#1 Containment
This most important rule is
often the easiest to forget. You put your fence up to keep your horses
safely at home, yet a major selling point of many PVC fences is that they’ll
“pop free” to avoid injuring your horse with broken shards. The fact that
they are now free to gallop down the road into traffic isn’t discussed.
Also, your horses getting hurt is not nearly the extent of the danger.
Most states hold horse owners liable for damage caused by loose horses.
Somebody dies in a car accident caused by your horse? You could lose everything
you own and have your wages garnished for life. Again, containment is often
the most overlooked, but it IS the most critical. Correctly installed,
all Centaur HTP ® Fencing Systems products keep your horses where they’re
supposed to be. Period.
#2 Safety
Second only to containment is
how the fence treats your horses when they inevitably interact with it.
They put their heads through looking for better grass. They get into a
skirmish near the fence line. They (fortunately, only occasionally) hit
it at or near full speed, running in panic from a storm or other danger.
All HTP ® products are far easier on your horse than the closest comparison
product. For example, Centaur HTP ® won’t puncture your horse with
splinters or shards like wood or PVC, and field results show that, given
a significant “hit” to the fence, PolyPlus HTP ® will remove a little
hair rather than slice flesh like traditional high tensile. Again, it’s
important to remember that horses can and will find a million ways to hurt
themselves, so it’s always possible they can get hurt on an HTP ® fence
too. But their odds are hugely better with HTP ® than with other fencing
methods.
#3 Cost
The purchase price and installation
of a fence is the most obvious cost, but long-term cost should also be
considered. A Texas A & M study showed that the average wood fence
ended up costing twice the original price in additional materials and labor
over a 15 year lifetime, with fully 50% of the rails being replaced at
least once during that time period. HTP ® products require nearly zero
maintenance over the long lifetime of the product, and are available in
a wide range of prices.
#4 Installation
Instructions below are in .pdf
format
for ease in loading, they are
in three segments
Centaur
Fence Products Installation Instructions #1
Centaur
Fence Products Installation Instructions #2
Centaur
Fence Products Installation Instructions #3
Often overlooked is how easily
the fence installs on varied terrain, how well it’s able to make the best
use of your property, and whether or not it’s easy to install in a curved
line. Fence lines with corners allow an individual to be trapped by aggressive
herd mates, and increase the possibility of injury. Gently rounded fence
lines are the safest, most economical and attractive configuration. By
design, HTP ® products naturally follow undulating terrain and form
aesthetically pleasing and safer curves.
#5 Appearance
First and foremost, horsepeople
want practical solutions, but getting one that looks great is icing on
the cake. HTP ® products come in white, black or brown, and can closely
mimic the look of the traditional favorite, board or “estate” fencing. |
