Quite a few people just get a horse and as long as they can ride it, that is all right, but they don’t think about the horse getting caught up in old rusty fences, gates and bits and pieces lying around the property. Padlocks are also another thing to think about, horses can be very smart and open the gate on there own if it’s in the right place so if your horse has been escaping lately then maybe you could think about putting a padlock on the gate.

Post and rail fencing can be the safest, but also is very expensive. If well looked after it can last quite a long time.

Barbed wire is very dangerous and can be the cause of nasty wounds. It should be avoided at all times. Plain strands of wire are satisfactory if kept tight and if the bottom strand is at least 30 cm off the ground so a pony cannot get a foot over it when grazing close to a fence.

Electric fencing has it’s place and ponies soon learn to respect it after a few zaps…

It can be easy to put up and move around. It is mostly used for strip grazing.

Gates should be sturdy and well hung. Gates are best situated well away from the corner of the field, as ponies tend to gather around when visitors or food is expected and arguments can develop ending up with one or more ponies kicked and maybe hurt badly.

Many different poisonous plants are found in a paddock of horses and need to be taken care of as soon as possible. Here is a list of plants

Boxwood, Foxglove, Green bracken, Hellebore, Hemlock, Henbane, Horsetail, Laburnum, Meadow saffron, Monkshood, Nightshade, Oak, Poison ivy, Privet, Ragwort, Rhododendron, Yew.

 

Here is a little quiz to test your knowledge fencing, gates and field safety:

 

1.method of fencing is the safest

(a)   Barbed wire

(b)   Post and rail

(c)   Chicken mesh

 

2.Which group of plants are poisonous to horses?

                 (A) Hemlock, daisy, daffodil

                 (B) Daisy and daffodil

                 (C) Boxwood, yew and ragwort