Fence posts / rails / wire fencing

[Nbuuifx]

I'm currently fencing the top of our new field as the stone wall is next to useless.

I've put in most of the posts so far (6' posts, 2' in the ground) and I've put the top rail on the inside.

I want to put some kind of livestock fencing along the bottom portion.

Should I put the livestock fencing on the back of the posts or the front? I was under the impression that if you want to keep things in, you out it on the inside, if you want to keep things out, then you put it on the outside.

We have thick hedging down one side of the field, so that is ok. On the other two sides we have post and rail, but one had the livestock fencing on the inside and the other has it in the outside, so can't really use that for reference.

We will also be adding electric to the fence on stand off insulators.

I'm not sure how much the livestock fencing will be to keep the horses in, I guess it will be more to stop dogs entering the field, when they walk along the adjacent footpath.

So, I'm currently thinking of having the rails on the inside and the livestock fencing on the outside.

Also, any recommendations on which livestock fencing to get? The place where we have been getting the posts from said to just get some 50m rolls of sheep netting.

 

[rextherobber]

For safety, get the special horse one - hooves can go through sheep netting. Do you have a problem with dogs coming in the field? I have a footpath down one side of one of my fields, which is fenced off with electric fencing, I've never had an issue with dogs worrying the horses ( actually, would be the other way round with mine!) I'd personally have the fencing on the inside, it's my responsibility to keep my stock in, badgers will go through/under anything, and to be honest, most horses and dogs can jump 4 ft from a standstill...The wall sounds lovely, is it a James Herriot-esque one?

 

[Clodagh]

If your horses aren’t shod imo they should be fine with sheep netting. I had barbed wire and sheep netting through all my years of horse ownership, including a foal and youngstock. (Mine were shod too, one old mare used to get caught on a shoe now and then but she just stood and shouted for rescue). If the electric will stop the horses rubbing on the fence then I think I’d go for outside, but will ask farming OH when he gets in.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Not sheep netting.
Look at the likes of tornado fence wire. I have it on the inside of my boundary fence with a rail along the top on much of it or wide tape on the top.
Makes a very safe and secure fence.

I'd not attach any wire to the outside as it can get pushed out in rare circumstances.

 

[Nbuuifx]

I've not seen any dogs in the field but we've only had it for a few weeks and don't have the horses in yet. The path at the top beyond the wall is a nice wide path so when people walk along, their dogs are normally loose.

Our horses would see dogs off, but one would potentially injure dogs off they came too close, so it is more a due diligence type thing where I will have put measures in to stop them. If they jump over, then it is their own fault.

The grass slopes up to the stone wall (probably just grass over stones that have fallen off the wall) so is between 1 foot and 2 foot high. The footpath on the other side is slightly higher than the field, so is more like 0 foot to 1 foot high on that side.

 

[Nbuuifx]

The cobs aren't shod, but the thoroughbred is.

 

[Nbuuifx]

Not sheep netting.
Look at the likes of tornado fence wire. I have it on the inside of my boundary fence with a rail along the top on much of it or wide tape on the top.
Makes a very safe and secure fence.

I'd not attach any wire to the outside as it can get pushed out in rare circumstances.

Is the rail mounted on the fence wire? I thought it was supposed to be left sort of loose except on the end posts so that it can be retensioned?

If I put the rail above it so it didn't pinch it to, then the rail would be too close to the top rail

 

[rabatsa]

If you are ever likely to put sheep or cattle in the field the netting should be on the inside.

I have had sheep netted pastures for 60+ years with no bother, thin twisted electric rope however has cut mouths and been stuck under shoes. A lot depends on the temptation on the other side.

 

[PurBee]

I’d go for the netting on the inside too. The staples fixing the netting to the posts wont become compromised if stock within the field pushes on the netting. Whereas on the outside, the U staples could be pushed out by hefty sized livestock like cows/horses.
Im thinking of scenarios when you get sometimes cattle that like to lay right up against a fence, and horses that roll right near a fence and can accidently misjudge distance and bash into the fence with flailing rolling legs.
This is also the reason i’d use the V netting thats become more popular - less chance of any livestock’s foot making its way through. But it likely is more expensive than standard sheep netting…ive not used it personally, but would for permanent fixed fencing - especially land i owned.

Im doing deer fencing at the moment to keep them out of a cropping area - the tensile netting is fixed to the outside of the posts/area - then the deer will bounce off it when they attempt their ridiculous nocturnal raids! The force of them running and hitting the fence has me using very large posts and 2” U staples, aswell as tensioned wire that the tensile netting is fixed to. The netting is fixed to the outside of the wire and posts so its just smooth netting, so if any wild animal contacts it, pushes on it, the fence & fixings wont give way.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Is the rail mounted on the fence wire? I thought it was supposed to be left sort of loose except on the end posts so that it can be retensioned?

If I put the rail above it so it didn't pinch it to, then the rail would be too close to the top rail

The posts are 9ft, rammed in with tractor, the tornado fence is the 5ft high, then the rail that is above is fixed to the posts, so I have a 6ft high boundary fence on the 2 sides it really matters, even the deer cannot be bothered with it either way on both sides.
If I ever have cattle in, then a strand of electric tape on plastic posts goes up to stop them scrubbing on the fence.

 

[Nbuuifx]

Not sheep netting.
Look at the likes of tornado fence wire. I have it on the inside of my boundary fence with a rail along the top on much of it or wide tape on the top.
Makes a very safe and secure fence.

I'd not attach any wire to the outside as it can get pushed out in rare circumstances.

I've picked up 100m of tornado fencing this morning, so that should do across the top.

 

[PeterNatt]

This is how we do ours using Equi-Fencing which is a tight form of sheep fencing so that horses hooves can not get through..

 

[Nbuuifx]

The tornado fencing matches the stuff that was already in the other sides, so that is good. We have gone on the inside with it, I was still undecided but ease of access on the inside did it for me.

It's looking good, annoyingly 100m was 3m too short for the full run