Goat and horses

1229 Views 17 Replies 8 Participants Last post by dressagelvr, Nov 5, 2013

dressagelvr

Discussion Starter · Nov 3, 2013

I am bringing two ND kids home tomorrow, however this is more of a horse question related to goats. I am sure some of you probably have horses and goats, thus the reason I am asking.

The goat fencing is within the horses' paddock for safety sake for the goats. While I don't plan to have the goats with the horses, I do have a concern regarding the fencing. I'm hoping someone can ease my worries...

I bought cattle panels for the goat fencing, the gauge is 4 and the openings are 4 x 4. I plan to surround the bottom perimeter with 24 inch high garden fencing so the goats can't escape. My worry is now the horses. I'm worried that a horse could get a leg stuck in the fencing and then there would be a disaster. The gauge is so thick that there is no give to it.

Do any of you have a similar set-up or have used cattle panels with horses? Any issues?

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ksalvagno

· #2 · Nov 3, 2013

I would put fencing over it that only has 2x4 holes. Then you know for sure that goats will stay in and horse legs will stay out.

dressagelvr

Discussion Starter · #3 · Nov 3, 2013

Can you recommend a certain brand, hopefully one that is not too expensive? Or what gauge should I look for? If a horse is feeling playful and decides to kick up their heels right into the fence I would want wire that will deflect a kick as much as possible.

Or I suppose I could put in a perimeter fence around the goat fence using the same fencing materials I use for the horses. I have most of what I need already.

In hindsight I should have looked high and low for 2 x 2 openings, but I couldn't find any nearby so I just went with the 4 X 4.

mjs500doo

· #4 · Nov 3, 2013

Man there was a lady about two months ago with this exact same setup...I wish I could remember who that was!!

GarciaFarms

· #5 · Nov 3, 2013

I use cattle panels with my horses and goats. Are they the 16ft panels?

dressagelvr

Discussion Starter · #6 · Nov 3, 2013

Yes, 16 foot.

Have you had any trouble with yours?

Scottyhorse

· #7 · Nov 3, 2013

My feed store sells cattle panels that have really small openings. Try and find those to line the bottom. They are short too.

GarciaFarms

· #8 · Nov 3, 2013

No problems. I have 2 stallions in one pasture and Pygmy goats in another and they are separated by panels as well. Half the panels I have are combo panels which have smaller squares on the bottom. As for the panels with the big squares I still don't have any problems with the horses getting caught in them. My horses do kick at the fence but they haven't hurt themselves or gotten stuck. I prefer the panels to regular field fencing, which I have too and I've had to repair that more because of my horses then the panels.

Scottyhorse

· #9 · Nov 3, 2013

If you do regular size cattle panels, mini and dwarf goat kids can squeeze through the holes for the longest time!

GarciaFarms

· #10 · Nov 3, 2013

Scottyhorse said:
If you do regular size cattle panels, mini and dwarf goat kids can squeeze through the holes for the longest time!

This is true. In our kidding pen we use chicken wire around the bottom of the panels.

Scottyhorse

· #11 · Nov 3, 2013

GarciaFarms said:
This is true. In our kidding pen we use chicken wire around the bottom of the panels.

We will be doing this around the doe and buck pen this spring also before kidding season..

GarciaFarms

· #12 · Nov 3, 2013

Scottyhorse said:
We will be doing this around the doe and buck pen this spring also before kidding season..

I don't have any problems with horses and the chicken wire either.

Scottyhorse

· #13 · Nov 3, 2013

At our old place chicken wire around the horses.. Worked well. It wasn't for the horses, but they were around it.

goathiker

· #14 · Nov 3, 2013

I had a mare kick her hind foot through a cattle panel and cut herself all up. Her pastern looked like hamburger. She was actually at a trainers place at the time. He tried to claim that she over reached...Not according to the farrier who had been caring for her her whole life. Plus her fence was down... We counted a total of 27 cuts on her, several of which needed stitched.

MsScamp

· #15 · Nov 3, 2013

dressagelvr said:
Do any of you have a similar set-up or have used cattle panels with horses? Any issues?

No, we never ever use cattle panels around horses. Cattle panels and horses just don't mix - especially if your horses tend to paw, kick, or fight through the fence with other animals - and it is a train wreck waiting to happen. My first instinct is to use a different kind of fencing - one that would keep the goats in, but not present a potential hazard to the horses. Are you in a position to take the cattle panels back and get no climb horse fencing? Personally, I would build the fence so it is safe for the horses, then add whatever I needed to add on the goats side to keep them in.

kccjer

· #16 · Nov 3, 2013

We use cattle panels or, more correctly, combination panels (smaller openings at the bottom). We use them for both the horses and the goats. Have had goats get their heads stuck in the openings....but never had a problem with horses and our horses tend to get rambunctious at times. You may still need to use chicken wire or something like it to wrap the bottom of the panels so the baby goats can't get thru. A lot of people seem to like the horse fence, but it's way too expensive for me....$200 for only 100 feet....it would cost me thousands to fence with it.

MsScamp

· #17 · Nov 3, 2013

Holy Cow! Yes, I can certainly see where $2/ft' would be cost prohibitive!

By the time you got the fence up you couldn't afford the animals.

dressagelvr

Discussion Starter · #18 · Nov 5, 2013

Thanks everyone! I decided to put up a perimeter fence around the cattle panels so the horses can't reach it. It's going to probably look silly, but hopefully it keeps the goats contained and the horses safe.

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