Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The 8-foot boards are cut to fit and nailed on the inside of the pen using 5-inch galvan-
ized screw shank nails. The spiral-ribbed surface of these nails provides a better grip in the
posts than smooth shank nails. You may want to drill pilot holes in the boards to prevent
splitting. Nailing the boards on the inside of the pen not only results in more strength, but
in the event a horse leans heavily or falls against the rails, the boards are also less likely to
pop off. This also keeps the rider's leg from being thumped by every post when trying to
control a frightened or bolting animal. Use four or five boards as desired between each set
of posts, except for the opening between the two taller gateposts.
To keep the angled walls of the round pen from sagging outward, use a ½-inch steel cable
with a turnbuckle for support. One end of each of the 105-foot cables is wrapped around
each of the gateposts and affixed with a U-clamp. The cables encircle the outside of the en-
tire round pen about 4 inches from the top, resting in small notches made in each post with
a chisel, saw, or ax. They meet across the pen from the gate, where the turnbuckle joins
them together. Final tightening is made with the turn-buckle.
The outward pull created on the gateway posts by the cable must be counteracted, or
else the gate opening would continue to widen. A railroad tie affixed between the tops of
the gateposts provides a stabilizing lintel for the opening. Chiseling a hole in each end of
the tie and carving corresponding projections on the tops of the gate posts at least 7½ feet
high creates mortise-and-tenon joints. An alternative lintel could be made with a piece of
½-inch steel cable and a turnbuckle attached to the tops of the two gateposts. For safety,
2x6 boards should cover the cable from both sides.
