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  Discussion on Vinyl fencing
Author Message
Member:
Christel

Posted on Saturday, Oct 28, 2006 - 10:53 am:

I have acquired a new horse pasture to be fenced. I am interested in the new vinyl fencing- thinking a 3 rail will fit my budget more.
Would like to hear from those of you who have any experience with this type fence. Brand names, disappointments in your fence, how easy is it for a horse to go thru, etc..
Thanks,
Chris
Member:
Juliem

Posted on Saturday, Oct 28, 2006 - 10:49 pm:

I have three rail white vinyl. I love it. It's beautifull and no maintainance. However, horses being horses, they will stick their heads through the rails, rub and scratch on them and reach over the rails. The vinyl just can't withstand even a small horse dishing out this abuse. The solution is to attach insulators and a "hot wire" on at least one, better two rails. I have two yearlings in a six acre pasture without the hot wire and they have done considerable damage to the fence. And they are expensive to repair. I have three horses in a dry lot with vinyl--about 80 by 100 feet--with the hot wire and they don't touch it. My pasture doesn't have the hot wire, but they are on limited turn out and the pasture is lush, so anytime they are out there, their heads are buried in the grass. If I were to leave them out for any length of time I would put an electric fence around it also. Repairs are costly, but the fence sure looks nice. With the addition of an electric wire, it will out last most wood fencing. It's very visible and they certainly respect the electricty and thus the fence.
Member:
Jockyrdg

Posted on Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 - 12:12 am:

I used a good quality vinyl fence with some quiet horses that did not bother it. In my research the one disquieting factor was that if a horse does break and crash through it, the fence edges act as a knife making sharp cuts on the horse; Julie's hot wire suggestion is a good one to off set it. Electric fencing by itself can also be a good option if done correctly. You would be looking for permanent electric fencing which is much thicker and applied to regular, solid fence posts, and drawn tight, usually 3-4 strands, I never use the wire, I use the electric nylon cord. All fences need to be checked regularly and think about your gate entrance; what type of equipment needs to go through, do you want it swinging both ways, etc. Everyone seems to know not to use barbed wire, but, smooth cable wire is just as bad. The horses can't see it and it will take the skin down to the bone.
Member:
DeeDrOtt

Posted on Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 - 1:09 am:

We have a breeding facility and have all black vinyl fencing - we originally (8 years ago) put up 4 foot tall fencing with a 4" 2-wire flex-fence for a top rail with second hot coated wire and 3 additional coated wires, this past year we added additional white electric braid inside that has 2.5" insulators. We did this to keep them from chewing the wood and sticking their heads through the wire. We have 1 seven acre pasture, 2 adjoining two acre pastures and 1 one acre pasture done in this. Then 3 years ago we put up 2 one and a half acre pastures 5'6" tall with the 4.25" 3-wire flex-fence. It has 4 rails with hot coat between top and second and coated wire between 3rd and 4th. This is perfect for stallion pastures. We also did a 12 acre pasture the same way - which is used for the brood mare pasture. This past year we did the 2 runout adjoining 3/4 acre paddock with 4 - 4.25 3-wire flex-fence at 5'6" and NO wire - this works perfect for mothers and babies. NO wire for the babies to get caught up in - they bounce off the flex fence and do not get cast as they can do with wood. We also have a 315' x 150' out door arena 6 foot tall, done with 5 rails of the flex-fence (perfect for holding breed registry inspections and for stallions). We love the vinyl fencing and have receive several compliments on it. We hosted 3 european keuring this year and the outdoor arena was perfect for this function. With all fencing there can be
maintenance - the hot wire is a good idea but for new borns it not such a good idea.
We use Ramm Fence from OHIO - contact Christy
she can help you with your needs, or give me a
P M and I can give you some ideas.
Member:
Redalert

Posted on Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 - 10:05 am:

Hey Chris
I have two large paddocks with the vinyl fencing and, I LOVE IT! I have had none of the problems aforementioned, and have had one episode of a horse crashing thru it... the boards just "sprung" out and bent so badly that one had to be replaced. The boards are actually two posts long, so that they are really "springy", and I've never had one chip or crack. I've had the fencing for six years. It is great for my horses who chew on the wood fences, making it a constant endeavor to replace unsightly wooden boards! I do have to "wash" the fencing once or twice a year as they do get a bit of mold on them from time to time. I really like the look of wooden fencing, so all of my fencing is not the vinyl type, but the vinyl has proven to be extremely long lasting and safe! I think the key is to get a high quality horse type fence! My posts are in cement and the boards are not hollow inside... they have a vinyl "channel" that runs along the inside. Hope this helps you with your decision!
Nancy
Member:
Christel

Posted on Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 - 10:48 am:

