Horse & Field Fencing

Horse & Field Fencing

Whether you’re running a riding school, boarding stable, ranch or stud farm, your horses are an important part of your Life Out Here. While out in the field grazing or getting some much-needed exercise, they need all the protection – and that’s where having the right fencing from Tractor Supply comes in handy.

Reliable Protection for Your Equine Companions

Horse and field fencing is typically used for enclosing pastures and building paddocks, containing mares and stallions and other livestock and helping to keep them safe and prevent their escape. Choose from among several types in our stock, including:

Wood

Ideal for corrals, wooden fences feature natural fibers that are strong and durable, repelling insects and withstanding decay over many seasons. You may need to reinforce them as your horses’ builds and temperaments require.

Woven Wire

Woven fencing is among the most common used in horse fields, as it’s typically made of hard-wearing steel wire set in a grid pattern to stand up to animal pressure. Just make sure to get the right mesh size relative to how big an animal you’re containing. For an especially weather-resistant option, choose galvanized steel.

Equine Mesh

Also called horse netting, equine mesh has small-enough intervals to prevent animals from getting stuck or entangled. A non-climb fence is a variation on this theme, made with vertical stay wires, S-knot construction and tiny openings to help keep an animal from entangling in it.

Electric

Electric fencing is designed to effectively keep livestock in and wildlife out, using a current as a deterrent. Smooth wire fencing is the most common kind, although you may prefer a polytape electric fence if you’re building a temporary pasture for rotational grazing. Be sure to install a top rail for the safety of your animals.

Horse vs. Field Fencing

Although both kinds of fences can be used to enclose animals, there are key differences between them that you should consider before deciding whether to build one or the other. Horse fencing, akin to a field fence, is designed to help contain livestock and prevent its escape, but it’s a higher-visibility option to reduce the risk of a stallion, mare or foal running into it and getting hurt. Most field fencing, on the other hand, is mainly for marking boundaries. Barbed wire field fencing, for example, shouldn't be used in horse pens, as it can abrade them. Similarly, welded field fence can break if bumped, leaned on or kicked, exposing sharp edges that can cause serious injury.

Frequently Asked Questions About Horse and Field Fencing

How tall should fencing for a horse be?

It should be tall enough to prevent them from jumping over it. If you’re containing mares and foals, consider building one be at least 4.5’ tall, while for stallions, 5-6’ of fencing is recommended. In either case, the fence should have a bottom clearance of anywhere from 1-6” to help keep predators out and prevent colts and fillies from rolling under or putting their heads through it.

What's the proper spacing between posts in horse fencing?

That varies depending on whether you’re building a field fence or a paddock and what kind of terrain you have. If it’s a post or rail fence, spacing can range from 6-10’. For stock fencing, consider intervals of 8-12’. For high-tensile wire fences, opt for those between 8-10’.

Find the Best Fencing for Your Horse Pen or Field at Tractor Supply

Whether you’re setting up a boundary on your land or creating a place where horses or livestock can roam, run and feed, we offer trusted fencing supplies to help you do it. Explore our inventory at your local Tractor Supply store or browse and order online today.