Horse Fencing: Is There a Best Choice?
Choosing a fencing style for your property comes down to looking at both your needs and the options available to you. | Photo: Erica Larson/The Horse
Post-and-board, vinyl constructed plank, braided tape, coated high-tensile wire, pipe: Many effective equine fencing options are available. However, there are no hard-and-fast rules as to which is the best choice, explained Bob Coleman, PhD, Equine Extension professor in the University of Kentucky’s Department of Animal Sciences.

Rather, choosing a fencing style for your property comes down to looking at both your needs and the options available to you. “What is suitable on your farm is something you’re going to have to decide,” Coleman noted. “This means setting aside preconceived notions.”

One parameter that plays a key role in fencing options is location. Coleman explained that material availability coupled with construction practices in an area often dictate which fencing styles are most readily available. For example, a four-board fence might be your best bet in Kentucky, whereas a pipe fence might be more the norm in Oklahoma.

The next question addresses the functionality of fence type for the management style of the horses on the property. “A whole host of things comes down to what it is I’m trying to accomplish with my fencing,” said Coleman

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