How Does field fence Work?

Hinge-joint wire fence, commonly known as “Field Fence,” has been a part of the fencing landscape for many years. As one of the first woven wire options on the market after the introduction of barbed wire, “field fence” continues to be a mainstay phrase in conversations about building new fences and protecting your pastures, managing your pastures, and guarding your property.

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There are features to choose from with your field fence options when you make your final purchase at your local farm store. If you have a Pasture Management dealer near you, we’ve made the decision easy with an improved standard field fence compared to other brands’ field fence (hinge-joint wire) options. While field fence is generally considered a price-point purchase, we have worked with our wire manufacturer to make a superior quality hinge-joint wire compared to other brands of standard field fence while maintaining a budget-friendly price.

What is Field Fence

As mentioned above, what we commonly call “field fence” is technically a hinge-joint wire. Hinge-joint wire is a type of woven wire. The hinge-joint knot is formed by wrapping a short vertical wire around each horizontal wire. It provides a stronger barrier than barbed wire. The woven structure of the wire prevents animals from slipping in between the strands of traditional barbed wire fences. Field fence is considered the budget-friendly option for building fences compared to its stronger counterpart fixed-knot wire fence.

How to Use Field Fence

Field fence can be used in a variety of settings. You will see it used as perimeter fencing and as an interior fence to divide larger tracks of land. Field fence is recommended for less heavily stocked spaces in a pasture management setting because the knot construction can only withstand high pressure for a short time before it starts to bend where the hinge comes together. Depending on what you plan to keep in or out of your land, you may consider using barbed wire or electric wire in conjunction with your field fence to prevent animals from rubbing on the fence or provide extra backup in high-pressure areas like small areas with larger animals or animals that like to rub on the fences.

When constructing a hinge-joint fence, you must consider post spacing to ensure you have the strongest fence possible. You need to place a wood post every 12 feet with field fences. This spacing helps sustain the structural integrity of the fence line.

A Better Field Fence Option for Your Next Fencing Project

When you start planning your next fence project and have determined field fence (hinge-joint wire) is the type of woven wire you want to work with, it’s time to consider the wire's features to ensure you have the highest return on investment on your wire purchase. Most field fence wire comes in the standard size of 10-47-6 (10 horizontal wires, 47 inches tall with 6-inch spacing between vertical wires).

From there, the differences begin between the different brands. You will want to pay attention to the type of steel, galvanization, and breaking strength of each kind of wire to ensure you get the strongest wire possible, which will create less headache later from stretched-out fence or, worse, broken fence.

When we talk about the type of steel, look at tensile strength and gauge. Tensile strength refers to the amount of carbon in the wire. The more carbon present, the stronger the wire and the less you will have to restretch your wire later. Gauge refers to the size/diameter size of the wire used to create the woven wire pattern. The smaller the gauge number, the larger the wire is in size. For example, 12.5 gauge wire is bigger than 14.5 gauge wire. Pasture Management medium tensile field fence is 64% stronger with a smaller wire than the standard low carbon field fence sold by other brands at a similar price point.

Next, look for the type of galvanized coating on the wire. Galvanization equates to the longevity of the wire. Remember - the higher the class, the longer it lasts. The different classes indicated the amount of zinc in the coating to protect the steel from rusting and corrosion. Class 3 galvanized wire is the industry standard for durability because it has substantially higher concentrations of zinc than Class 1. With class 3 galvanization, you can expect 20+ years of rust prevention compared to only four years with class 1 wire. All Pasture Management wire brand items, including the medium tensile field fence, are coated Class 3 and certified to meet the ASTM A116, 641, or 121 requirements. Consider the Pasture Management Field Fence wire option to save time and money and not replace your fence every four years. When installed and taken care of properly, Pasture Management Field Fence will last 3-5 times longer than other brands’ class 1 field fence.

