# Barbed wire on paddock fencing - disaster or not?



## Caznay (14 November 2011)

The paddock we rent has nice wooden fencing but there is one strand of barbed wire underneath the top wooden rail. I am going to check with the owner to see if we can remove this. My daugther is very worried and says that we cannot possibly put a pony in this field with barbed wire up. Any thoughts?


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## tasteofchristmaschaos (14 November 2011)

I never would again. First yard I was at had barbed wire - a piece had become unattatched and my boy walked through it, causing multiple cuts to his inner leg. Thankfully nothing deep and healed up well with minimal scaring (in fact i think they may have faded totally now) but I would never risk it again.


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## OWLIE185 (14 November 2011)

Depends on the horse(s).
Barbed wire fencing becomes more dangerous as it looses tension or if it breaks.
The safest fencing is heavy duty post and rail fencing with equifencing on it (a tight form of sheep fencing).


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## Tinkerbee (14 November 2011)

For years we kept horses in a paddock which was only posts and 3 strands of barbed wire, on one side of the field. Never had a problem, as long as it is kept tight. 

I've seen more injuries from horses going through post and rail.


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## stencilface (14 November 2011)

Its not ideal, but we still have areas of fencing with barbed wire on them.  We are in the process of replacing it, but it is a long and costly process. Some horses are accident prone imho, and will hurt themselves wherever they are turned out - some will be in fields for year with barbed wire and never have a problem.

Sheep netting is a personal favourite with a horse who likes pawing at fences


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## TTK (14 November 2011)

Out here in wild Wales, we all have stock netting & barbed wire - can't run to post & rail. We never have accidents unless the wire comes loose. Depends how lively your horse is though.


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## Amymay (14 November 2011)

I've never had a problem with barbed wire on a fence.  But, If you're worried, you could always run electric fencing a foot in from the fence.


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## BigRed (14 November 2011)

Your daughter may have to make a choice - use the paddock, or find somewhere else.  I don't see many landlords, especially farmers, removing wire for the sake of horses.

I think if it's properly tensioned, it's no worse than any other wire.  i personally hate sheep fencing.  Barbed wire can be heavy on rugs though.


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## black_horse (14 November 2011)

When i was working at a vets we attended a call out where a foal had tried to jump a barbed wire fence to get to its mum ( a very bad attempt at weaning) and had dangled a back leg.

The injuries were horrific and after months of care the poor foalie was PTS as a secondary infection had set in.

I hate barded and tensioned wire with a passion.


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## BSJAlove (14 November 2011)

Like most things, if its put up correctly then it has good uses. One of our fields has two lines of barb wire and we never have a problem.


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## ihatework (14 November 2011)

You'll probably get a lot of responses quoting BHS manuals, to indicate it is the work of the devil, your horse will die and you are an irresponsible owner for even considering it.

My opinion is that in an ideal world we wouldn't use it for horses. However we don't live in an ideal world and as such if I were to turn out my horse in a field with barbed wire I would want it to fulfill the following:
- Perimeter fencing only, absolutely no over-fence interaction between horses (this is the only time I have seen truely preventable injries, think squeeling and striking out)
- Well maintained and taught
- sufficient grazing/acreage that horses aren't going to get easily trapped/run up against the fence

FWIW with barbed wire horses tend to have more respect for it, it also breaks very esily under pressure. You are likely to get the odd minor surface wound and rug tear, but IME if above conditions are met very few large injuries. I've seen far more horrific injuries involving post & rail.


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## MissMincePie&Brandy (14 November 2011)

Being under the top rail isn't as dangerous as being on a lower rail, where a horse could more easily get a foot entangled in it.

If the field owner doesn't let you take it down, you could put up an internal inner electric fence - this is what I've done in my horses field


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## RunToEarth (14 November 2011)

I don't like it, but when I kept mine at parents who are dairy farmers, it wasn't an option to have a wire free farm. 
My boy has escaped from his field before and had superficial cuts from it, but as long as it isn't rusty and tight it should be less dangerous.


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## Shellby27 (14 November 2011)

Most of our fencing is stock fenced (as we have sheep too) with a line of barbed wire across the top. We have never had any injuries to the horses so far. We do use electric tape aswell across the top, which makes the fence more visible. 

Without the barbed wire/electric tape Rosie has been known to walk straight through post and rail fencing! Luckily she didn't injure herself, but we had to break away chunks of post and wire away from her neck!!!


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## Honey08 (14 November 2011)

It would totally and utterly depend on your horse/pony.  On our land, the only fences that remain in tact and haven't damaged the horses are dry stone walls, barbed wire and electric.  Plain wire gets lent on until it snaps, post and rail gets lent on/rubbed on until it falls down leaving a board with a nail sticking up on the floor...  Ideally I would have good dry stone walls round fields - they can't be eaten/snapped!  They cost a fortune and need maintenance though!

