Re: Fencing questions.

[Linda Flemmer <bluwolf@earthlink.net>]

Sarah Roxanne Zawacki wrote:

>     My parents and I are moving across the state (Michigan) to a house
> that requires stalls and fencing.

We just did this 18 months ago!  We fenced off 12 acres and we're still adding
cross fencing as time goes by.  We went with pressure treeated 8' long 4X4's for
the posts.  Another option was Locust posts - cheaper & they last almost as
long.  My husband Mike just didn't like their looks.

We then use Centaur fencing.  It is a vinyl type tape material to make a 4" rail
that encloses a high tensile wire at the top, middle, and bottom.  They make a 3
wire and a 2 wire rail and a vinyl coated high tensile that is VERY visible in
white.  (Even in the snow - a different shade, I guess.)  We have a centaur top
rail and 6 strands of vinyl high tensile plus 14 foot tubular gates at strategic
points.

We chose this fence because the posts didn't have to be set at exact intervals
like for a board fence.  We live on a mountain.  We have LOTS of LARGE rocks!
It is cheaper than board fencing.  For about $2500 you could adequately fence 5
acres + the cost of the posts.  We've been quite happy with it.

We have a small tractor here.  We bought a used auger that did a <wonderful> job
digging post holes.  We've used a 1 man and 2 man portable, gas engine augers in
the past - I wouldn't recommend one.  The 2 man auger was too heavy for me.  It
bit and SANK into the ground.  We decided to put the extension bit on & see if
we could back it out.  Well, the handles for the auger were ABOVE MY HEAD!  Mike
was yelling "LIFT!" and I was jumping to reach the handles!!!  We ended up
digging a deep trench to get the bit out and then hired the farmer's teen age
son to come with their tractor to dig fence posts.  He finished 7/8 of the job
in one day.  Our 1/8 had taken 2 days!  Yuck!

I don't like non-climb wire mesh - I've sen it sag and rust.  Our fence is sharp
looking, easy to install (tape or wire runs through brackets on the post) and no
maintenance.  They advertise in most horse magazines and there is a similar
product advertised in some horse equipment catalogs.  It comes in white, black,
and brown.

If you are really interested, let me know & I'll dig out the company's name &
phone #.

Good luck with whatever you choose to use!

Linda Flemmer
Blue Wolf Ranch
Bruceton Mills, WV