Fencing options: Using temporary fencing
Many fencing options are available to horse owners, from electric wire, vinyl and/or wood rail to high tensile. It all depends upon what you would like to accomplish. Do you need temporary fencing for pasture rotation and/or for a short-term containment situation? Do you want a permament installation, such as vinyl and/or wood posts and railings or T-posts?
The right design for your fence depends on the type of horses or livestock, the purpose of the fencing and the size of the area to be fenced.
In this issue, the focus is on "temporary fencing." In future issues of Mane Points, other fencing options will be explored. As suggested in "Blueprint for beautiful pastures," page 10, fields can be divided into paddocks, and in some cases, paddocks can be subdivided with temporary fencing to rotate grazing patterns.
Electric fencing is ideal for quick and efficient installation of a temporary fence, such as for controlled grazing/pasture management.
Several types of posts are available. For example, the 48-inch Step-in Poly Post is lightweight, self insulating and convenient to use and is made of resistant polypropylene. The post comes with eight wire holders for steel, poly wire and poly tape up to 1.5 inches wide. No other insulators are needed. A sharp metal spike end of the post is easily stepped into hard ground.
Set-Eze© Posts are available with either one or two screw-tight insulators and a wrap-around anchor plate. The Set-Eze Adjustable Steel Post also has a wrap-around anchor plate. Both are 64 inches in length.
Do you need temporary fencing for pasture rotation and/or for a short-term containment situation? |
Choices of electrical wire or tape include at least four types: steel wire, poly wire, poly tape and poly equine rope. According to information from Dare Products, supplier to Southern States stores, the poly tape is the most popular with customers.
For horse owners, the half-inch or 1.5-inch poly tape is highly visible and easy to install, as are the other types. Generally, the wider type is used at the top of the post with the narrower width for a second strand. A variety of chargers or energizers -- 110 volt, 12 volt and solar models -- are available at Southern States stores.
A unique product called the OK Corral Kit is available, which is perfect for trail riding, camping trips, horse shows, pasture rotation or any temporary fencing job. The Kit contains everything needed to build a 2,500-square-foot corral or paddock. It includes Step-Eze posts, gates, fasteners, stakes, polywire, tester and battery-operated fencer (operates on only two "D" cell batteries).
The OK Corral kit comes with a carrying bag that can be attached to the saddle. That's a perfect excuse to leave the larger fencing projects and other chores behind and hit the trail on horseback.
