# Metal barn siding protection from horses



## YODA (Oct 24, 2013)

I just added 20 some feet to my existing horse barn to store hay. Its the typical pro panel steel siding and metal frame. I plan to install 3/4 ply on the inside (CDX or T&G to protect the siding as I stack hay and store equipment, but outside is a different problem.

One side is exposed to the horse paddock. I am looking for ideas on how to protect. I live in Colorado. I was thinking of using 2x6 or 2x8 ceder spaced off the sheeting with sleepers. But that material is pricy. The existing horse stalls appear to be sided in doug fir, and it seems to be holding up. Would that material work. If I go with doug fir, is there a treatment that would be safe for horses?

Thanks for any suggestions.


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## Farmineer95 (Aug 11, 2014)

Is that composite decking material an option in your area? Thinking it would be inert as far as an animal ingesting any. Might cost just as much, just a thought.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Electric fence wire.


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## YODA (Oct 24, 2013)

I currently am using the electric fence, but need something better. As we are so dry here I think I will be using 2x8 dougless fir treated with lindseed oil. They do crib a bit in the winter, so do not want them eating plastic or the resins in the composit or PVC decking that is available. I can connect sleepers to the siding flats and use decking screws on the rest. That way I can replace boards if needed.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Could you use cement board and paint it to match? The horses have mangled the steel on one of our old sheds.


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## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

Horses wont chew up white oak.


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## SwingOak (May 19, 2014)

danwi said:


> Horses wont chew up white oak.


Oak is hard to come by in Colorado.

A lot of pre-fab horse shelters are made with Centermatch - pressure treated tongue and groove 2x6 or 2x8 boards. If it was me I'd put up some electric fence.


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## Coondle (Aug 28, 2013)

Electric fencing by itself is not necessarily effective in very dry areas because there is no earth return on dry ground.

To overcome that difficulty run several insulted live wires and in between those and under the lowest live wire, run other non-insulated plain wires to act as the earth return.

Those earth return wires are then connected to a suitable earthing stake. Remember though, rust is an insulator, so use galvanised steel spike driven at least 3 or 4 feet into the ground or a copper earth stake as used for electricity services.

If you have buried steel piping, connect to that as an alternative or in addition to an earth stake.

If you can locate the earth stake in a place where there is a good chance of moist/wet ground, e.g. near a tap, water trough, or roof drainage outlet.

Horse contacts the two wires and zappo.


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## SwingOak (May 19, 2014)

Electric fence doesn't work very well when the ground is frozen down to 5-7ft deep either. Good point.


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

swmnhay said:


> Electric fence wire.


Plus 1.... Heat it up. Horses have the uncanny ability to sense hot wire. My wife's nags test the fence with their whiskers just getting ever so close and thats it. Thats the cheapest and most reliable way. Ordinary galvanized fence wire and a solar cgarger like a Parmak.


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

SwingOak said:


> Electric fence doesn't work very well when the ground is frozen down to 5-7ft deep either. Good point.


High impedence fencers do. My ground rods are in 4 feet and we regularly freeze below that..... no issues in 20 years (after I switched to a high impedence fencer). ...and the wife has some smart (tongue in cheek) nags... Dang Percherons are too smart (cunning) for their own good.

It realyl don't take much. Horses have an attention span of a 3 month old child, but a little singe on the muzzle and they remember a long time.


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## Coondle (Aug 28, 2013)

Animals soon get to learn when a fence is live or not, I believe because they can hear leakage of current over insulators.

They may also be able to sense the magnetic field surrounding the electrified wire. Most electric fences work on a pulse so the mag field is created and collapses with each pulse. In fact put enough windings around the electrified wire and an induced current can be created on another circuit.



ARD Farm said:


> Horses have an attention span of a 3 month old child, but a little singe on the muzzle and they remember a long time.


 Who wouldn't


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## YODA (Oct 24, 2013)

Thanks for the suggestions. Cement board is too brittle and would shatter under a kick, but good idea. The current electric fens works, but I am going with the Dougless Fir treated with an anti-cribbibg product the local COOP carries that does work. That is what is exposed on the back side of the stall now. Ill post pictures when I get done.


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## SwingOak (May 19, 2014)

An electrical fence is nothing more than a psychological barrier. The only thing preventing a 1200 lb animal from going through it is its own brain.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I was thinking over the wood to keep them from cribbing it but maybe it would be too brittle. We use it on corridors in part finished buildings where workers haul stuff a lot as it stands up to 2x4's etc better.

Electric fence works ok here in the winter, I've been zapped by it in winter boots in snow.



YODA said:


> Thanks for the suggestions. Cement board is too brittle and would shatter under a kick, but good idea. The current electric fens works, but I am going with the Dougless Fir treated with an anti-cribbibg product the local COOP carries that does work. That is what is exposed on the back side of the stall now. Ill post pictures when I get done.


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## YODA (Oct 24, 2013)

If I had a solid backing the cement board would work well (think stucco finish), But after running the numbers I will run down to Home Dippo and go through a pile of 2x8x10's or 12's and see what I can do. I need about 20 of them so out of a bunk I should find enough that will work.

For the interior wall I'll be using 3/4 CDX with backer stiffeners at 24". Should be fun. I need to get about 300 bales out from under tarps and into the new barn addition. I layered road gravel and compacted for the floor and have enough wood pallets to stack the hay on. Hope to have it done by this weekend.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Short of white oak, the best wood to use around horses is #2 Southern Yellow Pine. This is available at most lumber yards.

The difference between #2 SYP and normal pine lumber is the resin. #2 SYP resin does not taste good to livestock whereas normal pine resin is sweet tasting. It is also denser than regular pine but not as dense as oak. Horses, especially cribbers, will still try to bite on white oak.

I used #2 SYP throughout my stalls and never had a horse so much as try to chew on it.

Just my experiences.

Ralph


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