| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Nacelle |
Posted - 22 Mar 2011 : 5:55:13 PM
Following on from my move thread:
I just cannot understand people who use barbed wire as fencing. I could see post and rail when i viewed the stables we just moved to but the outer fence has square wire with 3 strands of barbed wire on the top. Apparantly its the next doors farmers fence.
She went through a fence similar to this when i first got her, so i am not letting her near it.
The only field the yard owner will let me put her in though is next to this fence and its too big anyway so i will have to put my fencing up. Its also near the entrance and when its busy the gates are open to the road.
The owner has from the gate to the post and rail a thin white tape wire electric fence attached to short posts which she said was adequate.
Well, my horse might be old but she can still move when she wants to! She wont even see that thin wire excuse for a fence. She will charge right through it, electrified or not!
When i mentioned my fencing to the yard owner she said she doesnt like lots of white tape as it doesnt look good!!???!!!
I dont care what it looks like as long as it keeps her safe.
My horses safety comes first. Not what the fence looks like.
I do not want her going through barbed wire again. They cant see it. It might be all right for her docile riding school horses but my nutty arab might throw a funny fit and decide to try charging through it.
I have wide white electric tape and tall posts. Although the electric part doesnt really work any more.
I had to put the fence up today. Yard owner isnt happy but i just cant risk her breaking out to try and find her friend or running into the barbed wire. Not to mention if she got a foot caught in one of the wire squares it could slice her whole foot off!
Yard owner says that enviromental people sometimes come to look at the land or something due to it being a protected area? Or something like that. I cant see how having some temporary white tape up would spoil the look of the area. Barbed wire looks worse to me!
I just cant understand how anyone can put image over safety.
So like i said in my other move thread, we will most likely have to move again.
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| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| brockle |
Posted - 26 Mar 2011 : 1:46:58 PM
Years ago we were looking at electric fencing and worked our way through the tape, then hotrope and finally for us the perfect answer Gallagher's equiwire. This looks like a cm diameter round plastic wire with a black line - the zap bit -through the middle. You can use their plastic posts or wooden ones. We run this off a small solar panel on the barn roof and this copes with three strands round 12 acres with both sides where the fields join too.
The bottom layer stopped the two lge black pigs and both the horses and the cows respect Equiwire. Seem to feel might have changed its name but Gallaghers are very helpful.
We use a big leisure battery which the panel charges and you can hear it all clicking at the junction box so silence alerts you if you've lost track of the years since you bought the battery.
These days Health and Safety probably demand a qualified electrician but its not difficult to sort out. We chose white but it used to come in brown too, apparently white is not necessarily easier for a horse to see but it certainly reminds you as a human, you only ever get zapped once!!! We do have the backup of the previous little field solar spike thing but only had to use it once in 12+yrs when the first battery died. |
| Zan |
Posted - 25 Mar 2011 : 3:09:00 PM
Barbed wire and horses is a deadly combination so you are right to be concerned.Before I had my own land I had mine on a farm that had cattle and there was a top strand of electric throughout the farm, which kept the cattle in and also saved on wear and tear of the fences--cattle will scratch themselves on posts with barbed wire attached ( thus flattening them), but not electric!!
I hope you find somewhere nice for your mare. |
| mary h |
Posted - 25 Mar 2011 : 1:46:48 PM
Could you not attach electric rope on the inside of your fencing at the top of the posts, and have it switched on, that way hopefully she would stay away from the fencing. We had to do something similar with ours, as we are in livery too! And at one point kept a stallion, and had to fix up his paddock on our own, as the yard owner hadn't a clue/didn't really want to know!!! |
| pam |
Posted - 24 Mar 2011 : 9:25:44 PM
As someone who used to run a livery yard I can see both sides to the problem. As has already been said its possibly not just a question of the land owner ignoring safety. Fencing type can be restricted by planning consent! The yard I used to rent had stock fencing with 3 strands of barbed wire as that was all that was allowed under planning consent when the yard was built. Eventually I was allowed to use electric fencing - but only green tape not white. I spent a small fortune installing mains electric fencing around the whole of the fencing (including each internal paddock) which would have cost me many months of 'income' from the liveries.
I completely understand the concern of keeping your horse safe but horses are notorious for injuring themselves on any type of fence. I have a tb broodmare who had a severe injury to her chest as a 2 year old from post and rail, she's sound now but probably wont ever hold up to ridden work. A friend of mine also lost her colt last year when he jumped out of the paddock (brand new post + rail with electric fencing) breaking the top rail as he did so - which sliced him open leaving his guts exposed + trailing, no option but to pts. Personally I would be extremely concerned using electric tape or wire without it being electrified. It can give the most horrendous friction burns and also strangle horses if they get tangled as its very difficult to break.
Quite a lot of livery yards simply wont allow lots of small areas of electric fencing for a variety of reasons, rightly or wrongly it is their choice what they allow or dont allow.
Possibly it may be worth suggesting to your yard manager that you would like to electrify your paddock, then make sure the fencing is kept smart, ie properly tension it so that its not just flapping in the wind and slack, and provide your own energizer + battery. Maybe she would be happy with that compromise?
Before I ran a yard my father-in-law (who runs a yard) always used to say it was a thankless task - at the time I thought that was very harsh - after 7 years of running a yard I totally agreed with him!
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| gossy |
Posted - 24 Mar 2011 : 1:29:06 PM
stock fencing and electric tape and barbed wire can all be dangerous, my filly a couple of years ago put her leg through the square stock fencing and very nearly killed herself, a friends horse got tangled in electric fencing and nearly strangled itself, we have also had one of our horses jump the middle of a field fenced off with barbed wire as it wa a dairy farm with cows and cut her leg,equally the other four never suffered any injury in the same field.
