How to Make a Good Horse Fence

Solid fencing keeps your horses safe.

Horse fencing is a major investment. It should keep horses safe from unwanted visitors and other animals. It should keep horses away from unsafe areas, and it should be well-planned to prevent your horses from injuring each other. A good fence will stand up to an excited or frightened horse running into it. It should be easily visible, sturdy and easy to maintain. While there are many types of fencing used for horses, wood fencing has always held up well in these situations.

Things You'll Need

• Wooden posts
• Flat wood planks
• Post hole digger
• Spray paint
• Level
• Circular saw
• Nails
• Hammer or nail gun
• Measuring tape
• Measuring wheel
• Metal gate with hinges and latch

Instructions

Building Your Fence

1. Plan your fence line. Avoid buildings, trees, water and making sharp corners where horses can be trapped by one another. Measure out the linear feet of fence materials you'll need, and purchase your supplies.

2. Decide where you will start the fence. Using your post hole digger, dig a hole for your first post. The hole needs to be two or three feet deep to hold the post in place. If your soil is wet most of the time, you may need to think about using concrete to hold your post in place. Sink your post in the hole and backfill with the dirt you just removed until the post is firmly in place.

3. Make another post hole at the end of your length and sink another post. Run a string close to ground level from one post to the other, pulling it tight. This is your guide.

4. Mark your fence line by spraying a dot of paint every seven feet. Use a post to help measure the distance. Once they are all marked, dig the holes and set each post in place. Using your level, make sure each post is straight. Continue until the pasture is enclosed by posts.

5. Mark each post with the height for each rail. Most horses need at least three wooden rails to keep them contained, depending on the finished fence height. Measure from the ground using your tape measure. The bottom rail should be eight inches above the ground. The middle rail should be a foot higher than the top of the bottom rail. Repeat this measurement for the next rail and so on. Railing planks should meet end to end in the middle of each post. Cut your planks to fit with a circular saw.

6. Have a friend help you nail the planks in place. One person can hold the plank in place while the other secures it with a hammer and nails. If you have a nail gun, it will go much faster. Finish by hanging your gate according to installation instructions. Gate installation will vary depending on the type you buy.

Tips & Warnings

• The planks should be on the inside of the fence to keep the horse from pushing the planks off by leaning on them.

• Pressure-treated posts last longer.

• Always use caution when using tools of any kind; power tools especially. If you are using a circular saw or a nail gun, wear protective eyewear.

References

• Fence Planning for Horses
• Madness without Method: How to Build a Wooden Horse Fence