How to Choose the Best Horse Fence Materials & Color

Horses have been integral to American culture for hundreds of years and are symbols of many of the values that we hold dear, including freedom, strength, and hard work.

Today, over 9 million horses live across the United States, and the variety of breeds, colors, and temperaments you can find is wide.

When it comes to keeping your horses safe and secure, the variety of horse paddock fencing materials, colors, and styles is also quite large. It can be challenging to decide which horse fencing material matches the breed and personality of your horse while also being aesthetically pleasing and practical.

To help you choose the best horse fence materials, here is a list of what is available and the benefits that each one offers.

Wire fences

A simple, high-tensile wire fence can be straightforward to install and doesn’t cost much to buy. However, they can be a potential danger to more active horses due to the risk of hooves or hairs becoming trapped in the wire. 

Many horse owners use barbed wire because it’s one of the cheapest options, but the barbs can wound horses who get too comfortable with the fence line.

They can also be hard to spot, so if a horse becomes agitated and charges towards it, they may end up running into it and becoming injured or breaking through it and escaping.

Pipe fences

One of the more durable horse arena materials, pipes offer higher visibility and less chance of entanglement than wire. A pipe fence is much stronger than a wire one, which is good, but if a horse were to charge into the fence, they wouldn’t find it very forgiving, and there’s a high chance they would be injured.

And while pipe fences require very little maintenance, they’re hard to reconfigure if you want to expand your arena surface area.

Electric fencing

There are various electrical horse fencing options available, but all of them work pretty much the same way. A fence charger, also known as an energizer or “fencer,” shoots electrical impulses through a fence made of braided rope or woven tape every couple of seconds. 

Often, equestrian centers and horse owners will use portable electric horse fencing because it’s lightweight and doesn’t require much maintenance. Electric horse fencing is also easy to move, making it a popular choice for temporary fencing.

Mesh fences

Choosing a wire mesh fence avoids many of the drawbacks associated with simple wire and pipe fences. Mesh is more visible, and, providing the spacing is correct at 2-4 inches between wires, there’s a much lower risk of injury to your horse.

Due to its superior construction and safety, mesh tends to cost more than wire or pipe fences, so ensure your budget can stretch as far as possible.

Wood fences

Wood is one of the most famous horse fence materials for many reasons. Firstly, it has that classic look that many have come to love. It’s also straightforward to install, obvious, and cost-effective initially.

The drawbacks come further down the line when you have to deal with maintenance. Wood board fences are prone to warping, rot, and many other issues, which could end up costing you more overall than if you had gone for the best alternative to wood, which would be vinyl.

Vinyl fences

Vinyl horse arena fencing can replicate the classic ranch aesthetic of wood, but with almost zero maintenance required over a much longer lifespan.

Prefer the more contemporary look of a PVC fence? Vinyl comes in a huge range of fence options, styles, and colors, so it can fit in perfectly with any setting. Installation is easy, and upkeep is minimal.

You’ll find vinyl fencing for horses is not as cheap as wood initially, but the value for money it returns over time makes it all around a more economical choice than most other materials. And it’s suitable for a wide range of uses and horse types as well.

If you think vinyl might be the best horse fence material to keep your four-legged beauties safe and secure, contact Blackline HHP to get your free quote today or browse our vinyl fencing gallery.