Finally, consider the breaking strength of the wire used to build the fence. Breaking strength refers to the force that can be applied to wire before it stretches or breaks. While field fence, in general, is not typically considered the strongest fence possible on the market, Pasture Management Medium Tensile Field Fence can withstand 1.63 times more force than the standard field fence.

If hinge-joint wire, also known as field fence, is your choice of wire for your next fencing project, consider Pasture Management Medium Tensile Field Fence. You will have a stronger fence that stands the test of time at a price point that is friendly to any budget. Find your nearest Pasture Management dealer today to start your field fence project.

I’m not interested in brands of fence. I’m more interested in the meat-n-potatoes of what it means.

I’ve already decided on non-climb. Some I see have “square knots,” but others have “hinge joint knots.” Reading up on it, it says the hinge knots actually bounce back without deforming and go back to their original shape. I don’t see this sliding around on the horizontal wires without some significant force, but we all know wire fence never looks the same after a big hit. I understand gauge of wire, but how much/how important is going one up or down? Some are 10 gauge top and bottom with 12.5 for the insidey bits, others are all 12.5.

[QUOTE=TheJenners;]
I’m not interested in brands of fence. I’m more interested in the meat-n-potatoes of what it means.

I’ve already decided on non-climb. Some I see have “square knots,” but others have “hinge joint knots.” Reading up on it, it says the hinge knots actually bounce back without deforming and go back to their original shape. I don’t see this sliding around on the horizontal wires without some significant force, but we all know wire fence never looks the same after a big hit. I understand gauge of wire, but how much/how important is going one up or down? Some are 10 gauge top and bottom with 12.5 for the insidey bits, others are all 12.5.[/QUOTE]

This explains it. http://www.horsefencing.org/horsefence/horse-field-fence.html

You want to prevent sagging with the knots you choose, imo. I’m glad I have the 10 gauge top and bottom. You are going to put a huge pressure on the fence to stretch it tight and it will stay under a lot of tension. There is no curling, or stretching out with the 10 gauge. The fence wants to bow more in the other areas (until it was tacked down). YMMV.

One thing to watch is the level of galvanization. That will affect fence longevity. I just went with normal Redbrand, but you may have other options available in your locale.

No climb is the way to go. And make sure that the fence is constructed with screws, not nails. With no climb you can go with one rail at the top.

TTP, what knots did you go with?

I’m going with class 3 galvanized for longevity, but found a screaming deal on fence that is all 12.5 gauge. As in, really hard to pass up. But if you think that would stretch, then I guess I’ll pass. I didn’t think about stress on the fence during installation, just animal-stress.

As long as a hoof/leg etc can’t get through it most of the knots don’t matter. If they can you will have a major disaster as generally the knots etc give and tighten when the horse fights the fence and then can ringbark the leg.

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Contact us to discuss your requirements of types of security fencing. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

On an odd side note, we just found a dead rabbit caught in our no-climb fencing. :no: It apparently tried to get squeeze through it, but her pelvis couldn’t fit and she died. Slowly and not well.

Are you having it professionally installed? Getting no climb tight really requires know-how and the right tools and base to attach it. All wood posts for sure. And in our climate…those won’t last much past 7-8 years, IMO on our farmette.

The posts (4-5" rounds) will be professionally installed, but I’m doing the fence with experienced help.

Like I said, doing non climb. That’s 2x4 rectangles, horses can’t get a foot in there…

Figure you STILL need to run electric inside to keep equines off woven wire all the time. Without electric on top, midway and perhaps one lower wire, they lean over it, fight over the top, rub on wire, maybe paw the bottom or actually step on fence to walk it down, rip it off the posts.

Your hard work, expensive wire looks pretty junky quite fast when animals can touch the woven wire fence.

You should plan to “hang” the woven wire so bottom is in the air. This allows for easy weed whacking to keep fences clean of weeds. Let’s your fences later longer, stay looking nice longer. That bottom space does allow dogs, goats, etc., places to get in with the horses, so you have to decide if raised or ground level will work best for you.

