Horse Fence

The best horse fencing products

When choosing a horse fence, one needs to consider style as well as usefulness. Horse fencing can be made out of pretty much any material, but different options have different benefits and drawbacks.

Wooden Fencing

Some people prefer the rustic look of wooden board fencing. Though inexpensive, this type requires regular maintenance, including painting or sealing, if so desired. Also, if a board comes loose, the nails left behind could be a safety hazard for horses. Plus, horses can (and will) break through a wooden fence if scared or motivated.

Vinyl Horse Fence

Vinyl or plastic fences have the advantage of aging beautifully. Vinyl is basically maintenance free - there's no painting or sealing necessary and it holds up well in all types of weather. However, it's typically not as strong as other materials, as the vinyl pieces can "pop" out of the posts when horses apply pressure ... and you can bet your bottom dollar your horses will test every piece of fence to find a weakness! Some people use vinyl fence along with a strand of electric "hot" fence, which dissuades horses from leaning on the vinyl.

Electric Horse Fence

Electric fencing is a useful tool but probably shouldn't be used as permanent, large-scale fencing. The wire is thin and hard for horses to see, so they won't understand where the boundaries are. Plus, electric fencing is notorious for coming off of the posts and winding up on the ground, where your horse (or another animal) could get tangled in it. Electric fence is best used in conjunction with another type of fencing or as a temporary herding solution.

Portable Horse Fence

Portable fencing is usually of the tubular panel variety, with little "doors" and panels made from cylindrical, hollow metal pieces. This is great for isolating sick horses or stallions, or even for taking with you when you travel, to build a temporary pen outside of the horse trailer. But portable fencing should never be used as permanent fencing for a large area - it is not sturdy enough.

No matter what material you choose, keep in mind that the actual fencing is only one part of the cost - horse fence supplies like posts, nails and screws will drive up the total bill, particularly if they regularly need to be replaced or fixed.