Cost of fencing.

[pistolpete]

If you had to pay someone to put a double strand of barbed wire or stock fence along around 200 metres. Any idea on rough cost? We have some terrible fencing at our yard and liveries considering offering to pay.

 

[BSL2]

Its really best to get quotes. Dont do barbed. Get quotes for proper equestrian fencing. X

 

[Patterdale]

Depends where in the country and who does it. £4-9/m for stock net depending on who supplies materials. Higher for short metreages, more cost again if the old fence needs to be taken out and the line cleared first.

£10-20 and beyond for post and rail. Again, lower end is if you provide materials and fence line already clear.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I would get quotes for the work you want done. Avoid barbed wire.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Definitely not barbed wire - lots of insurance policies won’t pay out for barbed wire injuries and sadly they’re not uncommon.

 

[Birker2020]

Barbed wire is lethal, stay clear.

 

[pistolpete]

While field is barbed wire sadly. Saggy baggy rusty barbed wire is the problem! The posts are rotting and yard manager allows grass to get very long on the other side of it. Her side. So ours understandably want to lean over. It’s rubbish!

 

[pistolpete]

Rotten posts. Baggy stock fn ing and long grass in reach!

 

[Patterdale]

Rotten posts. Baggy stock fn ing and long grass in reach!

Ok if this is what you’re working with then yes barb would be better, but more than two strands. Barbed is better than plain or stock net in my view for a few reasons.
One, it generally does its job in putting them off leaning on it.
Two, if they do get caught it is more likely to cause tears or punctures rather than the awful cheesewire sawings and deglovings you get from plain wire or stock net. Barbed wire is two or three strands twisted, rather than one thin sharp strand, and the regular barbs prevent a long sawing type motion if they, for instance, got a leg over it. Yes they’ll hurt themselves, but not with as much scope for the same level of damage that plain wire could do.

Obviously no wire is ideal, and if you can run single strand electric 3’ away from the fence that is the best solution.

 

[pistolpete]

Ok if this is what you’re working with then yes barb would be better, but more than two strands. Barbed is better than plain or stock net in my view for a few reasons.
One, it generally does its job in putting them off leaning on it.
Two, if they do get caught it is more likely to cause tears or punctures rather than the awful cheesewire sawings and deglovings you get from plain wire or stock net. Barbed wire is two or three strands twisted, rather than one thin sharp strand, and the regular barbs prevent a long sawing type motion if they, for instance, got a leg over it. Yes they’ll hurt themselves, but not with as much scope for the same level of damage that plain wire could do.

Obviously no wire is ideal, and if you can run single strand electric 3’ away from the fence that is the best solution.

Thank you yes. I think the electric fence option is best. We did do that before but unfortunately the energiser wasn’t powerful enough. A new energiser is cheapest safest option.

 

[PeterNatt]

We use Post and Rail with Equi-Fencing attached (A tight form of sheep fencing)

 

[rextherobber]

Can you use the electric fence extender things and screw them in to existing posts to keep the horses off the fence?

 

[meleeka]

I suspect it will be cheaper to upgrade the fence unit and bulk up the electric fence. If you were to get new fencing, I'd still want electric to stop the horses damaging it.

 

[Peglo]

I would put a line of plain wire at the top, instead of barb and then you can electrify it and keep them from leaving over. Wish we had done that.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Ok if this is what you’re working with then yes barb would be better, but more than two strands. Barbed is better than plain or stock net in my view for a few reasons.
One, it generally does its job in putting them off leaning on it.
Two, if they do get caught it is more likely to cause tears or punctures rather than the awful cheesewire sawings and deglovings you get from plain wire or stock net. Barbed wire is two or three strands twisted, rather than one thin sharp strand, and the regular barbs prevent a long sawing type motion if they, for instance, got a leg over it. Yes they’ll hurt themselves, but not with as much scope for the same level of damage that plain wire could do.

Obviously no wire is ideal, and if you can run single strand electric 3’ away from the fence that is the best solution.

I have seen horrendous injuries from sawing action of barbed wire. If a horse gets a leg over it and fights to free itself it can virtually saw through its leg. We used to have wire as a top strand so about 4' high and my yearling must have reared up over it. He pulled it off many posts. I really thought he had broken a leg as he couldn't put it to the floor. He had sawed through the back of his pastern. Heck of a mess which left a lifelong scar. Over a month stabled and bandaged.
A friend's youngster did similar on much lower, looser barbed wire. He opened up the back of his pastern just above the hoof. You could see right into the tendons. Again box rest and bandaging got him through it and sound.

We replaced with plain wire which we electrified.