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| Kharidian |
Posted - 24 Mar 2011 : 09:57:15 AM
We have approx 75 acres (15 acres winter fields, 45 acres summer fields plus the home paddocks etc) and all the perimeter fencing is barbed wire; keeps the cattle in but still we have problems with yobs cutting the fencing. We've even had people cutting the fence to get motorbikes in, to race on the furthest fields! Obviously, there are council-approved styles where public footpaths go through the fields, but I cannot imagine the cost or maintenance of a post & rail type fence with dog walkers etc climbing the fences (at least wire prevents climbing) or horses rubbing/leaning over the fences (almost impossible to run an electric tape around the perimeter) and is easy to repair/replace small sections of wire as needed.
In the 34 years I've been at the yard, we've had no serious injuries directly attributable to wire fencing. Of course, we've had occasional horses pushed through fences but IMO not more serious injuries than with any other type of fencing.
Caryn |
| sunny |
Posted - 23 Mar 2011 : 9:21:47 PM
There is also a cost involved in fencing, which sometimes a person who is renting can not always appreiciate. On average £3 per metre for 3 strand wire and betweem £12-£15 per metre for 3 rail post and rail or stud fencing. I had a 10 arce field which cost me £4,700 to fence the parimetre in 3 strand wire to post and rail this would cost £40,000. It is easy to point the finger at what is wrong, but also a land owner has a duty to secure animals within thier own land, if animals escape owners can be liable. I agree that on viewing a yard this should be considered beforhand. I don't know how much rent you pay per week but I'm sure your annual rent would not go far on fencing. My horses have never had problems with the wire. I would think if you sat down and discussed your horses passed with the owner they would be concerned as you are. Please don't take offence but giving a land owners view. |
| shfwarrior |
Posted - 23 Mar 2011 : 1:00:03 PM
I forgot to mention that I lost a 2yo after dogs chased him through post and rail fence and he broke the ball joint off his hip, so there are pros and cons to all fencing types |
| shfwarrior |
Posted - 23 Mar 2011 : 12:53:00 PM
I am very sorry to say that the look of the fencing does bother the environemnt agency. We are only allowed green rope electric and green posts, if the fencing is to be moved then we have to notify of the new area to be fenced. Sorry to be a kill joy but if you have sooo many issues with fencing why did you not discuss the matter with the new yard owner before moving. Surely you asked to see the paddock etc where your horse would be kept? As a yard owner myself I make it my business to ensure any potential client is happy with ALL arrangements before they come, that lessens any Griping and ill feeling after the event. |
| sab2 |
Posted - 23 Mar 2011 : 09:21:52 AM
Having stock on my land means barbed wire im afraid as Quarabian says cows will barge a fence, we also have dry stone wall which have wire as well as the walls knock down easily and so far mine have not had any injuries and they have been there 8yrs. I do see your point but im afraid the farmer is protecting his stock, yes in an ideal world we would all have post and rail but sadly its not an ideal world. Tape can be just as dangerous i have had some awful injuries with a couple of mine getting tangled up in it, and yes it was turned on as i had to touch it  to get horse out. Good luck i hope you can sort this out. |
| Quarabian |
Posted - 22 Mar 2011 : 10:15:33 PM
Having cows land in your field can be an equally dangerous problem. They do respect electric fences but the farmer is entitled to use any fence he sees necessary. Our herefords would walk over sheep fencing without barbed wire on top. There is just too much land to electric fence it all, but my horses don't barge the fence.
I do sympathise with your problem and hope you find a solution quickly. |
| Pheebs |
Posted - 22 Mar 2011 : 9:50:58 PM
Maybe you could take a picture and post it to give us a better idea of what the situation is? |
| Nacelle |
Posted - 22 Mar 2011 : 9:24:04 PM
Well the fence that seperated two fields at my previous yard was upright wooden posts spaced quite close, i think squared wire inbetween and solid wooden rail along the top.
She used to have the exit gate and a big tree taped off to that fence and the woodland was also taped off, until she got laminitis as it was a lot of grass, then we just taped off a small section for her round the stable.
The farmer kept cows next door to us and there was no barbed wire on the fence. Theres just no excuse for barbed wire. Cows or no cows.
Theres no excuse for the bottom boundry which is fenced with just barbed wire inbetween posts. The land after that looks like some kind of orchard. There are neat rows of little trees. I have no idea what kind.
But the owner of my new yard actually said that she didnt like how white tape looked.
Safety seemed to be the last thing on her mind. |
| Quarabian |
Posted - 22 Mar 2011 : 7:39:00 PM
Environmental people who come to inspect won't be bothered about some high viz tape to protect your horse. They are concerned with the condition of the land, preventing polution of any streams or ponds and correct measures to protect wildlife eg not cutting the grass when birds are nesting.
Boundary fences are the property of both land owners. It will be on the deeds which land owner owns the fence and it is their responsibility to maintain it. Sadly if the farmer hads cattle he will need the barbed wire. |
| Pheebs |
Posted - 22 Mar 2011 : 6:04:55 PM
Hi there
Sorry to hear youre experiencing yet more problems after an already diffuclt move but I definitely agree that you are doing the right thing. Barbed wire can be nasty and we ensure theres none anywhere near our horses. If you do have to move again at least you will have peace of mind- as you said your horses safety is the most important thing. Best of luck!
Pheebs x |