We have some barbed wire above stock fence that is over 25 years old, and still taut and in great condition.  We have some plain wire fences that we put up four years ago that has been snapped/repaired several times, doing damage to the horses twice. The barbed wire has only ripped a couple of rugs where the giraffe/hunter has leaned over it to get at grass.  I know that our horses are much too sensible to run into it or to try to jump it.

The story of the foal trying to jump barbed wire is horrific.   I've also seen a foal stuck in stock fence that was pretty bad too.  Foals seem to spend the first few years of their lives running into fences and trying to injure themselves, so that is one time when I wouldn't have them near barbed wire.

As for post and rail with one strand of barbed wire underneath the top board, it wouldn't bother me at all.


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## Super_Kat (14 November 2011)

Crack on, they won't argue with it twice 





RunToEarth said:



			I don't like it, but when I kept mine at parents who are dairy farmers, it wasn't an option to have a wire free farm. 
My boy has escaped from his field before and had superficial cuts from it, but as long as it isn't rusty and tight it should be less dangerous.
		
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Wasn't is Oshk who ended up wedged between a wall and a wire fence?


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## Amymay (14 November 2011)

Super_Kat said:



			Wasn't is Oshk who ended up wedged between a wall and a wire fence?
		
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I remember that....


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## Caznay (14 November 2011)

Phew! Thanks for telling me that it isnt actually a disaster. Yes, it is a stock proof fence as the woman who had the paddock before kept her sheep in there occasionally. the barbed wire looks pretty new and in good condition, I will keep an eye on it. Now to convince my daughter that it isnt the work of the devil!


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## Meowy Catkin (14 November 2011)

She was sliced from her left shoulder, round her chest, along her right side up to her right hip. The BW was only on a small section of fence and it was taught and just at the top. She only 'got away' with it because the wooden posts snapped at ground level.

First thing that I did when I started to keep my horses on the new field, was to remove all the barbed wire.


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## Caznay (14 November 2011)

that looks awful.

I think what we will do is move the pony in and ask the owner if she doesn't mind us removing the barbed wire over time.


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## Super_Kat (14 November 2011)

amymay said:



			I remember that....

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I've just found the picture on her facebook profile pictures, it never fails to make me smile


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## Amymay (14 November 2011)

Super_Kat said:



			I've just found the picture on her facebook profile pictures, it never fails to make me smile 

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Quite incredible.  He was a very lucky boy.........


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## Damnation (14 November 2011)

I would never have barbed wire. Ever.

Where I used to work, a little pony rolled beside the fence and it was barbed wire. Shredded her legs beyond repair and had to be PTS.


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## Mynyddcymro (14 November 2011)

In my opinion it can be a huge disaster. A previous field I kept my shetland in had good solid post and rail fencing yet the land owner decided to add a strand of barbed wire at his eye height... I now own a pony with only one eye (still has the other but he can't see out of it) I was about 11 at the time and it was a massive dream of mine to show Tigger but have never been able to because of how his eye looks now.


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## Mynyddcymro (14 November 2011)

Sorry posted before I'd finished. You then have more problems all of which seem less trivial than the loss of an eye or a pts situation such as rug shredding and it soon becomes expensive!!


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## jenny18 (14 November 2011)

I hate barbed wire, evil stuff rips horses and rugs. A few of my fields have an odd fence or barbed wire so i just have electric fence standing off from it. If your unable to remove the barbed wire try using electric fences standing off from the fence or attach electric wire to the post with something as simple as some peices of blue water pipe, so your horses cant get near it.


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## 1Lucie (14 November 2011)

Im not a lover of it but unfortunatly at my yard we have a combination of wire and post and rail. 

My horse has sucessfully ripped his 2 week old rug at the front on it (lucky a small rip at the mo!)


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## ladyt25 (14 November 2011)

To be perfectly honest I bet you can find people with horror stories abouyt all types of fencing. I don't have a problem with barbed wire if it's properly maintained - it's the stock/sheep fencing that usually goes with it that seems to be more of a problem with stupid horses who seem intent on putting their feet through it and wedging it between hoof and shoe!

I have heard of horses breaking their legs on post and fencing and even staking themselves and bleeding to death after runins with post and rail. Equally, there have bee horses sustaining nasty injuries on barbed wire/hawthorn hedges/walls and even plain wire or electric tape. Unfortunately horses will be horses and some seem intenton doing themselves a mischief however safe you try and make things. I actually think barbed wire fencing can deter them from trying to get out and they do not lean over it as it isn't very comfortable so, they then will more often than not stay away from it.

That's MOST horses anyway.

If the barbed wire is underneath the top rail I can't actually see it'd be an issue at all to be honest.


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## indie999 (14 November 2011)

I have both types of fence and agree it depends on your horse too.

