Timber or PVC post & rail

Benefits

• Timber post & rail fences are a sturdy, durable & highly visible option, but can be expensive for installation & materials
• Timber post & PVC rail fences are more flexible, visible & can be less expensive to install

Drawbacks

• Timber is rigid & horses are prone to injury if spooked and run at a fence
• Timber grades vary considerably, potentially reducing the life of the fence
• Timber requires semi regular maintenance to treat/paint, check for splinters & chewing
• PVC is often described as too flexible, leading to stretching/breaks/splintering
• PVC is generally UV treated, but does degrade faster in wide temperate variant climates
• Feral pigs, foxes & dogs can move freely into horse paddocks
• Timber will burn in most bush or grass fire prone conditions

Combination timber & steel

Benefits

• Timber or steel post & rail with wire netting or prefabricated horse wire keeps unwanted feral animals out
• Installation costs can be cheaper & simpler and easier maintenance depending on configuration
• Low tensile wire & wire knots without sharp edges reduces injury
• Tight wire picket spacings with rigid knots reduce the risk of hooves pawing, stepping or walking down the fence

Drawbacks

• Cheap, poorly manufactured wire can expose edges & lack the correct structural rigidity
• Visibility is compromised if not combined with the right post, rail or tape combination
• Timber grades vary considerably, potentially reducing the life of the fence
• Timber requires semi regular maintenance to treat/paint, check for splinters & chewing
• Timber will burn in most bush or grass fire prone conditions

Steel fencing systems

Benefits

• Good design will ensure a steel horse fence delivers the right balance of strength, flexibility, visibility & security
• Steel horse fences can keep horses safely contained & keep feral animals out of yards & paddocks
• Use steel fencing products that are part of a ‘system’, rather than mixing dissimilar components
• Steel horse fences have lower installation costs & there is generally no need for heavy machinery
• Numerous accessories can be added to steel fences to increase strength, flexibility, visibility & security

Drawbacks

• Cheap, poorly manufactured wire can expose edges & lack the correct structural rigidity
• Visibility is compromised if not combined with the right post, rail or tape combination
• Does not ‘look’ like your traditional ‘horse ranch’ style fence