Pipe fence for horses vs cattle

The short answer

Horse fence is built so a horse doesn't get hurt. Cattle fence is built so cattle don't push through. Everything else follows from that. Horse fence runs taller, about 54 to 60 inches, with a bottom rail close to the ground, 2x4 no-climb wire if you use wire, and no barbed wire at all. Cattle perimeter fence can be lower and is often wire, with pipe saved for corners, gates, and pens where cattle put real pressure on it. Cattle working pens need heavier, taller pipe than either. We lay out and build pipe fence for both, and corrals and pens for the working side.

Why horses and cattle need different fence

Horses run, spook, kick, and reach over to graze the other side. A horse that hits a fence at speed or gets a leg through it can be cut bad. So horse fence comes down to visibility, smooth surfaces, and no gaps a hoof can go through.

Cattle push. They lean, rub, and test a fence with steady weight, and a bull or a bunch of calves will find the weak spot. Cattle fence comes down to strength and tension. Pens have to hold weight in a tight space while you work stock.

Horse fence specs

University of Georgia's equine extension lays out the basics (UGA):

• Height: about 54 to 60 inches. UGA puts perimeter fence at 60 inches and cross fence at 54.
• Bottom rail: about 6 inches off the ground, per UGA, so a horse can't roll under or put a foot through.
• No barbed wire. UGA says to avoid barbed and high-tensile wire where you can. Barbed wire and horses don't mix.

Bekaert's horse fencing guidance adds a point on wire (Bekaert):

• Wire: 2x4 no-climb mesh if wire is used. The openings are too small for a hoof.

How that looks in pipe

On a horse place, pipe fence usually means 3 or 4 rails, or 2 or 3 rails with no-climb wire stretched on the inside. The no-climb keeps foals and small horses in and dogs and varmints out. A pipe top rail gives horses something they can see and keeps them off the wire.

Smooth matters. Welds should be clean, with no sharp edges or loose wire ends at horse height. Gate latches shouldn't have hooks that catch a halter.

Pipe size for horses

Rails don't take the load posts do, so many horse fences run a larger post with a lighter rail. If you're weighing new against used pipe for horses, read new pipe vs used drill stem pipe. A thin spot in a used rail is a bigger risk with horses than on a cattle perimeter.

Cattle fence specs

For cattle perimeter fence, the NRCS Texas fence specification sets a minimum of 4 strands of barbed wire with the top wire at 44 inches (NRCS spec). Read that right: it's a cost-share floor, the least a fence can be and still qualify for the program. It's not a recommendation. Many cattle places run 5 strands, or woven field fence with a strand or two of barbed wire on top.

The current NRCS Texas standard (2021) calls for posts set at least 3 feet deep and standing at least 2 inches above the top wire (NRCS 382 TX 2021).

Where pipe fits on a cattle place

On a cattle place, pipe goes where the pressure is:

• Corners and braces that hold the tension of long wire runs.
• Gates and entries.
• Fence along the road or the drive, where a break means cattle on the highway.
• Traps, alleys, and pens where cattle get crowded.

A common middle ground is a pipe top rail over wire: pipe posts and a welded pipe top rail over field fence or barbed wire. It's stronger and looks better than wire alone, on less pipe than a full rail fence. For long wire perimeters, see barbed wire and field fence.

Corrals and working pens for cattle

Pens take more abuse than any other fence on a cattle place. Oklahoma State University's extension guide on corral and working facilities gives the numbers (OSU):

• Corral fence height: 60 inches minimum.
• Corral posts: set at least 30 inches deep.
• Holding pen space: about 14, 17, or 20 square feet per head, depending on the weight of the cattle.
• Chutes and loading ramps: OSU gives chute widths and ramp heights by cattle size. Use them when you lay out an alley and a loadout.

That's why corral pipe usually runs heavier and taller than perimeter fence. A pen that flexes under a crowded bunch of cows won't stay square long.

Horse pens and arenas

Horse pens, round pens, and arenas are their own builds. They follow the horse rules above: smooth, tall, no gaps, no wire a horse can tangle in. Arena footing is a separate question from the fence. Our corrals, pens and arenas page covers how we lay those out.

A place with both

Plenty of places run horses and cattle. Then the plan usually splits the place: horse-safe fence around the barn, the horse traps, and the house, and cattle fence on the back pasture. The fence between them gets built to the horse standard, because it's the horses that get hurt on the wrong fence.

How we lay it out

On the site walk we ask what you run now and what you might run later, where the gates and water are, and how you move stock. Then we spec the rails, wire, posts, and pens for each stretch and price it on site. Start with our pipe fence page, or read high fence vs barbed wire if you're also fencing for deer or exotics.

Get a quote

Call or text 254-716-5760, or send footage, gates, and what you run with the form below. We'll text or call back to set a time to walk the place.