Pros & cons of this type of fencing please?

[Muddy unicorn]

I need to secure the boundary of two of my fields which run alongside a road to stop my adolescent dog with a death wish from running into the road. We currently have mature hedges with post and rail in the gaps which kept the horses in but this morning the dog just ran underneath. I’m wary of stock fencing in case one of the horses decides to put their foot through and the horse wire is £££ and I know someone whose horse had a horrible accident caused by it. I’ve seen this deer netting recommended and wondered if there were any drawbacks: https://premiernetting.co.uk/deer-n...ihCBNdXg__yCcewV7PkQaPJ_Us27cuYg7Q82PKrLASw2Q

The dogs aren’t jumpers (and the older one wouldn’t dream of going through the hedge anyway) so it wouldn’t need to be any higher than standard fencing.

 

[Polos Mum]

Is this plastic? Can't quite see from the link. If so my only reservation would be durability. Rabbits would chew it and a good kick from a horse and they'd start to make holes!

If it is just for the dog, is there space to put sheep netting behind the hedge say 2 foot behind the current post and rail? then the horses can't get near it?

 

[Abacus]

You can get stock type fencing with smaller holes at the bottom so that they can’t get a hoof through it. I have it around my garden for the dogs, sunk into the hedge so that it can’t be seen.

One of our fields has a border of ordinary stock fencing (not my boundary) and one of ours did get stuck in it last week. Thank goodness he just stood there.

 

[meleeka]

How much length do you need? Id use good old fashioned chicken wire if it’s not too much. You can get lower quality with bigger holes which is cheaper.

 

[Art Nouveau]

I'm interested to know what the accident was with the horse netting, as I'm trying to decide whether to fork out for it. PM if you prefer.

I think the one you linked to might get holes in easily or stretch if a horse leant on it, but that's just guessing really. Chicken wire I wouldn't use with horses as it is quite weak.

As it's just for hedge gaps the deer netting might work well as the horses might not get that close to it

To be honest, I don't think there's a horse-proof fencing option really. They could get impaled on post and rail, or brain themselves or have a rotational fall on a dry stone wall. It might just be a case of looking at your budget and deciding on the least worst option for your set up.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I kind of think that looks interesting!
My horses don’t really kick out and the fence is electric so tend not to get that close anyway.
We don’t have rabbits, almost literally. The ground here is rock solid so they Can’t burrow.
We do have copious amounts of hares, do they chew?
I’d like a visual barrier more than anything for the Shetland but also as OP the dogs.

 

[Lucky Snowball]

Could you put sheep fence on the outside of the hedge.

 

[Esmae]

I have a mature hedge on my roadside boundary. I got the sides cut right back and then had stock netting put in as far in to the hedge as could be done. 3 or 4 years later the hedge had grown back and covered it all and now you would never know it was there and the hedge keeps the horses away from it. It is completely dog secure (I initially did it with goats in mind) Prior to the hedge growing back I just ran a length of electric fence along it to keep the horses away from it. Works well for us and was as inexpensive as it could be.

 

[Mudfukkle]

Have a look at this page:

Rabbit Netting | Galvanised Steel Rabbit Proof Fencing

www.ultimate-one.co.uk

 

[PeterNatt]

My fields are fenced with Wooden Post and Rail Fencing with Equi-Fencing attached to it. It keeps dogs and horses in or out.

 

[Landcruiser]

We used that fencing to dog proof our back garden - it's a really cost effective fence for dogs. We got the ideas from friends of ours that fenced 5 acres with it, they have a dog field and run dog training courses. Ours has been up for years, it lasts for ever. Our friends have had some issues with rabbits gnawing holes at the bottom, but it's easy to just wire a patch on.

 

[Patterdale]

It will require much longer posts and needs to be professionally installed or will be unstable.
Also proper deer net will not be far off the cost of horse net.

Another one interested in what kind of accident could be caused by horse netting. Hope all involved are ok.

 

[First Frost]

We have tornado horse fencing around our perimeter. Works very well to keep unwanted visitors out and residents in!

 

[Muddy unicorn]

If it is just for the dog, is there space to put sheep netting behind the hedge say 2 foot behind the current post and rail? then the horses can't get near it?

There’s a ditch on the other side of the hedge then it’s straight onto the road - I think it’d be tricky to put fencing there plus would need to be longer posts.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

How much length do you need? Id use good old fashioned chicken wire if it’s not too much. You can get lower quality with bigger holes which is cheaper.

It’s about 1500 metres to cover the whole boundary with the road - I don’t think chicken wire would be strong enough

 

[Muddy unicorn]

I have a mature hedge on my roadside boundary. I got the sides cut right back and then had stock netting put in as far in to the hedge as could be done. 3 or 4 years later the hedge had grown back and covered it all and now you would never know it was there and the hedge keeps the horses away from it. It is completely dog secure (I initially did it with goats in mind) Prior to the hedge growing back I just ran a length of electric fence along it to keep the horses away from it. Works well for us and was as inexpensive as it could be.

That sounds promising - do you have any photos?

 

[Esmae]

That sounds promising - do you have any photos?

