Fencing help please?

myheartinahoofbeat

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 May 2019
Messages
1,095
Visit site
Hi All,

I’m looking to divide some fields up at my new property. The quote for post and rail is well beyond my budget and I have a cribber who wouldn’t take long to get stuck in! So, I’m looking for an alternative permanent fence. Has anyone used Hippo or Horserail fencing? Or can recommend anything else.
TIA
 
I would always recommend dividing up with temporary fencing first, as what seems perfectly logical on paper often doesn't work in practise. I did this, altered the layout twice, then just whacked in wooden posts at intervals to stabilise it the electric fencing and plastic stakes. You can keep it all taut, it doesn't look awful ( I use green tape) and doesn't cost the earth.
 
I would always recommend dividing up with temporary fencing first, as what seems perfectly logical on paper often doesn't work in practise. I did this, altered the layout twice, then just whacked in wooden posts at intervals to stabilise it the electric fencing and plastic stakes. You can keep it all taut, it doesn't look awful ( I use green tape) and doesn't cost the earth.
A bit like this, I have a couple of bigger fields of 3.5 acres each, and in the middle of each I have just one solid wooden post. If you can get or borrow a post banger it's an easy job. From this post I can use tape to separate each field into halves or quarters and if electrified they respect it. The main difficulty is keeping access to the gate and water supply.
 
A bit like this, I have a couple of bigger fields of 3.5 acres each, and in the middle of each I have just one solid wooden post. If you can get or borrow a post banger it's an easy job. From this post I can use tape to separate each field into halves or quarters and if electrified they respect it. The main difficulty is keeping access to the gate and water supply.
I ended up doing an Equicentral set up, water etc always in one place, they walk from grazing to access water, hay etc. Works well, but took a bit if figuring out!
 
Fully endorse not spending loads on anything permanent until you've been there a full year if not two to see how the wind / rain / water /sycamore seedlings etc all work on your new land.

I love the tornado horse netting for a serial fence smasher (he puts his head through the rails to reach the grass on other side then just lifts it up resulting in smashed rails daily !
But it's certainly not a cheap option.

Save up for a year while you work our how the land works.
 
We started off in our first year with round posts & 3 strands of electrical rope. As has already been said several times, it's worth having a temporary fence first to see if the layout works. I now have stock fencing on the outer perimeter & the fields are still divided with posts & rope as I ran out of money & enthusiasm. I am currently getting quotes to replace the posts & rope with stock fence, & am pleased I waited as my current idea re where it needs to go is very different from where it would have been at outset.
 
I would always recommend dividing up with temporary fencing first, as what seems perfectly logical on paper often doesn't work in practise. I did this, altered the layout twice, then just whacked in wooden posts at intervals to stabilise it the electric fencing and plastic stakes. You can keep it all taut, it doesn't look awful ( I use green tape) and doesn't cost the earth.
Unfortunately my husband hates the look of plastic post and green tape fencing. I’ve got absolutely no problem with it though but if he wants to pay extra for something more permanent, so be it!
 
I’ve got 3 big fields all around 7 acres each and I’ve worked out which one is to be the winter one./ summer etc. I have 6 horses and need to divide the fields as it’s easier to manage 2x3 than 6 loons all running around together
 
Agree it takes a year or more to work out where the wet bit/dry bit/where the gate goes before the permanent fencing goes it.

I had a fence wrecking livery so most of my internal fencing needed replacing by the time they left. I couldn't afford to replace all with post and rail so we have wooden posts 12ft apart and then 2 strands of wide brown electric tape.

1715091370157.png

It looks really smart and can be electrified to keep the little darlings off it. The idea was to replace with rails (and a post in between)when we had more money, but I'm going to keep it at it is.

My lovely post and rail gets rubbed on, lent over, chewed, etc so is looking not so beautiful anymore 😢 and the little pony sticks his head through between the rails to eat the grass on the opposite side ending up with a chunk of mane missing too.
 
Unfortunately my husband hates the look of plastic post and green tape fencing. I’ve got absolutely no problem with it though but if he wants to pay extra for something more permanent, so be it!
I'm guessing that is the messy looking white posts everywhere that he objects to. I admit I used to loathe them but have learned to like them as it is easy to see where the fence is down. However like most here I would recommend wooden post and properly tensioned tape. It looks just as smart as post and rail and a heck of a lot cheaper.
 
I don’t like plastic posts and tape. It’s untidy, impossible to get tight, the posts blow over and my littlest doesn’t respect it one bit.

My outer boundary is hedgerow with post and rail, but all internal fencing is wooden posts and 3 strands of 40mm electric tape, set up so it’s neat and taught. It may as well be permanent as I’ve never moved it. My little one respects it 99% of the time, and the electric goes on for 24 hours every once in a while when I catch him looking at it suspiciously. So it’s flexible, user friendly, tidy and practical.
 
Top