Field fence and no climb are different things, and the terms can’t be used interchangeably

Totally agree with a line of hot on top!

I have this fence: http://www.staytuff.com/ They use a fixed knot per their site. NO issues with it at all…has been great stuff.

Anybody use “goat” fence??? It is like field fence, but the holes are all 4"x4". Opinions?? We put up field fence on the perimeter of a 40 acre pasture field. There will be top electric and no confinement of horses in the area. We’ll do 2x4 horse fence near the barns for safety. The “goat fence” is wayyyy cheaper than horse fence and we have a LOT of lines to do!!

[QUOTE=crosscreeksh;]
Anybody use “goat” fence??? It is like field fence, but the holes are all 4"x4". Opinions?? We put up field fence on the perimeter of a 40 acre pasture field. There will be top electric and no confinement of horses in the area. We’ll do 2x4 horse fence near the barns for safety. The “goat fence” is wayyyy cheaper than horse fence and we have a LOT of lines to do!![/QUOTE]

4x4 holes will allow a foot to go through, I’ve seen it happen and it’s not pretty when the horse struggles and injures itself. If you do go with goat fencing I’d probably run two to three strands of electric (one top, middle and towards the bottom if it were safe to do so) to keep the horses far away from it.
With lots of lines to do I’d maybe look into something like Electrobraid. I’ve seen good results with it and it can be made hot so no need for an extra expense of setting up a hot wire.

I’m not running any hot. They are on non-climb right now with a top rail of Centaur (I’ll do board unless I can find a Centaur dealer), no hot, no issues with fence. Donkeys and horses both, very respectful. :yes:

Simkie, which do you have of that brand? There are several. And I can’t find anything about gauge other than “stronger than 9 gauge.”

we use Redbrand no climb with a top rail (no hot wire) for all our perimeter fencing. We like having it on the ground. 1st, I’d worry about a rolling horse getting a leg caught under it, if there was a gap, and also. the no climb keeps the coyotes out (and the dogs in) which is critical to me, with minis and foals.

[QUOTE=TheJenners;]
I’m not running any hot. They are on non-climb right now with a top rail of Centaur (I’ll do board unless I can find a Centaur dealer), no hot, no issues with fence. Donkeys and horses both, very respectful. :yes:

Simkie, which do you have of that brand? There are several. And I can’t find anything about gauge other than “stronger than 9 gauge.”[/QUOTE]

I have the -3 with a top rail of centaur and a line of electrobraid on top for my perimeter. The guy who installed the fence is a dealer and while I was a little dubious about the 3" spacing, we’ve had ZERO problems with it and the fence has held up beautifully.

Thanks!

And yes I’m putting it on the ground. Above concerns about a hoof going thru, but also, I have donkeys and a horse that will also gleefully stomp a dog into mush. I have dogs, my neighbor has dogs. Not something I want to worry about :no:

I do not like no climb but if you use it get the kind that is not welded at the connections. I use v mesh fencing. It is stronger and easier to repair (but in contrast to no climb I have not had to repair it.

I have stockade panels in areas that have adult horses. It is not ideal but it was there when I bought the place. I have had no major issues. It is 4 x 4 inches open at the top but much smaller at the bottom. I see less concern with a foot through it since the wire is very large–1/4 in diameter so does not bend. The problem has been at the top and bottom where the wires that run vertically exit the panels for maybe 1/8 inch. I had a horse cut their chest when they jumped on top and another cut a leg near the hoof when they put the leg near the bottom. I solved the bottom issue by covering it all along the bottom with 1/2 inch PVC. the top is an issue as the panels are welded to 2,5 inch pipe. I have used plastic gutters to run along the top to protect against the sharp edges. Another way would be to grind but this would be a real pain.

I like your ingenuity though!

I’m not looking at any that are welded, all have some variation of a knot But very good point!