All Horses

Been a while since I had a review of unsafe horse fencing. It’s always good to remember, so let’s get started.

First, the bad:

Cute horse. Ugly fence.

Barbed wire is good for cattle. Not so much for horses. I’ve seen firsthand the severity of even minimal, chance contact, and let me tell you, healing a pastern that’s sliced deep is no fun.

The rusty, broken stock fence is not much safer. This type of fence, with holes big enough for a hoof to get through, can slice the ensnared leg to the bone. How I wish I did not know that.

What’s worse:

It’s even more clear in the photo above that the nylon halter is ill-fitting, inviting the possibility of snagging a hoof trying to get at an itch, or catching on any of the debris such as the rolled up fence on the ground inside the pasture, or even just a fence post.

Sometimes having hazards inside the fence is inevitable. This is one reason that if halters are left on for turnout, they should have a leather or even twine break-away in case the horse gets tangled in something that won’t give.

In contrast:

No loose halter. No broken wires or snagging barbs. Fence is highly visible and appears to be properly installed. It looks nice, which is a plus, but horse safety is my primary concern. I understand that not everyone can afford this kind of fencing (I know that I don’t have it for my four acre pasture) but they need to know that there are other options safer than barbed wire and stock fence that are affordable.

Electric tape fence is less expensive than the fence above, and more visible than electric wire. Electric braid or rope fence is another possibility, one that we chose for our small farm.  On wood posts rather than steel T-posts, this fence provides an affordable option for horse owners.

What potential problems can you spot here?

I do not accept “we’ve had barbed wire for 20 years (or more) and never had a problem” as an excuse. I’m glad you haven’t had any problems. That doesn’t mean it’s safe — it means you’re lucky.

Finally, an accident waiting to happen:

While this doesn’t appear to be a “high traffic” area, horses are flight animals, and sh*t happens. Why take the risk?

Be aware, even if they are not near the road, even if the horses remain on your property, and you are supervising them — you can be charged with “animals at-large” if they are not properly confined. I don’t agree with it, but it has happened. Animal control officers with little or no training or experience in handling livestock issues have become more involved in investigating rural properties, and have unprecedented authority in such cases.

I don’t want to see legislation that forces horse owners to use a certain type of fence, or laws that support animal cruelty charges should an accident occur. I want them to be aware of the dangers and the options and do the best they can by their animals. I hope that all new fence construction avoids the use of known hazards, and that when fence needs to be replaced it is done with the same consideration.

Tags: bad fence, barbed wire, good fence, unsafe horse fence

This entry was posted by All Horses on Friday, March 27th, 2009 at 6:47 am and is filed under all horses, fence. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.