Coralling over the winter

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supagran

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The farm where my retired horse (25 years old) is kept is going to put her and the weanling she’s babysitting into an under-cover corral when the weather wet – that is great. However, the corral is made of large cattle gates – think 6 bar metal gates (rounded metal if that makes sense) about 2m high. The corral will be large enough – approx. 20m by 14m - for them but I am worried sick about my mare (or the weanling) rolling and getting their legs through the bars of the gates.

The farm think that because the cattle are OK being in these corrals the horses will be too, but cattle don’t roll like horses do!

I think what is really worrying me is that when my horse was a 4 year old she did get her legs through a gate and injured her knee which is now arthritic.

I’ve tried to say something at the farm, but it’s a matter of “well that’s what is happening”. Unfortunately I can’t move my horse as it’s a family farm (my son in law) and that would cause immense problems! I just don’t know what to do!!!
 
Would it be possible for you to put some kind of large piece of fabric on the lower half of the fence, and have it stuck to the ground in some way? If so, it'd be more of a wall and she shouldn't be able to get her legs out when rolling.
 
Anything fairly solid, sheet of wood, rubber will prevent an accident. I would be most worried about the weanling if she was mine
 
Chicken wire works well on gates, on the inside. I just cable tied it on and threaded thin wire along the top and bottom. It's just enough to stop hooves accidentally going through and probably your cheapest option.
 
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Either plastic mesh or scaffold netting cable tied in place. I share your pain. My cob has a neat trick of stretching a foreleg through the gap and lifting the gate off its hinges. I have had to net the gate, and block the top of the hinge.
 
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