, whether you are making board or mesh fences, you can still use wood posts. If you opt for other types of fences, you will need to measure a long distance between the posts. You can choose either round posts or square posts, though round ones are strong and bring out uniformity.
Gate Design and Location
A good gate should have a solid and stylish design. The gate doesn’t need to be the same as the horse fence. It just requires wood posts and metal tubes. You can consider other materials used for construction, like fasters, braces, etc.
The gate should be high, just like the horse fence. Horses can try to jump over it, and that may cause accidents. Have a gate that swings in and out for horses to move more effortlessly.
The ideal place to construct the gate is at the center of the fence. Don’t construct at the corners because horses can easily be trapped. Remember that horses are long-sighted, so they can make a mistake and head in the wrong direction.
Planning
Let’s look at the steps that you can use to build a simple horse fence and a gate. The fence is made of wood, and it’s one of the simplest structures you can construct yourself.
Things to Consider
Before implementing the plan and getting the materials, you should consider the following;
- The type of fence you want to construct
- The height of that fence
- The corners of the enclosure
- The position of the fence in terms of lanes and roads available
- The materials to be used
Materials Needed
- Wood posts, 8–9 feet long (treated)
- Wooden boards, 6–8 feet long (treated)
- Nails
- Shovel
- Spirit level
- Stakes and strings
- Hammer
- Tape measure
- Cement
- Gravel
The 3 Steps to Follow When Making a Horse Fence
1. Take Measurements
The first step is to do measurements. Using your tape measure, measure the area where you want to install your fence. Remember that the fence height matters, so ensure that it can accommodate all horses, regardless of their size.
Let the spacing between the posts be minimal to prevent horses from getting stuck. In the long run, it may be expensive, but it will be strong. The distance between the posts should at least be 2 m, whereas the height needs to be 1.5 m high.
Also, examine the ideal point that you want to put your posts. Then use twine to measure the height of the post so you can determine what height to settle on. The twine should be firm to avoid taking wrong measurements.
After that, you can measure the distance between posts with a board cut. Of course, the board must be of the right size. To ensure that the boards from both sides meet at the center, you can arrange them differently.
They should be placed on top of each other, ensuring that the pattern used is something like a zigzag. Keep alternating the boards to get good results. The good thing about this method is that you don’t need to cut the longboards.
2. Install the Posts
To install your post, you will need a shovel. The size of the holes to be dug is determined by the type of soil. If it’s clay soil, let the hole be 3 feet, and if it is sandy soil, the hole can be 4 feet. Give the holes an allowance of 6 inches because of the gravel footing.
You can now start planting your posts. For each hole, consider putting a 6-inch layer of gravel. The reason for doing that is to prevent the post from rotting since the water will drain well. After that, take your post, and place it at the center of the hole.
Continue with the rest of the posts while repeating the same procedure. Ensure that the posts are in a straight line for uniformity purposes. To achieve that, use the string, and ensure it is well stretched from the first to the last pole.
If you notice some holes are more profound than others, you can add some more soil. If you have some that are high, dig the hole deeper. The goal is to make all posts look uniform. On the sides of the hole, you can opt to add bricks. These help in the stability of the pole and make it even firmer.
Once all the poles are installed, you can now add soil. Note that this is not essential. You can add cement or even concrete to make your posts studier.
3. Nail the Boards
This is the last step of installing your horse fence. Now that all the posts are installed, the next thing to do is to nail. Take your hammer and start nailing the crossboards. To get the correct measurements on the spacing between the boards, you can use a tape measure.
When you start nailing, you can use a spirit level to determine whether the boards are on a straight line, and you should make sure it’s tight enough. If you are satisfied, then continue nailing till you are through.
The 5 Steps to Follow When Making a Gate
You can use the following steps to construct a horse gate.
Materials Needed for a Wooden Gate
- 2 poles (treated)
- Wood
- Nails
- Door hinges
- Concrete
1. Prepare the Poles
Have two poles that are treated. They should measure 2.4 meters long and 1.6 meters above the ground. If your horses are tall, you can increase to 3.7 meters long and 2.4 meters above the ground.
2. Dig the Holes
Dig two holes for your treated gate poles. They must be placed in the space that you left after building the fence. Plant your poles and then put the concrete. Make sure you put enough to make the poles more stable.
3. Build Your Wooden Gate
Your wooden gate should consist of horizontal bars and vertical beams. Of course, the number should be determined by how you want your gate to look. But in a typical scenario, six horizontal bars and two vertical beams are ideal.
The height of your horse’s gate should reach the neckline of your horse. But if you realize your horses love to jump around, you can make the gate taller. Another thing to note is that the nails and screws should be well-tightened to prevent the horses from destroying the gate.
4. Attach Your Gate
Take the gate that you have made, and attach it to the post. Use door hinges, and drill the screws through them to form a firm stature. Repeat to the other post and ensure that they are well fitted. The ideal gate should swing in and out.
5. Attach a Rope
At this step, you can attach a latch or a rope for easier opening and closing of the gate. You can opt to use a chain if you suspect your horse can open the gate. But if you attach the rope or latch properly, there is no cause for alarm.
Tips for Maintaining a Horse Fence
Building a horse fence is not cheap since the cost of wood is high. That calls for proper maintenance to avoid incurring more costs on repairs.
Here are a few maintenance tips:
- Horses love to chew wood because they find it tasty. To avoid that, replace your wood as soon as you notice that it is chewed. That will discourage them from chewing them more.
- Screw in nails that have popped out. You can also add extra nails for more stability. Don’t always wait till the nails have fallen, though. Check for loose ones and replace them.
- Paint the wood to avoid attracting ants and termites. You can opt to paint every 2 years or whenever you notice they are fading.
- When repairing your horse fence, don’t use old materials. These are already worn out, so they will not last long. They will give you extra work to repair them regularly.
Final Thoughts
Building a horse fence is not a difficult thing. It doesn’t have to be wooden, and you can use other materials. We discussed how to build a horse fence with wood, highlighting all the steps to take to achieve good results.
The secret to a long-lasting horse fence is the care put in. Avoid using old materials for building, and when nailing on the posts, tighten the nails. That will make the wood more stable, thus giving you long service.
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Featured Image Credit: StockSnap, Pixabay