 

[Highmileagecob]

We are in exactly the same situation, although our farmer has a long running feud with the owner of the adjoining field and neither party will accept responsibility. In the worst places, we have driven in two new posts and slipped a pallet over them, making sure the slats are vertical. We are also trying to negotiate to replace the entire fence.

 

[sportsmansB]

I paid £6 per metre plus materials about 2 years ago
I got Tornado wire (very small holes, horse safe) and Octoposts. It is amazing fencing - about £500 for 100m, needs a post every I think 4m from memory

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Thank you yes. I think the electric fence option is best. We did do that before but unfortunately the energiser wasn’t powerful enough. A new energiser is cheapest safest option.

I would put electric fencing well inside that mess! At least 2 strands and a good strong energiser.

 

[Nasicus]

Another for pooling together for a really good, strong energizer, as well as proper connectors, strainers and multiple earth stakes.
I wouldn't want to be shelling out to fix the landowners fencing for them, as I'd be wanting to take the stuff with me and use it elsewhere/sell it if I no longer need it.

 

[pistolpete]

Another for pooling together for a really good, strong energizer, as well as proper connectors, strainers and multiple earth stakes.
I wouldn't want to be shelling out to fix the landowners fencing for them, as I'd be wanting to take the stuff with me and use it elsewhere/sell it if I no longer need it.

Yes I’ve spent quite a lot over the years at this yard with posts and tape and mud control mats. Another livery who is grateful for my efforts has just agreed to buy a solar energiser. Any suggestions?

 

[sport horse]

We have just fenced about 400 metes of footpath off from our fields with stock fencing and a top rail. The whole cost of labour and materials was nearly £10k. I would not do it on anyone else's land but the benefit of keeping the footpath users away from the horses is massive.

 

[Nasicus]

Yes I’ve spent quite a lot over the years at this yard with posts and tape and mud control mats. Another livery who is grateful for my efforts has just agreed to buy a solar energiser. Any suggestions?

Depends how spendy they want to get really.
I really like the Voss Farming Solar ones, but unfortunately they're not shipping to the UK anymore.

If they wanna get fancy, the Hotline Fire Drakes are pretty nifty.

Alternatively, just get a regular battery energizer and pop a solar panel onto the battery, that used to see me through all but the darkest winters.

 

[Fieldlife]

If you had to pay someone to put a double strand of barbed wire or stock fence along around 200 metres. Any idea on rough cost? We have some terrible fencing at our yard and liveries considering offering to pay.

When on livery with bad fencing, I have typically run an internal line of live electric fencing inside the weak fencing. Cheap, portable, and easy to move.

As an example, I wanted 40 thin fence posts installing, and best quote was £400! Just to bash them into soft ground, I was providing posts. Small unpopular jobs can be really expensive. I put them in by hand myself! But do need post basher, hole digger tool etc, and hard work.

I'd never chose to install barbed wire or sheeps netting ever. I'd always electric fence to protect horses from either.

I'd guess cheapest would be new wooden posts, and some kind of electric thick tape / plastic cross pieces?

 

[ihatework]

Yes I’ve spent quite a lot over the years at this yard with posts and tape and mud control mats. Another livery who is grateful for my efforts has just agreed to buy a solar energiser. Any suggestions?

I’ve just invested in this on positive feedback from a friend who has been using it. I’ve not started using it yet mind!

Gallagher S100 Solar Powered Energiser/Charger + Battery (12V)

Buy the Gallagher S100 Solar Powered Energiser/Charger + Battery (12V) at Electric Fence Online âFREE delivery from £99 âUK's largest supplier âWarehouse in ...

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[maya2008]

Fieldguard electric fencing is more effective than the standard thin fencing with plastic posts. Taller posts, effective conduction meaning a good zap to deter them. You can also use standard round posts (which you can put in yourself manually) and screw the connectors on, to make a decent boundary fence. We had to invest in it where we are now as there is no boundary fence for most of the field, and I am not paying out thousands to fence someone else’s land.

Downside to fencing inside the actual fence though can be that your landlord complains it isn’t tidy enough because the grass grows longer in the gap . If they care about such things.

 

[rabatsa]

Gallagher S20. Depends on the distance you need to energise.

 

[SpotsandBays]

I would put a line of plain wire at the top, instead of barb and then you can electrify it and keep them from leaving over. Wish we had done that.

We have this. Stock fence (we have sheep too) with one strand of plain wire along the top on insulators so we can electrify when the horses are in there. Works well for keeping them away

 

[Red-1]

We've just done the below fencing, as more economy than post and rail, safer than wire and more secure than normal electric fencing.

The black plastic Post Sits are made by my BF, to strengthen it up, as putting a rail onto a round post every 12ft isn't as safe.