Tips On The Best Fencing For Your New Mini Horses

21 January 2015
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Miniature horse ownership in Queensland is continuing to grow in popularity. Before you begin buying mini horses and moving them onto your property, you need to consider which fencing is the best option for keeping them safe. Keep these points in mind before you call in your local fencing contractor.

All Fencing Types

No matter which type of fencing you choose for your mini horses, there are a couple of important safety features you need to remember before the fences are erected.

  1. As miniature horses are no more than 87 cm tall, the fence does not need to be any taller than them. However, it is important that the bottom rail is no more than 15 cm from the ground. This is to prevent them from getting trapped under the bottom of the fence if they are rolling on the ground close to it.
  2. When putting up the fence, do not design it to have sharp corners. If a mini horse is upset, he will run, and mini horses quickly pick up speed. If they are running down a fence line while spooked, and come across a sharp corner in the fencing, they have nowhere to go. Rather than risking a nasty injury, design the fence to have a curve at the corners. This will allow the horse to have room to move when they are in full flight.

Once the fence design is completed, you need to consider the fencing material.

Tubular Fencing

Tubular fencing is made of steel pipe, so it offers a very strong fence that is ideal for horses. There are a number of benefits to tube fencing for your mini horses:

  • This fencing is low maintenance. It should be inspected annually so that any rust spots can be removed. But, it is not at risk of termites or other pests like wood fencing is.
  • Because of its strength, tube fencing holds up well to the regular cyclonic weather that Queensland experiences.
  • Tube fencing also makes sense out of Queensland in areas where regular bush fire activity takes place, such as Victoria.

The main negative for tube fencing is that there is no flexibility in it if a horse does run into it. To prevent accidents from occurring, paint the tubes white to make it visible enough for accidental run-ins not to occur.

Timber Fencing

Timber fences are a commonly used for containing horses in Queensland. Timber fence can be weakened by two main enemies: termites and/or rain. If termites take hold of the fence railings and burrow in to make their nests, the railings will need to be replaced. Termites will weaken the wood to the point that it cannot be relied on to hold in your horses.

Additionally, Queensland experiences a lot of rain during the seasonal summer storms. The wood needs to be treated with a sealant at least once a year to keep the moisture out of the wood. Damp wood will rot, and again will give easily and break if a horse puts any pressure on it.

Wood fences should not be installed on farms that have a heavy wood surround. As these areas can become engulfed by bush fire blazes quickly, the wood fences will provide more fuel for these fires.

Mini horses will provide a lot of love and fun to your family. Whether you purchase them for leisure or to enter in a show, they need to be kept safe from harm. The right choice of fencing will go a long way to making sure your mini horses are a whinnying success with everyone they come into contact with.