Probably somewhere but I have no idea how I put them on here. Sorry. It worked/is still working just fine. The key is to cut the hedge back hard and push the fence posts and stock net in as far as you can get it. Then let your hedge thicken over time until you have hidden the stock fence. I'll have a look and have a go at the pictures but promise nothing. I am a technonumpty Sorry love, computer says no to pictures as too large.

 

[PurBee]

I’ve installed that deer fencing. Its brilliantly durable and UV proof for (so far) 15yrs. Im using 2m as deer fencing but they do it in 1m tall rolls. It certainly will keep dogs in, if you tension it. It’s so nice to install being much lighter than wire rolls of fencing.
I have it laying a few inches on the ground, as the grass grows into it within a year and stops deer/foxes/animals from slipping in underneath, combined with a low tensioned wire.
The horses are close to an area of it, but i have 2 strand white electric fence 30cm within the deer fencing, as a visual aid more than anything, as i’ve found it being black that deer will accidently run into it (and bounce off!) at night, despite seeing in the dark, the dark fencing they dont see so well.
But all my animals on the land that see it clearly in the day, soon get to know its there, so its less of a risk for them when dark, as they memorise fencing. But as yours will be within existing boundary, it being a night-blind black colour shouldnt be an issue.
On moonlit nights the deer see it better as its glossy so will reflect a sheen off the surface, but true black nights its harder for animals to see.

If the horses put a hoof through, which they easily could if its a close strong kick, they can pull back and have much less injury than wire. If it was an accidental kick like rolling near the fence and hitting it with a stretched leg, it likely would just bend with the movement. A close punch-kick could have them more likely to break it. Mine never have been in contact with it, they see it and dont even bother going near.
The breaking strain might be 150kg or something light, at a singular point, but as a wired tensioned fence a whole body of a dog or other smallish animal, it acts like a trampoline and they bounce off.. Its very flexible, and can be tensioned tight. Even when i had some temporarily put up hanging off extended plastic electric fence posts, untensioned, it stopped my dogs going through. It still acted like a loose bouncy trampoline preventing deer.

As you have existing post/rail fencing, you could attach it to that, if its still strong and stable for you to pull the fencing tight to pin to the posts. It’ll certainly keep a dog in. My dogs couldnt be bothered to work-out how to overcome the fencing.

If youre really not wanting to use any wire to tension it to, and your current fence posts are solid and strong, you can pull hard on this netting to get it tight and get it pinned to your fencing posts without using wire. Its really good at stretching tight. A 2 person job - one is holding it as tight as they can while another pins it into the posts. Wear gloves -this plastic fencing soon shears away at your fingers pulling on it all day.

As its for a dog primarily you want to focus on getting the bottom tight and strong so they dont slip underneath it. Pins could be used until grass grows into it. You get plastic 6 inch garden membrane pins/pegs - some are weak bendy and break when trying to push into hard dry soil. Do the pinning after rain when the soil is soft and gently tap with a hammer to help guide them in.
Allow a few inches to lay on the ground facing the inside of the area you want the dog to stay in - its harder for them to escape via the bottom if the bottom flap is curled in and pinned down, than curled out. If you get what i mean!

Rabbits could easily chew it, if you have issues with rabbits…so maybe an 18inch chicken wire strip could affix to the outside side of the deer netting. On rare occassions ive had deer even chew it! It takes a determined larger animal to chew a hole big enough to get their body through! But rabbits are small and chew through anything easily. Thankfully we dont have rabbits, just very rare hare sightings launching through the forest

Its a really good, strong economical, long lasting fencing thats got the safety element of less dangerous injury than wire, should any animal entangle with it. I use it everywhere and am so glad such a fencing exists, as i too hate wire fencing and find this is a safer, cheaper, lighter compromise.

As youre using it in combo with a hedge and post and rail its ideal for your situation. Id not use it as a horse fence on its own to contain horses without there being strands of electric in front as a visual aid, and to put the horses off from leaning on posts.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

My fields are fenced with Wooden Post and Rail Fencing with Equi-Fencing attached to it. It keeps dogs and horses in or out.View attachment 130108

I use similar to OP and attached to my post and rail as dog walkers could get into field under the rails. Works well.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

There is fencing you can get that gives the dog a shock when it goes within a few feet of it. The dog wears a collar that reacts with the fence. I think it's a single strand.

 

[Lois Lame]

I kind of think that looks interesting!
My horses don’t really kick out and the fence is electric so tend not to get that close anyway.
We don’t have rabbits, almost literally. The ground here is rock solid so they Can’t burrow.
We do have copious amounts of hares, do they chew?
I’d like a visual barrier more than anything for the Shetland but also as OP the dogs.

Do hares chew?

A lady I worked with for a time told me that hares like a clear view, and will chew the tops off newly planted trees. She said that she always used tree guards to prevent that.

I had a quick look at that site with the deer fencing but they want cookies so I didn't linger. Why a site would want to deter lookers, I don't know

 

[Abby-Lou]

We have tornado horse fencing around our perimeter. Works very well to keep unwanted visitors out and residents in!

I have this and it is very hard wearing much stronger than normal stock fencing, its expensive but makes a very solid boundary