Post and Rail fencing is popular with horse breeders.

If you are trying to stop things from escaping – or ensuring things don’t get in – you need a fence.  That’s the easy part.  The hard part is working out what kind of fence you need. 

The next step is working out what it is you need to construct the fence of your dreams – and yes there are people who dream of the perfect fence.

The most common fences are:

• 7-9 Wire post and batten fence
• Multi-wire electric fence
• Sheep netting
• Deer netting
• Post and Rail
• Temporary and semi-permanent.

Your everyday, garden variety, run of the mill, ordinary if you will, fence is the one that no doubt springs to mind when you hear this particular F word. Evenly spaced wires, battens and posts will keep most stock safely contained but still do  require a certain amount of labour to keep them well maintained. If you have never built or fixed a fence before it is worth getting a contractor in to help – spending the money now could save you much more later.

Fence posts need to be treated to H4 or higher to prevent rot and decay. All fence posts, including strainer posts have a numbering system of No.1 – the widest, No.2, or No.3 - the smallest.  They vary in length, usually by around 300mm at a time and can range from around 1.8m for an average fencepost  through to around 3.0m for deer fence posts.

Galvanised 2.5mm High Tensile (HT) wire is the most common fencing wire used in New Zealand. Our famous No.8 wire is in fact  a 4.0mm Mild Steel wire and of course as we all know, can be used for almost anything.  Being that flexible has its downsides – our beloved No.8 is  also easier  to break than other wires.

Electric fences can be either permanent or temporary, depending on what you need to achieve.

Permanent electric fences have posts spaced further apart than with ordinary fences and electrified wires that give stock – and farmers – a zap if they touch them.  The shock stops them attempting to escape via that route in the future.

Electric fences require fewer materials so are often an easier and less expensive option for fencing, although some security and longevity can be sacrificed.

Sheep netting is simply metre high wire netting with wooden posts and is perfect as its name suggests for containing sheep and small or young stock. 

Deer fencing operates on the same principles as sheep netting, except on a much larger scale.

Post and rail: Horses can be seriously injured if they run through high tensile wire fences so most folks with horses opt for post and rail fencing. Because post and rail fencing is visually attractive it is also often used around house sections. If you are really set on post and rail bear in mind it can be difficult to get the fence looking straight and level and it is a more costly option that other fences.