From: Michele
Dear Jessica, Thanks for a great newsletter, I can't believe how many topics it covers! Here is my question, I have found myself on a lovely 90 acre farm with rolling hills and beautiful pastures, however they are fenced with high tensile wire. I plan on replacing all of it with no climb fence with an oak board on top, but financially speaking I will not be able to do that all at once. So I am trying to come up with a "for now" solution until I can replace all of the fencing. I am considering buying garden hose or pvc pipes to cover the wire to make it more visible and safer if the horses run into it. I would have to slice the pipe or hose and then use duct tape to secure it. What do you think of this idea, or do you have any other suggestions that may be of help? We have 3 main pastures, one is about 3 acres, one is about 10 acres, and the other is around 30 acres. Thank you, Michele
Lucky you to have 90 acres with hills - it must be beautiful. I'm sitting here suffering from "pasture envy"!
I'm glad to know that you're planning to replace the "egg-slicer" fencing with something safer.
Your "for now" solutions would probably both work, but in fact someone has already come up with the solution you want. You won't have to spend hours (and risk cuts) slicing hoses unless you actually want to. ;-)
A lot of people have moved onto properties with high-tensile wire fencing, and realized that it's just not safe for horses. Instead of tearing it all down, some have opted - temporarily or permanently - to make the wire safer and more visible. Actually making it visible will automatically make it safer, since horses will be much less likely to get sliced and slashed by the wire if they can see that there's SOMETHING strung between those posts.
Here's a website you should visit: Kencove Farm Fence http://www.kencove.com/
The item you'll want to look at is code # WWC500
It's 500 feet of flexible white tubing, 3/8" in diameter, and IT'S ALREADY SLIT DOWN THE MIDDLE so that it can be used to cover high-tensile wire. Last time I checked, the price was US $50 for 500', which also makes it considerably less costly than anything but the very cheapest hose. Depending on how long you anticipate keeping the tubing in place, how you want it to look, and how much (and what kind) of work you want to do, you can either cut pieces that will fit between your posts, or remove each staple and replace it OVER the tube as you go down the fenceline. Either way, your horses WILL be able to see it, and will be less likely to hit the fence and MUCH less likely to become injured.
This may even give you the option of NOT replacing all of your fencing. I hope you'll send me a photo of your fence when the wires are covered with tubing - in addition to being much safer, the fence should also be fairly attractive. ;-)
Jessica
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