Thanks all of you for replying.
The area to be be fenced is 300 x 300. It is in town so want it to be pretty yet functional and safe. I did not know that vinyl could cut a horse, thanks for that info, now that you mention it I can see how it would happen- and am sure horses would have no respect for a vinyl fence, that sure dont help matters.
I now have horses who are rubbing out their manes, sticking their heads thru smooth wire to get to greener grass. Would the vinyl fence be as destructive to their manes? I hesitate to use electric wire as I will have foals in this pasture from time to time.
Nancy I too like the wooden fences but know they would be high maintence. I like the tan color vinyl some dealers have, it looks like wood, but costs more. I understand from reading on the net that the lighter the color the better uv protection- would the tan color be less effective against uv rays, compared to white?
Brand names would be nice if any of you have a personal preference. On the net they all say theirs is the best, but am sure there has to be some better than others. If you all don't mind throwing names around would love to hear more of your opinions.
Thank you again,
Chris
Member:
Canter

Posted on Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 - 8:00 pm:

Hi Chris,
I've boarded at two barns that have used the vinyl fencing. It does look nice but as others have said, it can break. I usually see the most damage in the summer when the horses lean through it to get to the better grazing on the other side. I have the heaviest horse at my current barn (warmblood vs Paints, QHs and 1 Arabian). The smaller horses don't cause as much breakage as my mare (she's quiet, I'm convinced it's her size)...she simply let's the fence take the full brunt of her weight as she's enjoying the extra snack. Usually, the rail just pops out and doesn't break. The one nuisance I've noticed with the vinyl is that the post caps pop off frequently from the horses scratching themselves...seems like we're forever picking them out of the pastures.

In the 3 years I boarded at the one barn and in the two 1/2 years I've boarded at my current barn, none of the horses have been injured due to the fencing (**knock on wood!!!**)
Member:
DeeDrOtt

Posted on Monday, Oct 30, 2006 - 10:05 am:

Chris
I am not sure if we are all referencing the same fencing - PVC is the fencing that is usually white ( I think they have a beige now)cracks easily and horses can break it by leaning on it and becomes sharp and jagged. It usually does not have electric on it - because it is PRETTY. A friend of ours put this up and is very sorry she did - in Michigan - it cracks in the Winter just because it gets very cold,in the summer it is a little more flexible.
The Vinyl I am referring to is made by RAMM FENCE - it does not crack or break - it actually if installed correctly can withstand a car sliding into it and not breaking. The reason we us it is because the horses do not get caught up in it, it does not break where they can get cut, and they cannot cast themselves on it. Two years ago we had wood fencing in the paddock for the moms and new borns - a baby got cast against the wood and we almost lost him. We replaced the wood
with the vinyl and the babies if they lay near it do not get cast - it is flexible enough for them to free themselves. We did install years ago some of the coated wire - but we now only use the flex-fence 4.25 wide with 3 wires. If you use any wire you should also put up the electric - which we have done. I have had many people that Ramm has sold fencing to e-mail me or get in contact for reference - all the way from Australia - he called - and is putting up the Flex-Fence at a facility of over 100 acres.
Good Luck - If it were me I would stay away from wood (yes it looks good, but is also lots of maintenance) and the wire - well it is personal preference and horse type too.
Member:
Sully

Posted on Wednesday, Nov 1, 2006 - 1:12 am:

We used vinyl to fence the perimeter of our property. I purchased it through a local company with a good reputation. It comes with a 20 yr warranty for material defects. This includes cracking and breaking due to weather extremes. I talked with others that had this fence and used this company and heard nothing but good about both. All the posts are cemented. The tops are glued. I had them make me a temp plate and drilled holes and put tensile wire just off the top rail. If I find I need to, I will do the same for the other 2 rails only putting it on the bottom side of the rails and using an electric braid. As long as this is kept within 3/4 inch of the rail, I do not see any problems with feet or heads getting stuck and the braid should break fairly easy if they do figure a way to get caught. My sister has had a set up like this for many years (with only the top rail electric) and the only problems she seems to have is cars and 4 wheelers crashing her fence! From the above posts, there must be quite a difference in quality in the vinyl fences. You might want to check with local fence companies that will be there if you do run into problems and customers who are already using the product that you can inspect and talk with.
Good Luck!!

Sully
Member:
Sully

Posted on Wednesday, Nov 1, 2006 - 1:30 am:

Just want to add to the above post. If you were to use the vinyl fencing, it should be electrified. Vinyl fencing alone (IMHO) would not be safe. It is not made with the purpose of animals pushing and leaning against it. But in my opinion, I don't want my horses leaning on any of my fences. For interior fences, I use Horse Guard Fencing. Between the two, they learn fast that fences are not scratching posts! Sully
Member:
Redalert

Posted on Friday, Nov 3, 2006 - 5:27 pm:

Chris
Just wanted to tell you the name of my fencing ... Gardner is the maker. And, unlike many of the fencing mentioned above, mine have not popped out from leaning, mane rubbbing, etc. Also have had no chipping or breaking, etc. However, here in Georgia, we do not have the severe cold weather as in other parts of the country(world)!
Nancy
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