Which rugs?? Barbed wire fencing!

T

telfs

Active Member
Joined
22 July 2012
Messages
45
Visit site
I recently moved onto a new yard and it's perfect in evey way apart from the barbed wire fencing!! My youngster has ripped every rug he owns and some beyond repair. So which make rug should I go for? I know none are barbed wire proof but some certainly hold up better than others.
He had a mark Todd rug that shredded like a cobweb on the wire so they're a no go!
 
I had this problem when I turned my mare away. I just put an old rug on top of her others so this got wrecked and not the one underneath!
 
FfionWinnie said:
Invest in some electric fencing!
Click to expand...

Second this if there is anyway you would be allowed to put some fencing a couple of foot away from the barbed wire, not only will it save you money in rugs, it will save you money in vets bills, if your horse is going close enough to wreck his rugs on a regular basis, there's a good chance he will hurt himself on it eventually too.
 
I have barbed wire round my fields and the horses wear 1200 denier rugs, they do get the odd nick in the chest areas but haven't managed to do any worse with the wire than they do with each others teeth!
 
I also agree with getting some electric fencing, next time it could be his skin that gets caught on the barbed wire, my sisters horse had an horrific injury from barbed wire and I would never use it for horses ever.
 
I think it depends if they are used to it. Mine know to avoid it, my foal was turned out in it.
There is though, nothing for them to lean over it for as they have lots of grass and there are big hedges butted up against the wire. If he is leaning over it to graze then that is more difficult.
 
The highter denier the better.
You can get 1600.horseware, bucss etc are good rip stop rugs.

Using an old sacrifice rug over the top is an idea.
Or get an old fashioned jute rug.

But ultimately if your horse is ripping his rug. It's only a matter or time before he hurts himself.

Some electric fencing a few feet from the barbed wire should work.
 
Last edited:
Most barbed wire injuries are caused by horses running into the fence or jumping over, not through leaning over them. Its only because they have a rug on that they are leaning over the fence. If they didn't have rugs on they would go "ouch, that's prickley" and move back. Might be worth taking the rugs off and letting him experience that? The only time ours lean over barbed wire is when they have thick rugs with necks on..

We have one fence at our place that is 30 years old. It is stock fence and a top strand of barbed wire and it was put up so well it is still the straightest fence we have on the smallholding despite other fences being 5 years old. It is the only fence on the place that hasn't been broken or walked through (apart from the electric rope). When I first moved the horses back I swopped everything else for plain wire. The horses just lean and lean on it until it snaps. My mare had a nasty wound this year from the plain wire snapping, then coiling around her leg. Yes, barbed wire would have been worse wrapped around her leg, but I don't think she would have leant on a barbed wire fence hard enough for it to snap in the first place, as it would have pricked her hard before it got to the snapping stage. So while I first tried to exchange all the barbed wire, nowadays I am not so anti it for my big irish bulldozers..
 
Cannot believe someone has said to take the rug off, horses will lean or rub on most fencing so the easiest way to avoid this is put some volts through it or post and rail it, sorry but I just dont think barbed wire fencing is ideal for any horses, I have wire around some of my fields where there is hedge but it is electric I wouldnt even have just wire without putting electric through it.
 
My horses have regularly pushed through post and rail too, then you end up with a piece of wood lying on the ground with a six inch nail sticking up.... Not so safe either.

If you re read my post, my horses don't lean over the barbed wire fence (compared to others) because they feel the effect of if and aren't stupid.. With rugs on they don't feel the effect, so was saying without rugs could teach then that barbed wire is not pleasant to lean on.. As stated in my post, the bw fence on our land has been there for over 30 years) with various horses on it obviously, and nothing has ever leaned over it unless they had rugs on, or rubbed on it - perhaps we have had particularly intelligent horses (??!!).

As I also said on my previous post, I suggested lining with electric fence. I have also mentioned that I have had lots of injuries this summer from the fact that the horses didn't respect plain wire
 
I agree with you Honey08, mine never scratch on the post and rail that is lined with barbed wire, OH got fed up with rebuilding it.
 
but there are so many other safter options than wire of any sort,and there is no way a horse can walk through a properly errected post and rail fence.
mine is 5'6 high, properly banged in and cemented and even the 17.3hh warmblood we had (old fashioned, built like a tank) could not have walked through it, never in a hundred years.

taut wire of any kind is a disaster waiting to happen IMO, tape will not re-coil in the same way and is easy to electrify to keep them off it.
 
My yard has had barbed wire for 25+ years. 0 accidents and no rug replacments that i know of.
The first day electric fenceing was installed a shetland walked straight through it cutting his chest on the 3" strip and then getting into another horses feild, got kicked and shattered his leg. We are now back wire again and shetty is recovering well in plaster.
 
My WB was out naked summer 2012 in a field full of lush, tasty grass. But as they say - the grass is always greener on the other side. He decided to lean over a post & rail fencing with a run of barbed wire along the top - Even though he is very thin skinned, he didn't seem to care about little bits of wire prodding his chest and neck.
This fence was only constructed in 2010, but with 650kg leaning on it, it gave in and collapsed. Luckily my horse was only mildly injured and was fully recovered a week later.

Soon after I bought some fencing offsets which sit on top of each post (offset facing skywards) which keeps him from leaning over and deters him from jumping out

image-17-1024x764.jpeg
 
They will never respect just plain wire thats why you have to put electric through it, plain wire would do just about as much damage as barbed wire, I am aware that horses have had accidents with post and rail but the only time any of ours have got hurt on fencing was when it was barbed wire so I wont have it.

I have had horses for 25 years all kept on either electric or post and rail and none have never had any accidents, the one time one came in contact with barbed wire she ripped her leg apart, and she was not the only one to do so in that field, so I have seen the damage it can do and will never take the chance again, you have obviously been lucky enough to have not experienced it.
 
Last edited:
FfionWinnie said:
Invest in some electric fencing!
Click to expand...

This! Mine never wrecked a rug but got caught in barb wire, the first time it resulted in 12 staples and 2 weeks box rest, the 2nd time it meant 3 and a half months box rest, a skin graft, a full leg bandage and dressings which were changed every 5 days by the vet under sedation. The result was a large vet bill and thankfully only a lovely scar to show for it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top