[harp918]

Ok, so, I'm completely over my horses manes getting wrecked in the barbed wire. They have 33 acres of pasture and where do they hang out? You guessed it along the fence lines. They like to be near the commotion, I guess. LOL

Anyway, I can't afford to not use barbed wire. Just wondering if anyone had any ideas for keeping their manes nice. I don't think a sleezy will work as they will probably get tore up, too. And here's another question how long can you keep these things on at a stretch? http://www.tackwholesale.com/hood-ly...erby-p-35.html

I'm thinking even if I bought something like this, the second I took it off they'd be sticking their heads through the barbed wire.

What about mane bags? What do they look like?

[BuddyPalAmiga]

I have electric wire along the inside of my barbed and smooth wire fence Keeps horses and their hair out of it.

[harp918]

Hmm, never thought of that. That would work. I might even be able to just do the sides they hang out near most often....

[LateralFlexion]

You really need to get rid of the barbed wire. Get a second job, sell some tack, do whatever it takes. At a bare minimum place a line of electric fencing until you can replace it.

[ParkedOut]

Originally Posted by harp918

Hmm, never thought of that. That would work. I might even be able to just do the sides they hang out near most often....

Actually, you would just need each of your horses to get 'bit' by the electric fence a couple times....they would then have a TON of respect for your fences!

I don't even keep mine hot most of the time. They tend to remember the OUCHIE fence. LOL

Good luck. I bought a horse with a homemade 'roaching' done by barbed wire. Takes FOREVER to grow back out, and may I suggest MTG in the meantime?? That stuff is a miracle!

[Banat]

Smooth wire is no more expensive than the barbed wire, replace the barbed wire and put up smooth wire and buy a good fence charger.

[luv2show]

Worse things than a wrecked mane and tail from a barbed wire fence... I'd never even let my horse get near on of those.

[Pally]

That's strange that they hang out there so much with 33 acres. My horses also have big pastures and are rarely by the fence unless they've followed me up there. Is the grass literally greener on the other side? Or if you have hay out definitely put it well away from the fence line.

But a hot wire is probably your best bet if you can't replace a fence (and even if you could replace it, they would just lean on the new fence and damage it....hot wire is a good thing).

[Native Winds]

Barbed wire will kill any manes and or tails and will kill anything put on those to try a protect them. Barbed wire will just snag or rip sleezyes, mane bags, mane tamers and even braids can be snagged and pulled out. I am VERY anti-barbed wire. Unless you live on a hundred acre farm I would recomend either high tensile with top line either white or black or electric wire (which is fine to keep animals off of any fence line). THe neat thing about electric wire is that you can put it in only trouble spots and a few zaps will help keep them off of all fencing. For partical fencing I think you have to have two grounding spots since the wire is not making a full circle. But things have changed since I have used electric wire.

[harp918]

Originally Posted by Pally

That's strange that they hang out there so much with 33 acres.

Well, their barn is up by that end, salt blocks, I feed them up there, etc. They are only MIA when it's time for me to go for a ride. LOL

I'm going to look into just replacing the fencing where they are most often. Thanks for the replies!!!!