AS-418 • 1975
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE, PURDUE UNIVERSITY, WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA 47907
Fencing for  Horses in Indiana
R. A. Battaglia, Extension Horse Specialist
Sooner or later, every horseowner must face the problem of providing appropriate fencing for his animals. Today, proper fencing for horses is a must, even in more remote rural areas. Here are some reasons why:
•	Fences prevent your animals from encroaching upon the property of others. Containment is becoming increasingly important, both because of the high value of agronomic crops which may border the pasture or corral, and because of the growing number of horses being maintained, particularly in suburban areas. The adage “good fences make good neighbors" still holds true where animals are involved.
•	Fences help insure the safety and well-being of your animal. A horse usually has an extremely high value placed upon it, whether monetary, sentimental or both. It^jnly makes good sense to keep it away from harm and keep harm away from it.
•	Fences allow for proper management and are the basic component of most training facilities. For instance, fencing is needed for pasture rotation or at least pasture division, separation of horses by age and sex, construction of training rings and establishment of isolation paddocks.
•	Fences can enhance the aestheticappeal and, consequently, the value of property.
Fencing is usually a major investmentfor anyone who owns horses. Therefore, the purpose of this publication is to help you, the horseowner, make the right decisions about your fencing needs.
WHAT TO CONSIDER IN SELECTING A FENCE
In choosing the “right" type of fence, you need to consider a number of factors. The more obvious ones are: the purpose for the fence, its cost and your aesthetic preferences. However, other considerations
should even come ahead of these, such as location and size of the enclosed area, type of horses to be confined and proximity to other horses.
Following are some questions to answer before concerning yourself with selecting a specific style of horse fence:
1.	How large an area is to be enclosed? This depends, in large part, on the number of horses to be confined. To insure sufficient pasture for both feeding and exercise, plan on an average of 3 acres per animal, unless supplemental-fed.
Once lot size is determined, cost and common sense usually dictate the type of fence to put around it. For most of us, a four-rail board fence for the “back forty" would be out of the question. However, this same board fence is almost a necessity if enclosing in a 6-acre paddock a dozen yearlings being conditioned for show purposes. Of course, few sights can match that of a mare and foal grazing a well-managed pasture encircled with a white board fence.
2.	Will the horses have ample pasture and access to water in the area to be enclosed or must they be supplemental-fed if pasture becomes scarce? In other words, if possible, locate the pasture lot wherever the horses will be well fed, well watered and provided with shade. The grass need not be “greener on the other side."
3.	Are other horses, either the neighbor's or more of your own, immediately across the fence? If so, it will have to be higher and stronger than might otherwise be necessary. A horse is basically a “herd" animal and will go to great lengths to join more of his kind.
4.	Is there a stallion in the vicinity? If his fence isn't strong enough to keep him in, then yours had better be strong enough to keep him out! Simply stated, keep fences high and strong when dealing with a stallion.
animal sciences horses