Re: [RC] Boards At The Top of Fencing - Barbara McCrary
You're right, now that I think about
it. We have bent pipes where the horses have kicked at each other.
But the pipes are heavy gauge and still work well.
Barbara, I certainly do agree with you. All
my paddocks around the barn are pipe...but horses can be hard on pipe
too....have to have really thick gague pipe! I was thinking more of big
pasture fences (post and no climb)
It may be too late for this answer, but
here is my observation......
We are in the lumber business; we
manufacture it, so it is readily available to us. After replacing
rotten and chewed posts for years, after replacing chewed fence boards, I
finally persuaded my husband to put out the money to buy galvanized corral
panels to enclose our horses. They are six-rail panels and we've had
them for many, many years. I could never go back to wood. There
is no upkeep, no nails, no worries. The only troubles we have
had with any of the panels was when a tree or a branch of a tree fell on
them. Of course they will dent badly under those circumstances, but my
husband has both a welder and an acetylene torch. He can return them
to complete usefulness, if not original beauty. I'm big into "no
maintenance". There is so little time in our lives, with all else we
do, to replace fence posts and boards around horse paddocks. Now with
the cattle, that's another matter. Where we are dealing with miles of
fencing, or working corrals, we build these of posts and boards.
Cattle are not known to breakfast on wooden boards. You say that your
horses are free to come and go and that they would not chew, but all you
need is a chewing horse introduced into your collection, and the others will
likely pick up the habit. Well, this is my opinion and
experience. Take it for what you will.
FYI, we live near the ocean, so moist
and salty air contributes to rotting, as well as acidic soil (from redwood
trees). If you live where it is dry, you may not have the same issues
we do.
OK ridecampers; some of you gave me some
great tips when I was into building my new barn. I now need some
more tips. I am into replacing all the fencing in the barn area that
was taken away. I bought horse wire since I know that cattle wire is
a pain since I was into helping the equine critters lift their
hooves out when they would put them through that cattle woven wire
fencing.....horse wiring will stop that. Now I don't want barb wire
at the top as I have had ....but would prefer to have boards at the
top. Ok, my question is should I use treated or untreated? My
horses are free to come and go on numerous acres...so I have never had a
chewing or other problems dealing with boredum....but just in
case...should I avoid the treated boards? Help me please
ridecampers.
