Barbed wire on paddock fencing - disaster or not?

[Ibblebibble]

To be perfectly honest I bet you can find people with horror stories abouyt all types of fencing. I don't have a problem with barbed wire if it's properly maintained - it's the stock/sheep fencing that usually goes with it that seems to be more of a problem with stupid horses who seem intent on putting their feet through it and wedging it between hoof and shoe!

I have heard of horses breaking their legs on post and fencing and even staking themselves and bleeding to death after runins with post and rail. Equally, there have bee horses sustaining nasty injuries on barbed wire/hawthorn hedges/walls and even plain wire or electric tape. Unfortunately horses will be horses and some seem intenton doing themselves a mischief however safe you try and make things. I actually think barbed wire fencing can deter them from trying to get out and they do not lean over it as it isn't very comfortable so, they then will more often than not stay away from it.

That's MOST horses anyway.

If the barbed wire is underneath the top rail I can't actually see it'd be an issue at all to be honest.

agree with this, some horses ponies could injure themselves on cotton wool while others can go through electric fencing, sheep fencing and a stone wall and not have a scratch on them daughters old pony was a proper houdini he actually used to enjoy scratching his bum on barb wire

 

[StormyMoments]

i would never again but thats due to taz the idiot horse almost dying because he got his foot through the fence... no fencing is ideal though there is always something that can and will go wrong like electric fencing rope sawing horses legs off and sheep fencing getting their feet trapped - like anything if an injury can happen it will happen to a horse

 

[foal]

Am not a fan of barbed wire fencing, have seen a very nasty accident where a horse had to be p.t.s on the spot because the horse ran though the fencing and the wire got caught around the chest, have also seen another horse run though this type of fencing to get to the mares, thank god the horse was o.k, and got away with small cuts. I would not be too happy and keep my horses within barbed wire fencing and would look for another yard, but this is what i would want for my horses.

 

[Clodagh]

We have it all round our paddocks, either on the top rail to stop them bashing or rubbing on it and all round the other bits to keep them out of the hedges.

 

[Tonty Tont]

All of the fields we use have barbed wire fencing.

There is a 2 foot gap at the bottom so the horses don't get their feet stuck, and we've never had any injuries. There are 2 youngsters in the field, and the only issue has been ripped rugs!

It just depends on the type of pony you have, if he is not likely to try and escape you should be ok

 

[tabithakat64]

You'll probably get a lot of responses quoting BHS manuals, to indicate it is the work of the devil, your horse will die and you are an irresponsible owner for even considering it.

My opinion is that in an ideal world we wouldn't use it for horses. However we don't live in an ideal world and as such if I were to turn out my horse in a field with barbed wire I would want it to fulfill the following:
- Perimeter fencing only, absolutely no over-fence interaction between horses (this is the only time I have seen truely preventable injries, think squeeling and striking out)
- Well maintained and taught
- sufficient grazing/acreage that horses aren't going to get easily trapped/run up against the fence

FWIW with barbed wire horses tend to have more respect for it, it also breaks very esily under pressure. You are likely to get the odd minor surface wound and rug tear, but IME if above conditions are met very few large injuries. I've seen far more horrific injuries involving post & rail.

This ^^^^^