Post and Rail vs. Horse Wire

[es488]

We need to erect a new perimeter fence around approx. 12 acres of land one side of which is road side.

Not going to be cheap so interested to hear thoughts and experience comparing:
a) Cost / Meter
b) Safety / Strength
c) Longevity

We are based in Warwickshire so also interested to hear of any experience with good local contractors.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Tornado fence, 5ft high, with a half round rail on the top to take it to 6ft.

Best decision I made 5 yrs ago when redoing the boundary fencing on 2 sides, not cheap but has been battered a few times and no issues at all. (Inc a very angry stag trying to smash it down to get out, fence 1 and stag nil!).
I can rely on it to keep my minis from escaping too.

I have post and rail to divide paddocks which has electric tape fixed to much of it to prevent chewing and battering, when this dies I will replace with 4ft Tornado fence

 

[eggs]

I have something similar to Tornado fencing that I am slowly using to replace all my perimeter fencing. It is especially made for horses so has much smaller holes at the bottom and larger at the top. I am very pleased with it and think it is safer than p&r. When our neighbour's very large beech tree fell across it the fence got a bit bent but when the tree was removed it was easy to pull it back into shape and we just overlapped it with a spare piece of the same fencing. It wasn't particularly cheap but is virtually maintenance free. I used George Coles who is based in north Oxfordshire.

Another alternative is the plastic rail fencing that you can also electrify.

 

[JillA]

I once had a horse badly injured by plain wire so that would be out for me - acts like a cheese cutter and nothing to deter them unless you can put a strand of leccy on the inside. In a way barbed wire is better, they do have a healthy respect for it. Post and rail is very expensive so I would go for wire with a stand of electric in front of it

 

[Nudibranch]

If £ isn't an issue then I would go for post and rail with a strand of electric along the top rail. Use standoff insulators and poly wire. I don't like wire of any kind as I have had a horse mangle itself badly by running through some. If you go down the Tornado type route make sure the size is suitable for horses so they can't trap a shoe or foot.