Wood is the most commonly used fencing material, but is it the safest? Well, some people think that if it is a natural product, then it must be okay. This makes some sense, for horses have existed in the wild forever surrounded by wood, rock, vegetation, etc. So it’s not the material that may be unsafe, but what man has shaped it into. A sharp wooden corner is still a sharp corner. Whether you decide on wood, metal, vinyl, hot tape, etc., care must be taken upon installation to minimize potential hazards to a horse that may run into it, get caught up in it, or just plain brush up against it. The one material that, in our opinion, should never be used is barbed wire. This type of fencing was designed to contain tough skinned, slow moving cattle. It can kill a horse that gets tangled up in it. Any fencing material is potentially hazardous, but as of yet, a proven way of making barbed wire safe around horses does not exist. With that in mind, what are the pros and cons of other fencing types? Well, wood is probably overall the safest, just because it is a natural material. It has a fair amount of "give" to it when a horse rubs against it, or even runs into it. Unfortunately, it is also expensive when done on a large scale and must be properly treated with a preservative to retard rot. 

Metal, as in what they call "safety horse fencing", comes with 4 or 5 inch open squares made out of extra heavy gauge wire, resembling giant chicken wire. This is fine, if only the best grade of material is used (full wrap around construction, not welded), and it is properly installed, with a wooden 2 x 6 or similar rail to hold the top and the same at the bottom to prevent small hoofs from slipping through the gap. Vinyl is the longest lasting (although it hasn’t been around quite long enough to really prove this), and it never needs painting. It is also the most expensive, making a large scale fencing operation a huge financial undertaking. This must be weighed against the amount of time you are willing to spend maintaining your fence, though. For many, the cost is justified. With any fence you choose, it can be made safer and less maintenance intensive by putting a band of "hot tape" electric fencing along the top. This keeps the horses from chewing on or otherwise playing with the fence. Use the best quality tape or rope you can find, and it will pay for itself many times over, especially since the cost of doing this will be a tiny fraction of what the actual fence costs.

Fencing...