Horse Fencing Options for Montana Properties

How tall should a horse fence be?

The Georgia bulletin recommends a minimum of 5 feet for perimeter pasture fences, saying this deters most horses from jumping and discourages people from reaching over to pet or feed them. Fences dividing pastures can be 4.5 feet. For paddocks, corrals and stallion pens, the rule of thumb is that the top of the fence should be at eye level with the horse's head in a natural upright position, usually 4 to 6 inches above the withers.

The bottom of the fence should be 6 to 8 inches off the ground, the bulletin says, which matters most on wire mesh: horses are less likely to paw at it, and weeds along the line are easier to control. If you need help with those weeds, that is part of our fertilizer and weed control work. Whatever the height, it says, a horse fence must be highly visible, damage resistant, durable, attractive and safe to contact.

Does a horse fence conflict with Montana's legal fence standard?

It can, and this is worth knowing before you build. MCA 81-4-101 says a legal fence must be at least 42 inches and not more than 48 inches high, apart from two exceptions, and lists specific types, including four boards, rails or poles on posts not over 17 feet 6 inches apart. A 5 foot horse fence is above that height band. Whether that matters depends on whether you are relying on the fence for protection against a neighbor's livestock, so ask an attorney if that is a live issue; our Montana fence law guide explains the background. This is general information, not legal advice.

Height also matters to wildlife. FWP recommends a top wire or rail no higher than 40 to 42 inches where animals need to jump a fence. That is well below the Georgia horse height, so on a place with deer and elk moving through, you are choosing where the tall horse fence goes and where something lower can do the job. Paddocks may need the height while large seasonal pastures may not.

Which fence types are safest for horses?

Rail fences top the Georgia bulletin's list for visibility and relative safety. Horses read them as a solid barrier, and a horse that hits one is less likely to hang a hoof or be cut. The main downsides are the cost to build and maintain them, and they are probably the most expensive fences to build. A broken wood plank can sometimes leave a jagged end. PVC rails do not need painting and do not break into jagged ends, the bulletin says, though they need periodic washing and generally cost more than wood.

Mesh wire is the other strong option. It calls mesh wire fences strong, durable and among the safest for horses, because the openings are small enough to stop a hoof going through and there are no exposed sharp wire ends. It describes diamond mesh with 2 by 4 inch openings and square knot mesh, and notes that a welded 2 by 4 inch fabric is sometimes used for its low price but its joints do not hold up, so it is not recommended for horses. Adding a top rail to mesh improves visibility and helps stop horses stretching the wire.

Is barbed wire safe for horses?

Barbed wire is common across Montana because it is the classic legal fence for cattle, but it is not a horse fence by choice. The Georgia bulletin leaves it out of the fences commonly used for horses and stresses that horses injure themselves on fences more than most other livestock because of their flight response. It specifically values rail and mesh for having no sharp wire ends to cut skin.

FWP's guide does profile a Montana ranch family, the Klicks, whose modified wire fences contain their horses while wildlife cross, but that is one experienced operation next to the Bob Marshall Wilderness, not a general recommendation for a small pasture. The same guide notes horses can be cut by high-tensile wire and that high-tensile wire is hard for animals to see. If you have old barbed wire around a horse pasture, replacing it is often a good first project; see fence repair.

What about electric fence for horses?

The Georgia bulletin says electric fences are very effective once a horse has encountered one, and that an offset electric wire is the sure way to stop leaning and rubbing, but it stresses visibility. Smooth steel wire is hard to see, so it recommends vinyl-coated wire or high-tensile vinyl tape on at least one strand. It also says some wider tapes count as permanent fencing, while lighter ones are for temporary use.

Electric fencing is not something we list among our services, so talk to a supplier or an electric fence specialist about chargers and grounding. Note the local limits too: Missoula's fence code allows electric fences only with approval and in limited situations, including securing agricultural livestock on agricultural property. Montana's legal fence statute has its own requirements for electric fences. Our fence height and permit rules guide covers the local side.

How should posts be spaced on a horse fence?

The Georgia bulletin says rail fences normally have posts 8 to 10 feet apart, and that the fence length should ideally be a multiple of the spacing so you do not end up with one odd short section. Wire fence line posts are usually 10 to 12 feet apart, closer on irregular ground. It also says that a rail fence needs equally strong posts along its length, since every section carries its own load, while a wire fence's load goes into the corner and brace assemblies.

Those braces need care. The bulletin recommends a double-span H-brace when a fence span runs over 200 feet, and braced line assemblies every 650 feet on long runs. In this climate, depth deserves more thought than a Georgia guide can give it. Our guide to frost depth and fence post footings explains why, and snow and frost damage explains what winter does to a wire fence.

What makes a good horse gate?

Horses tend to gather at gates, so the bulletin says gates must be sturdy and safe. Steel tube or pipe gates are routine, and the top of the gate should be level with the top of the fence. The minimum width for a gate a horse walks through is 4 feet, at least 8 feet if equipment might follow, and pasture gates should be 14 to 16 feet to get tractors and trucks in. Avoid gaps between the gate and its posts, where a hoof or a foal's head can get caught.

Where gates open into lanes, the bulletin suggests matching gate length to lane width so the gate can close the lane when moving horses. Heavy gates need strong posts and bracing; our guide to why gates sag explains the mechanics. Think about snow as well: a gate that swings freely in July may be blocked by drift or plow berm in January, so consider which way it swings and where the snow goes.

Can a horse fence also be wildlife friendly?

Partly, with some planning. FWP's guide notes that seasonal pastures, cross fences and horse pastures lend themselves to more wildlife-permeable designs, and it favors post and rail, which is highly visible to wildlife. Its post and rail design uses treated posts 10 to 14 feet apart, a top rail no higher than 40 inches, and smooth lower wires or rails with at least 18 inches of clearance below. It prefers two rails over three, and rounded rails, which shed snow better than square or split rails.

That design is lower than the Georgia horse height, so it suits quieter horses in large pastures better than paddocks or stallion pens. Our guide to wildlife-friendly fencing has the full FWP specifications, and split rail fences covers the rail styles.

How do you maintain a horse fence?

The bulletin's list is simple: repair or replace anchor assemblies at the first sign of weakness, paint or finish wood as needed, wash vinyl with a bleach solution to remove mildew, re-fasten loose wires, keep wires stretched, keep weeds and brush off the line, and walk the fence on a regular schedule. It adds that horses chew and lean on wood, which treated wood may not fully stop when horses are stressed or confined. Our guide to staining and sealing a wood fence covers finishes.

How HJ can help with horse fencing

We build post and rail fences, wood fences and ranch fencing, and repair existing lines, across Missoula and Ravalli counties. We will walk the property with you, talk through which areas need height and which need wildlife passage, and set posts for this climate. We do not list electric fence work. See our custom fencing page and the rest of our Montana Landscaping, Lawn & Irrigation Guide.

Call HJ Property Care & Tree Service at (406) 215-7319 or request a free fence estimate and we will walk the line with you.

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