Whether you own only a few horses or you have a horse farm, a proper horse fence is necessary to keep your animals safely within their boundaries. Horses have a tendency to stand with their necks hanging over the top of the fence. A horse will also try to force his head and neck through fencing if it is too flexible. That’s why many horse farmers are choosing vinyl fencing for horses over traditional barbed wire or wood fencing.

Vinyl horse fencing gives the look and feel of a wooden fence without the typical maintenance and paint requirements. It doesn’t weather like wood and it can be easily set up for a beautiful, safe horse farm. With proper construction, there are fewer worries of your horses getting out or getting hurt on the fence.

Vinyl Horse Fence Facts

Vinyl horse fencing is also called PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) fencing. When PVC powder is blended with other ingredients, a compound is created, which is subjected to heat and pressure along with mixing to create a malleable vinyl. The vinyl is died and shaped to create the desired look for fencing. Then it is cooled with water to finalize the process. Vinyl horse fencing is bright in color due to the deep pigmentation in the material.

Quality vinyl fencing is built to last many years and often comes with an extended or lifetime warranty. There’s no need to paint the fence, but it may be cleaned with a water hose to maintain its brightness.

Vinyl Fencing Compared to Wood or Metal Fencing

Vinyl fencing may cost a little more to set up, but the long-term benefits should be considered when comparing it with wood or metal fencing. Wood fencing can deteriorate and weather over the years. It usually requires paint or replacement boards every five to fifteen years. Also, treated wood may contain arsenic, which is harmful to the environment. Wire fencing can be bent or damaged easily by animals and it can rust over a period of time. Barbed wire can also cut your horses if they attempt to jump or run through the fence.

Brightness Makes a Difference

Horses need to be able to see their boundaries clearly. A vinyl fence is bright-colored, giving horses a clear view of where their limitations are. Wire fences are often difficult to see, especially if the horse is running fast toward it. With vinyl fencing for horses, you won’t have to worry about this. Your horses will have a safe, visible border at all times.

Choosing Vinyl Horse Fencing

When selecting a vinyl horse fence, choose one based on your needs. Every farm is different, and every horse or group of horses is different. You can choose vinyl fencing with two to four rails, and it is usually priced by the foot. So, you should consider your budget and how many feet of fencing you would need. If you’re new to horse farming, you might benefit from horse farm consulting with an expert. A horse farm consultant can help you determine where to place the fencing, barn, and gate so your farm will function smoothly and economically.

With vinyl horse fencing, you can have the best of both worlds – a gorgeous farm and safety for your horses. Check out online resources for vinyl horse fencing to find great bargains so you can get started with the horse farm of your dreams!

Owning horses is one of life’s greatest pleasures. These gorgeous creatures are powerful, elegant, and extremely intelligent. Of course, they also represent a substantial investment of time and money. However, with the right planning, the proper equipment, and a high quality horse fence, you can spend less time on maintenance and more time enjoying your animals.

Designing a Horse Farm

When it comes to owning or stabling horses, it’s best to start with a sound design. Engaging an expert to do horse farm consulting will go far to ensure that your experience will be rewarding and that your horses will have exactly what they need to live long and healthy lives.

A good horse farm consultant will come to your property and assess your needs as well as the lay of the land. He will talk to you about the horses you currently own and those you plan to buy, as well as how they will be trained and used. If you have a business, he will ask about your business goals, whether or not you will have boarders, and the ways in which your property can bring you the most enjoyment.

Once he has this information, he will design a plan for maximum functionality with minimum maintenance. The plan can include the positioning of the house, barn, paddocks, pastures, gates, training areas, and riding areas. Horse farm consulting may also include suggestions about manure management, pasture management, and barn equipment. An expert who has years of experience in horse farm management can literally save you thousands of dollars by avoiding wasted space and poorly planned designs.

Fencing for Horses

Next to the design process, the right horse fencing is key to keeping your property low on the maintenance scale and high on the enjoyment scale. Today, vinyl horse fencing is considered state-of-the-art. A vinyl horse fence has many advantages over other types of fencing, including value and durability. However, not all vinyl horse fencing is created equally. Some sellers, for example, sell shorter posts, have shoddy customer service, or mix other products with your order.

When selecting a horse fence, it’s important to find one that is made from 100 percent virgin vinyl and comes with a lifetime warranty. The best distributors will even offer a second warranty to replace rails or posts that your horses break. The best horse fence comes in two rail sizes: standard 1.5-inch by 5.5-inch that are .090 thickness, and oversized 2-inch by 6-inch that are .110 thickness. The rails should have locking tabs to keep them in place, thus eliminating the need for screws, bolts, and clips.

