New Yard - Anxious about fencing…

[emziemoo]

Hi everyone,

Just looking for some advice/input from fellow horsey people…

I’ve recently had to move my horse to a new yard closer to home. It’s an old cattle farm and my horse is in a large field with a few other horses. There is a perimeter fence of wooden posts, thick wire and barbed wire over the top. Now, when I viewed the yard I wasn’t happy about the fencing. However, the yard ticks a lot of other boxes, the fencing is the only con. My horse has been there for 5 days now and only yesterday has he sustained a few injuries (assumingly from the fence, some of them are cuts the other is a graze perhaps not caused by the fence).

I guess I’m just looking for advice on how I can minimise his risk to injury? It’s not an option to remove the wire or replace the fencing unfortunately. It’s also not an option to move yards, most of the yards in my area are old farms and have similar types of fencing and I need him close to home. I have turned him out in turnout boots and a rain sheet to try and protect him but is there anything else I can do?

I realise I may have already answered my own question and I’m already doing all I can but reading other peoples thoughts may settle my nerves a bit!

 

[Ossy2]

Are you sure it’s fencing? Obviously fencing injuries happen but their not that common, especially in a big field with plenty of grass. How was your horse introduced to this herd he’s in with now? Could it rather be the herd sorting themselves out a bit with the new arrival and things should settle down. Can’t think of anything else other than Boots and rug to give protection.

 

[JBM]

Horses usually stay away from barbed wire unless they get trapped next to it by another horse?
Mine have always been fenced by barb at one time or another..even the clumsy one who tries to kill himself daily stays away from it
If I put a blanket on my mare she uses it as a sacrifice to the barb and gets into other fields with 0 injury’s..but her rug gets destroyed

 

[emziemoo]

Thank-you for your replies! It may well be another horse in the field… He’s settled with most of them but there is one who he isn’t pals with and this one tends to like to lunge at him a bit occasionally… Majority of the time they are happy grazing. I’m only assuming it’s the fence, I’ve not been in a field with this type of fencing before so I think I’m just anxious!

 

[Errin Paddywack]

I’ve not been in a field with this type of fencing before so I think I’m just anxious!

You are very lucky. I don't think I have ever been on grazing without at least some barbed wire. Even our current land which has concrete posts and umpteen strands of smooth wire has a barbed wire top strand down two sides. Previously when on the farm there were always hedges with a back fence of barbed wire. Back then it was just the norm. We had more damage to rugs than horses.

 

[ycbm]

If it's one strand on the top I would find that just about tolerable. Lower down is a terrible risk to the legs. If possible, I would want to install a line of electric fencing set inside the barb, using extended insulators that are sold to do that job, screwed into the existing fence posts.

https://www.electric-fence.co.uk/10x-offset-ring-insulator-long-shaft-insulator-220mm.html
.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

If barbed wire HD caused your horse's injuries, they would most likely be serious tears of the skin.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Another thing to possibly consider is would your insurance cover any injuries caused by wire and barbed wire? If the field is big with plenty of grass the fencing shouldn't be a big issue but we are talking horses here!!

 

[sassandbells]

All of my fields have a barbed wire perimeter and I’ve found they tend to stay away from it, unless we get a bit short of grass and they are grazing the edges of the field.

i echo what Katie&Judy said though, if my guys have rugs/fly masks on, they sacrificed those to go closer to the barbed wire. I also saw an incident where a horse got one of their boots caught on the wire and ended up panicking and going through the fence, thankfully the damage was mostly superficial but it was scary!

I put an electric fence around the inside so they can’t get close to the barbed wire at all, would this be an option for you? Depending on the size of the field it might be a bit expensive to purchase and set it all up but it’ll probably be cheaper than the vet bills if anything does happen.

 

[Birker2020]

I used to be on a yard where the geldings were all turned out together (about 30 of them) and we had barbed wire around all the perimeter fencing and in between fields. There was one horse in particular that used to think that the grass was always greener in the other field and would push against the wire bringing the rotten posts down and then traipse all over the wire. My horse would follow and get tangled in it, that happened two or three times, it was a nightmare.

I hate barbed wire for that reason. But as others have said, as long as the fields are big enough for the number of horses in them there should be no problem as most horses will stay away from it.

 

[emziemoo]

Unfortunately I won’t be able to change or modify the fencing as it is not my land otherwise yes ideally I would run electric along the inside to keep them away from the wire. It is quite a large field and it is only on the perimeter. I am actually suspecting now that the injuries sustained were from the other horses when pecking order was being established. He hasn’t had any new injuries the past couple of days and they are grazing well together. He has probably also gathered his bearings and knows where the perimeter is now and is keeping away from it!

 

[Lucky Snowball]

The barbed wire is most dangerous when it is no longer tight. If there are any saggy sections then a few odd staples might greatly improve things. No-one else need know!

 

[ihatework]

Probably not the most PC thing to say, and I appreciate the fencing isn’t ideal, but in my experience as long as it’s just perimeter fencing , well maintained and the lower strands aren’t barbed, on the whole horses give it some respect.

