first, the details...i have about 6 acres i need to fence in, broken into 3 pastures, ground is very flat and level. needs to hold in horses and pygmy goats (as of now [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img])
i've sorta decided on going with some sort of 48" wire mesh fencing below with a strip of electric tape along the top. Using 6-8" posts on the rounded corners and 4x4 posts in line.
what is the difference between a no step horse fence (2x4 grid) and regular welded wire fence (2x4 grid) other than one is half the cost of the other? is the welded wire really not a good idea?
Is there a recommended post spacing for the wire fencing? the posts will be 8' with 5' exposed. (ok, just read Redbrand recommends 8' post spacing, so to save money, might alternate some t-posts with wooden line posts on some less visible sides)
If you look at the wire it is different. The horse fence won't allow the horse to hook a shoe or something on it. The fence is smooth. The welded wire fence will have bumps up and down it. If the horse paws at the fence it has more of a chance of catching a shoe or foot on it. The horse fence is more of a one piece design where the welded fence is just that pieces of wire welded together by a robot usually.
As far as post spacing 8' is fine. You can also use t-post but be sure and put a cap on top of them that is horse safe. I hate t-posts as I've seen way too many horse impaled with them. For the price and being able to just nail the wire to a 4x4 instead of having to use the clips I would use all 4x4's. But that's just a personal pref. the t-posts will do the same job.
Another important consideration is that non-climb is very one-sided. Smooth and paw-resistent on one side but easily damaged on the off-side. I use alot of the 12 gauge 4x8 woven field fence which is much cheaper and use the non-climb only in the "problem areas" mostly around the barn. I buy landscape timbers for $100 bucks for a bundle of 80. They're almost as strong as a $5 4x4 but neither will last long in the aforementioned "problem areas". I use precise 8' spacing in hopes of someday affording a 2x6 sight rail around the top of it all. Redbrand has excellent fencing instructions on their site. Pay particular attention to their suggestions on splicing, terminating, and stretching.
I've used field fencing (hog wire in my parts) for many years with out a problem but, as the other two folks said it is more likely to have a foot cought in it. Non climb fencing is great stuff but a little on the pricey side for me and comes on shorter rolls than hog wire (330') rolls.
One other thing to think of is goats are hard on wire fencing they love to rub there sides on the fencing and it weeken's it and bulges it inbetween your post but, one strand of barb wire on the inside of the post nailed about belly high on a goat stops that but leaves again more for a horse to get cought on.
I don't have horses that want to challange fencing, so hog works well for me.
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