To determine how much vinyl horse fending you will need, you should be able to simply measure the perimeter of the area to be fenced. Then, for example, you can buy a three-rail system by the lineal foot, which will include all of the rails, posts, and caps you need for the fence.

The right design and the proper horse fence will save you money, make your life easier, and help to ensure that your horses are safe, healthy, and secure.

If your horse is in the field, and it suffers a severe cut, you will want to stop the bleeding as soon as possible. You will need to make a call to your vet, and there are steps you also need to take in order to provide first aid to your horse as soon as possible. You will want to stabilize the horse prior to the arrival of the vet.

The first thing you want to do is make sure you have a first aid kit available for the horse in advance. The first aid kit should have all the important constituents necessary for emergencies and small cuts. You always want to make sure that you have first aid readily available. You will want to make sure you have all the important tools you need, and you will want to know how to use them.

A commercially available first aid kit for horses will cost between $39 and $80. You will want to make sure the kit has a thermometer so that you can check the temperature of the horse. All horses should have a standard temperature of 99 to 115 degrees. The first aid kit should also come with a stethoscope so that you can monitor the heart rate of the horse. You can listen clearly to the heartbeat just under the elbow on the left side of the horse.

All first aid kits should have a flashlight, in case you have an emergency in the dark. You will also want to have electrolytes in case the horse becomes dehydrated. Warming up water and adding a small teaspoon of electrolytes can encourage water consumption by your horse. The first aid kit should also have neosporin, iodine, and hydrogen peroxide. Avoid using the hydrogen peroxide on wounds as it will destroy benign tissue.

You will also want to have wire cutters handy in the event the horse gets stuck in a gate or wire. You will also want to use a twitch which can calm your horse and keep him controlled in situations where it will be in great pain. You will also want to make sure you have a knife cutting bandages and other materials. You will want to make sure you don’t injure your horse when handling the knife.

You will want to use the iodine solution to clean out any thick wounds. Any wounds which will be treated by a veterinarian within a hours of the injury should not have medications applied, and should only be flushed with iodine or clean water to prevent them from drying.

There was a time when livestock owners follow a general mandate: sheep and cattle are enclosed using electric wires while horses are left enclosed in wooden fences. The excuse was that horses’ eyes have poor vision, hence, it is not suitable to use thin electric wire horse fence. Horse fencing needs to be blunt or the horses would get caught in the wires. Nowadays, new varieties of electric horse fences are available. The new horse fence, horse fencing wires, and cables are designed with larger braids, bands or ribbons for greater equine visibility. The newly-developed electric fencing quickly became the choice of the increasing horse-owning population who have proven that the old thinking that electric fences are unsafe is an outdated and obsolete idea. As safety is the most primary concern, electric fencing expert Jennifer Corkery assures users that as long as precautions and proper maintenance are observed, there is no need to worry about electric fences injuring your horses or escaping.

Corkery suggests the following steps in putting up electric fences. Put grounding rods and poles in constantly damp ground or ground with high moisture content. Ninety five percent of electric horse fence, horse fencing, and wiring problems are caused by too dry grounds. Regularly check horse fencing, especially if it’s woven. Wind movement may make the fence ineffective by breaking wire conductors in it. Use electric rope that is braided and has a large diameter. You can save money by making it your stable perimeter fence since it is strong, durable, and highly-visible. Run current on the second cable of your fence. This will ensure that your animal will be grounded and shocked if it comes to contact with the grounded and hot line. Horse psychology expert Dave Bryson suggests that receiving shock teaches the horse to “respect” and steer clear of electric fences. Fence voltage must be checked regularly to be sure that the voltage remains at a constant, strong, but safe level. Using a voltage regulator to monitor fence voltage is also a good option. These regulators will sound alarm if the voltage changes. These will also stop running current on the fence until the source of the voltage increase or decrease is detected. It is advisable to situate water troughs well away from the fences so the horses will not get shocked when they go for a drink. Surely, you don’t want to teach your prized animals to dehydrate themselves.

However, Corkery also instructs users against the following practices. Never use charger boxes and energizers for your horse fence, horse fencing, and electric cable needs that are not UL approved. Chargers that are UL certified are guaranteed safe for people and the horses. High-tensile electric wire horse fencing is not safe for horses. This is because they are too thin, and almost invisible to horse’s eyes. Plus, they lack resiliency and pose the risk of cutting horses’ skin. Avoid placing fence lines in areas where horses regularly play and exercise (running, rolling). Never cut the fences’ power. It is recommended that fences must be powered up and charged everytime. A dollar increase in your electric bill is insignificant and negligible when compared to your horses’ safety.