I was shocked one day when a new pony we had took a fright and jumped through 3 wooden rails catching the top rail which was left with sharp edges upright and I think if it had caught him on his underside if he hadnt cleared it he would have been impaled! 

Out of choice I wouldnt have barb wire but have and used it for years although I always use electric fencing with any fence to stop my cob rubbing his bum(as he will just knock them all down). This pony wouldnt jump out and is such a fairy. When he does get to lean over he will scratch his neck on the wire. Hence electric fence.

I have also heard stories of electric tape getting caught around legs and causing injury. I had a deer strangle itself on my electric fence a few years ago. It hanged itself in the ditch after getting its antlers caught up. 

So sorry if not very helpful. I do really like electric fence tape(not strands the wide tape with a good shock factor).

Good luck


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## Tnavas (14 November 2011)

At one time barbed wire was really common for fencing - especially for cattle - horses endured it because that was what there was.

The injuries it can cause can be horrific but most horses do respect it well. It also can wreck rugs which is a real expensive pain.

Can you run an inner fence line of electric fencing - this is what I did at my last paddock where the fences between the properties were barbed wire. I used wooden posts at each end with strainers and then the waratahs (triangle metal posts) in between, cheaper than posts, and no 8 wire to carry the current - just one wire, set back a metre and at the same height as the perimeter fence.

If it is only small sections then cover with wide hosepipe slit along its length, slotted over the wire and secured by cable ties. I do this at one of the shows I go to where the temporary yards are along a fence line with the top wire barbed. Makes it totally safe.


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## Ibblebibble (14 November 2011)

ladyt25 said:



			To be perfectly honest I bet you can find people with horror stories abouyt all types of fencing. I don't have a problem with barbed wire if it's properly maintained - it's the stock/sheep fencing that usually goes with it that seems to be more of a problem with stupid horses who seem intent on putting their feet through it and wedging it between hoof and shoe!

I have heard of horses breaking their legs on post and fencing and even staking themselves and bleeding to death after runins with post and rail. Equally, there have bee horses sustaining nasty injuries on barbed wire/hawthorn hedges/walls and even plain wire or electric tape. Unfortunately horses will be horses and some seem intenton doing themselves a mischief however safe you try and make things. I actually think barbed wire fencing can deter them from trying to get out and they do not lean over it as it isn't very comfortable so, they then will more often than not stay away from it.

That's MOST horses anyway.

If the barbed wire is underneath the top rail I can't actually see it'd be an issue at all to be honest.
		
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agree with this, some horses ponies could injure themselves on cotton wool while others can go through electric fencing, sheep fencing and a stone wall and not have a scratch on them daughters old pony was a proper houdini   he actually used to enjoy scratching his bum on barb wire


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## StormyMoments (14 November 2011)

i would never again but thats due to taz the idiot horse almost dying because he got his foot through the fence... no fencing is ideal though there is always something that can and will go wrong like electric fencing rope sawing horses legs off and sheep fencing getting their feet trapped - like anything if an injury can happen it will happen to a horse


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## foal (14 November 2011)

Am not a fan of barbed wire fencing, have seen a very nasty accident where a horse had to be p.t.s on the spot because the horse ran though the fencing and the wire got caught around the chest, have also seen another horse run though this type of fencing to get to the mares, thank god the horse was o.k, and got away with small cuts. I would not be too happy and keep my horses within barbed wire fencing and would look for another yard, but this is what i would want for my horses.


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## Clodagh (14 November 2011)

We have it all round our paddocks, either on the top rail to stop them bashing or rubbing on it and all round the other bits to keep them out of the hedges.


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## Tonty Tont (14 November 2011)

All of the fields we use have barbed wire fencing.

There is a 2 foot gap at the bottom so the horses don't get their feet stuck, and we've never had any injuries. There are 2 youngsters in the field, and the only issue has been ripped rugs!

It just depends on the type of pony you have, if he is not likely to try and escape you should be ok


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## tabithakat64 (14 November 2011)

ihatework said:



			You'll probably get a lot of responses quoting BHS manuals, to indicate it is the work of the devil, your horse will die and you are an irresponsible owner for even considering it.

My opinion is that in an ideal world we wouldn't use it for horses. However we don't live in an ideal world and as such if I were to turn out my horse in a field with barbed wire I would want it to fulfill the following:
- Perimeter fencing only, absolutely no over-fence interaction between horses (this is the only time I have seen truely preventable injries, think squeeling and striking out)
- Well maintained and taught
- sufficient grazing/acreage that horses aren't going to get easily trapped/run up against the fence

FWIW with barbed wire horses tend to have more respect for it, it also breaks very esily under pressure. You are likely to get the odd minor surface wound and rug tear, but IME if above conditions are met very few large injuries. I've seen far more horrific injuries involving post & rail.
		
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This ^^^^^


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