Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
There is an important difference between welded wire and woven wire. Welded wire is
spot-welded together at junctions; woven wire is actually tied together with special knots.
When a horse crashes into, kicks, or rubs on a welded-wire fence, the welds often break
or the wire is permanently deformed. With woven wire the joints are more secure and the
mesh is more flexible, so it is less easily deformed and is much easier to install over hilly
terrain.
All mesh fencing needs to be stretched tight to prevent sagging and bulging. Especially
during shedding season, horses love to rub on this type of fence, which adds to the sagging
and bulging problem. Often, to maintain fence shape, electric wire, heavy-gauge smooth
wire, pipe, or boards are used at the top of the fence to prevent horses from leaning over
it. If boards are used, they will likely need to be protected by regular application of an an-
tichew product or by an electric fence wire. An electric “stand-off” wire is sometimes in-
stalled at the height of a horse's hip to prevent rubbing and pushing on the fence.
Mesh fence is often set 6 to 12 inches off the ground to get a higher fence for horses,
but this leaves a space underneath where a rolling horse could get a leg caught. Setting the
fence a maximum of 2 inches from the ground will make it safer for mature horses, but a
foal could still get a foot caught underneath. One solution is to bury the bottom of the fence
a few inches, but this leads to early fence corrosion. A better fix is to attach the bottom
of the fence to a treated board, like a 2x8, at ground level. The mesh should be securely
stapled to the board on the inside to prevent chewing. This will also prevent horses from
pushing out the bottom of the fence in search of grass and prevent small animals and chil-
dren from crawling under the fence. But it will make the fence a better “trash collector” on
its windward side and will make trimming grass along the bottom of the fence more diffi-
cult.
