8, 10 or 12 feet?

[Denim Deb]

I plan on putting up all new fencing for the pasture where I have my horses. There are some places where the fence is not the greatest, plus since some of it is board fence, and I want to bring the goats over at times, I want them to stay IN the field, not wander all over and out in the road.

I'll be using field fence w/the 2x4 mesh. At the top, I plan on putting a board. This will serve 2 purposes: It will keep the horses from destroying the top of the fence from either scratching their butts on it, or trying to get the grass on the other side, plus I'll be putting up a strand of electric to help contain them. But, I'm not sure how far to space the posts. I'd prefer to go w/12 feet. That way, I don't need to buy as many posts. But, I'm not sure if the 12 feet would give it the support it needs. But, I'm thinking that I don't need to go w/the 8 feet. I had thought about it since I had thought about putting up cattle panels, but have decided I don't want to do that. That would have meant a post at either end, and 1 in the middle. But, I figure I probably don't need to be as close w/field fence. So, if it was you, how far apart would you space the posts, and why?

 

[miss_thenorth]

How big is your pasture? I don't have a comment on how far apart the posts should be, although I def would not go 12. But in comparison, I have three separate areas for a total of almost three acres. My horses never stretch out over the fence in their pastures. (In their dry lot yes) So i woud tend to think that the board running along the top of the fence would be unneccessary, esp if you are running a strand of electric.The money you save from the top rails could be extra money spent on fence posts. Just my thought.

 

[freemotion]

I agree. But how far you space also has to do with what type of ground you are working with, how firmly it will hold the posts. Otherwise, 10' sounds perfect.

A board on top also becomes a landing board (poultry) and a visual cue for anyone who wants to jump over it (four-leggers). I'd go electric. Actually, that is what I have, 2/4" horse field fencing with electric on top, and it keeps everyone in and everyone out. Watched a large dog climb it once and get zapped with all four feet well grounded on the wires of the field fence. Funniest and most satisfying thing I ever saw!

Oh, and I used t-posts and didn't stretch it and it worked fine, so your wooden posts should be perfect. Mine runs along and into a wooded area and digging holes was impossible. It is a little wavy in spots, but it is holding up nicely. I started it 9 years ago and finished it maybe 6-7 years ago. I used wooden posts and 3 boards in the sections alongside the gates, to support the gates, but the rest is all t-posts. When I put it up, I only had a horse that I was breeding for a second horse. It has become a goat fortress.

Except for the buck.

 

[SKR8PN]

For me it depends on type of fence and ground conditions more than anything else. I set the posts for our chainlink in the back yard at 8 ft and it is a 5ft tall fence and I set the posts in concrete. The shadow-box privacy fence I built last year, is 6ft tall and I set the posts 10 ft. also in concrete.
I don't think I would go 12ft on a horse fence. $.02

 

[valmom]

My first barn I put up T-posts and no-climb wire with a hot wire on top. Much easier than digging in New England! It held well for 13 years until we moved. This place my SO decided she wanted a "traditional" looking 3 board fence. It is a mess! We went with 10 feet- a compromise between lots of posts for 8 feet and expensive boards for 12 feet. I have electric tape on every board I can get it to. And they still go around to find boards to chew or rub against.

 

[ksalvagno]

My fence posts are 8 feet apart. Then if animals rub, the fence won't stretch as bad.

 

[patandchickens]

I'll be using field fence w/the 2x4 mesh. At the top, I plan on putting a board. <snip> plus I'll be putting up a strand of electric to help contain them. But, I'm not sure how far to space the posts. I'd prefer to go w/12 feet.

12' is going to be very unstable and not last as long.

With a small very wind-catching mesh like 2x4 *plus* a board, I owuld not contemplate a higher spacing than 9-10' myself, and honestly what i would actually DO would be 7-8'.

(Note that it is common, when there will be boards involved, to have your spacing 6-12" shorter than a standard board length increment, because even if you do your holes very very carefully you are almost certainly going to end up with some that are spaced more like, say, 10'2" o.c., which really sucks for obvious reasons)

If you have very good firm post-holding non-heaving not-getting-liquid-in-spring ground AND a not very windy site, you can TRY longer spacings but don't say I didn't tell ya so when five years later everything has come apart and keeled over )

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Marianne]

We set our posts every 8' feet when we use 2 x 4 welded wire. More work and more money up front, but you only want to do this one time. Just my opinion....

 

[FarmerChick]

we fence alot

we go with 10 ft.

10 ft gives us 2 gates.....that gives us a 20 ft. opening to get tractors thru etc.


10 ft will bend with goats doing the "get the hair off their body"

goats destroy. simple as that LOL


Even our biggest pasture of 58 acres fenced is 10 ft.



just seem to go with that LOL


key too is have WONDERFUL corner posts!

 

[Denim Deb]

I need the board at the top. I have 2, that if the electric goes out will pretty much destroy the fencing by going between the electric and the fence. I've watched them do it. :/ And, that's one reason I thought of doing the cattle panels. But, they come w/their own set of problems.

As for the field, it's not as big as I'd want it if it was my own place-I'd want way more ground. This is less than an acre, but that's common for around here for self care-unless you want to pay an arm, a leg and 3 fingers per month. If you do that, pretty soon, you run out of arms, legs and fingers.

The ground itself, while it can get wet and hold the moisture in has a lot of clay in it. So, once the posts are in place, they pretty much stay in place.

Right now, the posts that are up are not set at equal distances apart. And like I said, it's right on the road. We've had problems b4 w/people calling AC for really stupid reasons. (There's manure in the barn, the cats don't have air conditioning. The horses have moved a RB feeder, etc.) I want to make this field look as good as possible so that hopefully, we won't have any one calling again.