The things that really start to increase the risk are overstocked fields for the acreage and having horses able to talk across/over the fence.

Now that’s not to say there isn’t any risk of fencing injury, there is. But the worst injuries I’ve seen have been with post and rail!

I’d say your little nicks and cuts are more likely just routine herd interactions and settling in.

Personally I wouldn’t be booting other than first couple of days of integration. And with the weather we are having I most definitely wouldn’t be putting a rain sheet on!

 

[Birker2020]

Personally I wouldn’t be booting other than first couple of days of integration. And with the weather we are having I most definitely wouldn’t be putting a rain sheet on!

Agree with IHW. Booting can over heat the tendons and can cause issues. If you are going to boot in work or turnout, use something with airflow like the PE boots.

 

[emziemoo]

It’s the PE fly boots he has on. They are very breathable, he never feels too hot underneath them. I am just being overly anxious I think. It’s been stressful moving yards and I got worried when he hurt himself. Things will calm down I’m sure, he hasn’t picked up any new injuries since the last ones so and reading all your thoughts has been helpful so thank-you all!

 

[Mrs B]

My horse has been there for 5 days now and only yesterday has he sustained a few injuries (assumingly from the fence, some of them are cuts the other is a graze perhaps not caused by the fence).

How was your horse introduced to his new field mates? Was there any time in an 'intro paddock' area next to them or was he just turned straight out?

 

[emziemoo]

There is no facility for gradual introductions so he was just turned straight out with them. It’s why I’m now inclined to think the injuries are from the other horses when establishing who’s boss etc

 

[Leandy]

If you can't change it then there is not much point in worrying about it! As others have said, if field is big and has plenty of grazing, I wouldn't worry at all. I would however worry about my rugs if they are leaning over or through the fence. Also if they are perhaps squabbling a little, I would also worry about damage to rugs and the potential for getting caught up is greater with rugs on than off. So I wouldn't be rugging for protection given I'd see rugs as increasing not decreasing risk. Also there is absolutely no way I would be rugging in this weather, assuming you are in the UK.

 

[emziemoo]

We are up North, it has been colder the last couple of days so I could get away with a sheet on him but today is a lot warmer so I had no choice but leave it off. I didn’t think about him getting caught with his rug on, thank-you. Perhaps he is safer with it off!

 

[Marigold4]

Think barbed wire injuries are excluded from cover by some insurance policies

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I personally wouldn't ever turn my horses out with barbed wire fencing, I did it once a long time ago and my mare got such a bad deep injury that took ages to heal and left a nasty scar I just won't do it again.

 

[Mrs B]

There is no facility for gradual introductions so he was just turned straight out with them. It’s why I’m now inclined to think the injuries are from the other horses when establishing who’s boss etc

I'd be inclined to agree in that case! ?

 

[LegOn]

I would put some white electrical tape along where the barbed wire is without connecting it to anything - most horses associate it with being electrified and stay away from it aswell - even if its just on the most exposed bit of the barbed wire - I would agree that if its well maintained and not low down, they usually are sensible enough but just incase!

 

[chocolategirl]

Hi everyone,

Just looking for some advice/input from fellow horsey people…

I’ve recently had to move my horse to a new yard closer to home. It’s an old cattle farm and my horse is in a large field with a few other horses. There is a perimeter fence of wooden posts, thick wire and barbed wire over the top. Now, when I viewed the yard I wasn’t happy about the fencing. However, the yard ticks a lot of other boxes, the fencing is the only con. My horse has been there for 5 days now and only yesterday has he sustained a few injuries (assumingly from the fence, some of them are cuts the other is a graze perhaps not caused by the fence).

I guess I’m just looking for advice on how I can minimise his risk to injury? It’s not an option to remove the wire or replace the fencing unfortunately. It’s also not an option to move yards, most of the yards in my area are old farms and have similar types of fencing and I need him close to home. I have turned him out in turnout boots and a rain sheet to try and protect him but is there anything else I can do?

I realise I may have already answered my own question and I’m already doing all I can but reading other peoples thoughts may settle my nerves a bit!

As others have said, it’s more likely that his injuries are being caused by other horses while they settle into their new herd dynamic. Having run my yard for nearly 30 years, I have on occasion had to put sheep netting along one side where the horses are grazing next to sheep. What I do in these cases though, is I run a strip of electric tape about 6-10 inches in from the netting which ensures the horses don’t go anywhere near it, perhaps this would be an option if you’re absolutely sure the fence is causing the injuries?

 

[awelshandawarmblood]

I used to be on a yard for years with pig wire about 4ft high & topped with a strand of barbed, luckily mine never got caught bar his rugs but I saw some awful tears on horses over the years, plus some getting caught in the big wire by their shoes!

We're on a farm with cattle now & all fields are hedge but with single strand barbed wire on the perimeter - we run our own electric fencing inside it with plastic posts to keep them away which the farmer is happy with.