Components

Don’t Fence Me In

Horse Owners Have a Lot of Great Quality To Choose From in Panels.

 

You know the stories of how a young Abe Lincoln split rails for spending money back in the early 1800s. It was tough work—but necessary for building rail fencing, usually to keep livestock from wandering away or from getting into gardens and crops. Guys like Lincoln were in great demand. If you were a farm owner, either you hired someone to do it—or you did it yourself.

 

How times have changed. Sure, you still see some split rail fences around, mostly used for decoration. And good fencing is just as important as ever—especially on ranches. But nowadays, a landowner has a lot of different types of fencing to choose from, and he probably doesn’t even have to consider putting it up himself.

 

Not all are fencing options are safe or effective for horses. We have assembled some of the top choices for you to help you in your search for the perfect fencing solution.

 
440 Fence Company Three-rail Fence

 

The 440 Fence Company offers a number of different fencing options, the most popular of which is their three-rail fence. This fence comes in white, black, green or brown, can be built in any height up to six feet and comes in sections of eight or ten feet. It is made of galvanized and powder coated high-tensile steel that needs no maintenance, no welding and will not rust or mold. It comes with a patented simple connector that is easy to use— in fact, the company claims the fence can be installed at a rate of 500 feet per day. You have two choices of caps—domed or pointed, and you have the option of choosing a contrasting color to customize the look. 440 also makes a patent pending hingeless gate. The 440 three-rail fence sells for $13.90 per foot, including everything you need: posts, rails, caps and connectors. www.440fence.com

 
Behlen CountryHorse Corral Panel

 
Behlen Country makes several economical options for portable pipe pens. Their 1-5/8 inch, 18/20 gauge Horse Corral Panels are 64 inches high and 10, 12 or 16 feet long. The panels come with six rails, J-leg verticals and your choice of chain or pin connectors. The panels feature square corners and smooth tube braces and are coated with a full bake polyester powder coat paint to protect the metal from harsh weather. A six foot by nine foot arch gate is available, as is a 10 or 12 foot entrance panel. Behlen Country also sells a number of accessories, such as galvanized or painted butterfly clamps, a bolt-on double piston lever latch, a horse gate latch and a corral-to-wall panel hook-up. The Behlen Country Horse Corral Panel runs about $85 per panel. www.behlencountry.com

 
Powder Mountain All-around Panel

 
Powder Mountain’s 18-gauge All-around Panels are heavy-duty utility panels that are competitively priced. Made from heavy duty steel and powder coated, these panels have six rails, looped legs and in-line vertical stays for strength and durability. Choose from pin & clip or chain connectors. The All-around panel can be used for horse corrals, round pens, training circles and backyard roping arenas. Although they are available in different sizes, the company recommends the 12 foot panel for ease of handling and installing. Compatible bow gates and shelters are available. The Powder Mountain All-around Panel sells for around $124 per panel. www.powderriver.com

 
Priefert Economy Corral Panel

 
The Priefert Economy Corral Panel is constructed from 1-5/8 inch O.D., 20-gauge round steel tubing. The panels are available with three- or four-way connections and feature a unique smooth top pin connector that is mounted close to top of the panel for increased safety (no lost pins here). The looped legs make for easy portability. They are 65 inches high, have six rails and are available in 10, 12 or 16 foot lengths. Priefert also manufactures compatible economy bow gates and walk-thru panels to match, as well as panel adapters to connect their panels with their competitors’. Choose from powder-coated forest green or barn red and relax in the knowledge that the panels come with a full-year limited warranty. Note: Priefert warns not to use this panel for crowding situations. Approximate cost: $100 to $150 per panel. www.priefert.com

 
Noble Panels & Gates

 
Noble Panels & Gates make a versatile fencing panel that can be used as a permanent or portable solution. Their panels are made of 15-gauge American- made 1 5/8 inch OD round galvanized steel tubing (1 7/8 inch OD also available) with a rust-free finish. They have capped, square corners and the clamps leave only 3/8 inch of space between the panels. The joints are notched and welded all the way around for a smooth finish. Although the panels make great portable paddocks or round pens, the same panel can be set permanently using Noble’s unique steel fence post system. The panels come in heights ranging from four and a half feet (with three rails) to six feet (with six rails), and you can choose your rail spacing. Mounting hardware and panel clamps are included, and shelters and bow gates are also available. The panels range in price from $50 to $286 and the gates from $106 to $163, with no charge for custom sizing up to 20 foot length. www.noblepanels.com

 
Red River Portable Arenas Series P1200

 
Red River Portable Arenas offers several different panels for horses and cattle. Their best seller is the Series P1200, made of 16 gauge steel tubing. The Series P1200 comes with all settings spools and pin connectors. It can be used for arenas, round pens and portable pens. This panel is five feet tall with your choice of six or seven rails, although it can also be special ordered in a six foot height. The panels are vat-dipped in rust resistant green paint that is livestock approved and lead free. Two different pasture gates are also available. An economical option, the Series P1200 runs $50 per panel. www.redriverarenas.com

 
C&S Iron Corral Systems

 
C & S Iron Corral Panels are portable and easy to set up, yet sturdy and safe enough to be a permanent solution for horses, cows and even buffalos. Made from heavy gauge iron (it is not galvanized, but the gauge is so heavy that the panels will last for years without it), they have a super strong vertical brace in the center of each panel to withstand pressure. The attached hook-ups make for easy assembly or tear down, and they are made to be interchangeable among any of C & S’s panels. For the economy- minded or those who want to paint their panels themselves, C & S offers their panels unpainted for a lower price—and the unpainted finish will still last for years. Painted panels are available in brown, grey, black or green, all in an industrial strength machinery enamel. Walkthrough and ride-through gates are available as well. Prices range from $49 to $106 for most of the panels, and you can call for a quote on the heavier grade products. Gates range from $125 to $480. www.c-siron.com

 
HW Brand Western Horse Panel

 
HW Brand sells a variety of fencing and building supplies. They sell different types of panels, one of which is the Western Horse Panel. This product comes in three heights: 60”, 66” and 72” with available panel gates and arched entry panels that can be separate or welded into a panel. These light gauge steel panels are powder coated in HW Brand Old Gray Iron. They feature capped off, square corners for safety and looped legs for portability. They use over-and-under chain connections with safety latches and have fully hemmed Z-bar vertical supports to withstand pressure. Easy to assemble, these panels make ver y portable pens. The panels range in price from about $107 (for the 12 foot/60” high) to about $160 (for the 12 foot/72” high). www.hutchison-inc.com So those are some of the fencing options. Yes, you can follow in Abraham Lincoln’s footsteps and split your own rails (though it probably won’t lead to the White House, as it did for him). But why spend the time and effort when other and better products are available?
 

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