Horse fencing: how high, how much, and which type.

Published 6 November 2026

How high, and how close to the ground

Both publications put the working range between 54 and 60 inches, but they apply it differently. Penn State says horse fences should be 54 to 60 inches above ground. Georgia separates them by job:

Georgia counts anything under 2 acres as a paddock. It says the taller top rail there discourages fighting over the fence and leaning on it. If you have one fence to plan for, the higher perimeter figure is the safer one to price.

Penn State also limits the open space between rails or strands to 12 inches or less, or 18 inches for electric fence, because horses avoid touching it. It adds that an opening should be either too small for a hoof to pass through, which means under 3 inches square depending on the size of the horse, or large enough that entrapment is unlikely.

How much fence your acreage takes

Penn State’s example is 800 feet of fence for a 200-foot square, against 1,000 feet for a 400 by 100-foot rectangle of the same area. That is 25 percent more fence for the same grass (my arithmetic). The table below applies the same geometry to common acreages, using 43,560 square feet to the acre.

These figures cover one enclosure with no cross-fencing, and real boundaries are rarely this tidy. Square is not automatically the right answer either: Penn State says rectangular areas are more relaxing for a group of horses, while square pastures take less fencing. Dividing a field for rotational grazing adds a fence line for each split.

To count posts, divide the length by the post spacing. A 2-acre, 2:1 rectangle has 1,252 feet of fence, so it needs about 157 line posts at 8-foot spacing, or about 50 at 25-foot spacing. Four rails on that fence come to about 5,000 feet of board. That is my arithmetic, before allowing for gates, corners and waste.

Posts

• Spacing. Georgia gives 8 to 10 feet for rail fences, about 10 to 12 feet for most other fences, and 25 feet for high-tensile wire. Penn State gives no fixed distance and says high-tensile spacing depends on wind and topography.
• Depth. Penn State gives a typical line post depth of 36 inches, and often 48 inches for corner and gate posts. Georgia says to set wooden line posts at least 2 feet deep.
• Diameter. Penn State makes corner and gate posts about 25 percent larger than line posts. Georgia asks for a top diameter of at least 8 inches on corner and gate posts, and 5 inches or more on brace posts.
• Corners carry the load. Georgia says first stretching a wire can put 3,000 lb of pull on a corner or end post, and that winter contraction can raise it to 4,500 lb.
• T-posts. Penn State says metal and fiberglass T-posts are slightly cheaper but carry a serious risk of impalement and are not recommended. It allows that they may be used cautiously, with a plastic safety cap, in very large pastures.

Comparing the fence types

Penn State says no single fence is best, since each type trades something away. Georgia’s comparison table is the most useful number I found, but it is a relative index for materials only, not a price. A fence indexed at 25 costs about twice as much per foot as one indexed at 12.

On those figures, a 1 x 6 rail fence costs ten times as much in materials as 4-strand electric (200 ÷ 20), and mesh costs less than either type of board rail while lasting longest. That is my reading of the table. Labor, posts you already own and your local prices can all move the real gap.

• Rail or plank. Georgia calls these attractive, highly visible and relatively safe, and probably the most expensive to build. Rails of 1 x 6 are cheaper than 2 x 6 but warp more and are not as strong.
• Mesh wire. Georgia says these are strong, durable and considered one of the safest fences for horses, because the openings are too small to catch a hoof. Ordinary farm woven fence has 4 to 6-inch openings, and Georgia does not recommend welded 2 x 4-inch fabric for horses because its joints fail in the field.
• Electric. Georgia calls it very effective once a horse has met the fence, and says it takes at least 700 volts to control a short-haired animal such as a horse. Smooth steel wire is hard to see, so Georgia adds vinyl-coated wire or tape, and uses four to five strands on a perimeter. Penn State says to introduce young or inexperienced horses to it first, and to make sure horses stay contained when the current is off.
• Rubber. Georgia warns that rubber sags and that horses chew it. With some products containing nylon threads, that has caused colic or impaction.
• Barbed wire. Penn State names it as its example of unsafe horse fence, one that ends up being paid for in vet bills. Georgia’s bulletin does not address it.

The types also combine. Georgia says a top rail on mesh improves visibility and discourages stretching the wires, and that an electric strand can be added to rail or mesh. Penn State runs a single electric strand 4 to 6 inches above or just inside the top rail to stop leaning, scratching and reaching over.

Gates and layout

Penn State says to start with a scaled drawing of the farm and its current features, then draw in gates, fence lines and traffic routes. It is cheaper to move a line on paper than a post in the ground.

• Put gates mid-fenceline for everyday use. Penn State says that stops horses being trapped in a corner near the gate. Corner gates only help when you are driving a group along the fence.
• Round the corners. Penn State calls this especially important for board fences and highly recommended for wire, because a dominant horse is less likely to trap a subordinate one.
• Keep road gates back. Penn State places them 40 to 60 feet from the road, so you can park off the road while you open the gate.
• Build strongly where horses crowd. Penn State names gates, feed and water stations, and shelters. A dry lot concentrates all three.
• Face the horse side. Penn State fastens rails and mesh to the inside of the posts. Georgia does the same for wire, except where appearance matters.
• Consider double fencing. Penn State says an alley between adjacent paddocks can virtually eliminate contact over the fence, and that it is almost always used with stallions and particularly valuable stock. It is also a lot more fence.

Keeping it standing

Georgia’s list is short: repair weak anchor assemblies, re-fasten loose wire, and paint wood as needed. Keep weeds and brush off the line, especially on electric fence, and check the voltage regularly. High-tensile wire needs stretching once or twice a year. Penn State says to factor maintenance into the total cost, and notes that loose wires or boards make escape easier.

What these sources do not settle

Neither publication gives a dollar cost per foot, so none is given here. Get local quotes for materials and labor. Neither gives a width for a double-fence alley, or says anything about zoning, easements or property lines, so check those locally before you set a post.

The sources also differ in age. Georgia’s bulletin had a full review in May 2024, and Penn State’s page was last updated in May 2016. Most of the figures above are geometry and horse anatomy, which do not date, but product advice can. The University of Minnesota also publishes fencing guidance, but its page would not open for me, so it is not used here.