Fencing advice please

L

lucymay9701

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 March 2006
Messages
269
Visit site
Hi everyone, I just wondered if anyone could give me some fencing advice please. We would like to fence around a concrete area we have but the only way of doing this is to put the posts into existing concrete. We wouldn't want to dig the concrete up but use some kind of metal post in the ground to attach the wooden post to (I think they're called concrete fasteners). I remember our builder mentioning that you can do this but my worry is whether these are strong enough for horses. Its one thing putting them in a garden and another when a horse might decide to have a rub on them! Also we were hoping to be able to put a gate post in for an 8ft wooden gate but this might be pushing it a bit and this part of the plan could be altered! So I was just wondering if anyone had any success with using these for horses and what they had used? Or is the only option to dig up the concrete which would then make it a huge job and not really possible!
Thanks very much x
 
We have a small amount of our field fenced with metal bases bolted into the concrete to which the post attach. It has held up so far but we also have an electric tape along all the fences to deter rubbing.
 
The fence could work so long as you can deter the horses from rubbing (electric fence) but a gate hanging post needs to be solid and even the clapper post (the one the gate closes to) needs to be more solid than a normal fence post
 
Thanks very much for your replies. Unfortunately I wouldn't be able to use electric fencing to stop any rubbing as my mare is so scared of it. I know that's meant to be the point of electric fencing but my poor girl has an extreme reaction. In the past when on liveries an electric shock usually meant days of being unable to get near her it terrified her so much. One shock in one particular area also means she will never walk near that area again without extreme fear. So until we got our own land we had to find liveries with no electric fence in the end. I wish we could use it because it would make life a lot easier - so just wondered if anyone had used them without any electric fence and found them to be strong enough? It will be back to the drawing board if we don't feel it would be safe enough though! Thanks very much x
 
Considering my steel framed barn is secured to the ground by the uprights being bolted to concrete foundations, I sure do hope that is strong enough!

But, seriously, the proprietary bolt down fence brackets you can buy from your local builder merchant seem quite substantial and if you want something stronger, I am sure your local blacksmiths could knock something up for you to whatever strength you want. The deciding point might be the strength/thickness of your concrete. Holes are easily drilled with the right tool (which can be hired), then use Rawl bolts to bolt them down. Do a Google on "fixing steel gate posts" and similar, etc. for more ideas. Here's a strong one….

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/...roYbKCZmCm-rE42DM4Yd9HUOwP3vuF7ljokxTBWnDF-IJ

And again….

http://www.middletonforge.co.uk/images-products/Bolt Down Post Shoe.jpg
 
Thanks very much 'dry rot' that's really helpful to know! That second link you posted looks ideal for the type of thing we are looking for - our concrete is only 4" thick I think though so hope that would be thick enough?!
 
lucymay9701 said:
Thanks very much 'dry rot' that's really helpful to know! That second link you posted looks ideal for the type of thing we are looking for - our concrete is only 4" thick I think though so hope that would be thick enough?!
Click to expand...

It isn't really possible to give you a short answer because "it all depends". Yes, it should be possible to design and build a fence as strong as you want. Is 4 inches of concrete thick enough? Well, that would depend on the mix and a few other things but probably "yes".

I think you also say you need a post for an 8ft gate. That could be done but I would build it into the fence so it braces the post. You'd attach your gate to the right hand post in the picture as the force would mostly be downwards to the right. Something like this….

http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/442/442-132/L_44213203.jpg

I would also suggest fixing an electric wire on offsets on the horse side of the fence and gate and provide a scratching post in a corner of the field. That will stop them rubbing on the fence and it won't need to be so strong.
 
Thanks very much for the tips - unfortunately I can't use an electric wire for my horse (unless you were meaning just as a wire but not electrified!) due to her extreme fear of electric fencing. It sounds like it might be possible to get it strong enough though. Thanks very much for the links - I'll have another chat with the builder about the options he uses and see if I think they look strong enough. Maybe we'll change the 8ft gate for a 4ft instead - we've got so many gates that we were trying to make use of one we don't need to save some money but could go for smaller if necessary! Thanks again
 
It wouldn't deter rubbing/scratching, but the higher the fence the less able the horses are to put their heads over and lean with their chests. What's on the other side of the fence? i'm asking because I had an awkward area of my sandschool to fence off (due to very large lumpy hardcore) and my OH made a fence with pallets supported by triangular frames, with upright posts sunk into the field behind the school, with a line of electric tape along the posts.
That's probably made absolutely no sense but it has worked!! :rolleyes:
 
Its mainly just hardcore on the other side but a little grass (also a little grassed area will be within the fenced bit) - but I think it will be a good idea to make it higher because we've had plenty of broken rails from horses going over for grass and once the bit of grass on the other side grows that will be tempting them! We tend to put 2 rails on now (but none on the bottom) so that they can put their heads underneath to eat the bits of grass that grow on the other side - usually stops too many broken rails!
 
If you are worried about a gate you could always use slip rails or maybe make a slight projection of the fence out on to softer ground and put the gate there
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top