Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
great benefit of metal panels is their portability, making them ideal for a temporary situ-
ation as well as for long-term use. With panels, it is not necessary to dig postholes, as it is
with permanent fencing.
Many livestock panels on the market today are designed for general farm animal use;
they are usually not suitable for horses. Those designed for cattle (or sheep or hogs) are of-
ten too short, and many have leg-trapping connections or dangerously wide spaces between
the rails. Some panels are too lightweight to use with horses; rubbing horses can easily
move them, and normal horse activity can dent and bend them. If panels do not have design
features that suit horses, they can result in serious injury and should be avoided.
HOW TO CHOOSE PANELS
When choosing panels, whether you are buying new or used, the first priority should al-
ways be safety. Select panels by reviewing features rather than just choosing a manufac-
turer's name, because most manufacturers make several grades of panels, from utility to
premium to heavy duty. Horse panels should be of strong construction and need to be
weather-resistant. It's a plus if they are easily portable, attractive, and affordable too.
Connectors
The way panels connect to each other affects their safety, ease of setting up, and stability.
Certain types of panel connectors require that the ground be absolutely level for secure at-
tachment. The gap between panels should be minimal so a hoof or leg cannot get caught.
If there is a gap, the top of it should be blocked off so a hoof or stirrup cannot get caught.
If you need to make old-style panels horse-safe, consider using
panel caps,
which are a
simple, easy to install, and tidy way to block the gap on unsafe panels. They are tough, dur-
able plastic connectors that are hinged to conform to any angle up to 90 degrees. They are
adaptable to fit various sizes and styles of panels and gates and quickly attach to the panels
with nylon zip ties.
It is ideal if panel connectors allow three-way and four-way corners, so that when you
want to set up a group of pens, two pens can share a common panel and be connected prop-
erly at the end. Some connecting systems make this difficult or impossible.
A popular type of panel connector consists of chains that wrap around the adjacent panel,
slip into a slot, and drop through a hole. There is essentially no gap between two chain pan-
els when the chains are properly fastened and the pen is on level ground.
