Materials
Module 2: Fence Types & Materials
No single material is correct for every paddock. The comparison that matters for horses is visibility, give-on-impact, and maintenance burden — cost is secondary to those three.
| Material | Visibility | Impact behavior | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood post & rail | Excellent | Breaks/splinters on hard impact | Perimeter, show barns |
| Vinyl/PVC rail | Excellent | Flexes, can shatter in cold | Perimeter, low-maintenance |
| Pipe/continuous fence | Good | Rigid — minimal give | Working pens, not turnout perimeters |
| Woven (field) wire | Fair | Can trap a hoof in openings | Avoid for horses unless mesh <3in and toprail added |
| High-tensile smooth wire | Poor alone | Rigid, low visibility — higher injury risk | Interior cross-fencing only, always electrified |
| Electric tape / braid / rope | Good (tape best) | Breaks away under load | Perimeter and interior, permanent or temporary |
Barbed wire is excluded from this course entirely as a horse-safe material. Its rigid, low-visibility strands combined with hooked barbs make it one of the leading causes of severe fencing-related lacerations in horses, regardless of installation quality.
Rule of thumb
If a material can't flex, break away, or be seen clearly at a canter, it does not belong on a horse perimeter.
⚠ Never use barbed wire
Barbed wire is not covered as an acceptable containment material anywhere in this course. It should be removed from existing equine properties, not merely supplemented.
Check yourself (not graded)
1. Why is woven wire fencing riskier for horses than for cattle?
A horse can catch a hoof or shoe in the open mesh if it paws or steps through it, especially without a toprail; cattle are far less prone to pawing at fence lines.