[OhLaLa]

Have mulled over the options many times, still can't decide how best to do it:


Orchard, consists of approximately 30 fruit trees (both mature and young).  Hedgerow on all sides which is regularly accessed by the deer, so new openings appear sporadically.
Most efficient way fence off the orchard for horses needed as area is fairly large - about 6 acres.
Post and rail is out of the question due to how much of it we would need. Would rather avoid electric tape (and due to the length of it wouldn't give much zap anyway).


How would you do it?

[Tala Orchard]

You have answered your own question you need a 6ft high wire fence to keep the deer out, this will also be suitable for horses either keeping them in or out.

[OhLaLa]

Except wire fencing is very unsuitable for horses.

Additionally, 6ft wire fencing would cost more than post and rail in both time and materials.

The deer are welcome. We have more applies (by the thousand) than we will ever have use for.

Keeping the horses in is our aim, not the deer out.

[bloomer]

4 or 5 high tension line wires, the top one electrified, any mains unit can handle the length, ht wires conduct better than tape. Posts every 2.4m good strainers on the corners to take the tension!

Relatively cheap and fairly horse proof unless you own a particular escape prone horse!

[OhLaLa]

Thanks bloomer, will take that idea on board.

Any other ideas folks might have welcomed too.

[HesterF]

If you've only got 30 trees in six acres, isn't it easier to fence off each individual tree? My orchard has trees that are 5m apart in each direction so 30 trees takes up an area about 30m by 30m - I've fenced off more than that but that's easy enough to do.

H

[OhLaLa]

Ermmm. That won't work. Fence off the individual trees, and let the horses wander off through the hedge...  

Grazing won't be year round, the horses won't be in there with a few thousand juicy apples, but do need to keep the horses in there when they do have access........

[Mel Rice]

Are your lot really that keen on going elsewhere....mine is no problem trhe suggestion of a barrier and nice grass on his side is plenty!

[ellied]

How about gapping up the hedge with new holly and hawthorn, putting a single or double line (depending on relative heights of your equines) electric wire clear of the inside, mains connected and keep an eye on hedge growth for shorting.  Horses will have a combination of visual and elec wire barrier and tend to respect that, deer not so much but you don't sound as worried about deer entry.  Once horses are out and you want deer to pass without a zap, turn off the elec wire.

[OhLaLa]

Ellied, that's the one we will go for. Oddly enough had not considered replanting the gaps. That sounds the most sensible for our needs.


You get the Gold Star !


Thanks all.

[ellied]

Excellent, I haven't had one of those in a very long time!

Having recently run 5 ponies in a woodland to get the grass down for a month or so, I'd just say watch your younger trees don't get knocked - not so much in passing but tree stakes and head height young branches are often seen as fly guards or rubbing posts..  and flies are plentiful in and around trees so I had to do a bit extra with the Spot On aswell as organise restaking when a few were broken at ground level and took guarded trees down flat with them   Highland ponies are also browsers as well as grazers, sampling a few leaves and shoots at all reachable levels during their stay.  The woodland owner was delighted with their grass trimming work and invited them back, but she didn't see what got repaired before it was handed back, nor did she have the worrying I did, so I'm not sure I'll be in a huge hurry to go back though a month gave me exactly the right gap for spraying at home.

[shygirl]

horses are very likely to eat the branches and ringbark the trees so they will die off - i know from experience 
to protect each tree can mean a fence round each tree from quite a distance back as their necks are so long.
have you considered sheep? the shropshire apparently the best breed for grazing amongst trees.

[HesterF]

Ah OK, I thought you were worried about the fruit trees getting eaten? Clearly not.

[OhLaLa]

Hello hester., just seen your reply. Nah..., the deer et al are welcome to scoff whatever they want. We have no need for the (many thousand) surplus apples so they are welcome to them. Bless. We have seen the odd wild boar doing a runner too. Tasty.

Hard to post all info and have it come across ok, but the mature trees are as is, the young trees have protection around them. Just would like to give the field over to the horses (and maybe occasionally the sheep) and it's something over many years that we have never yet decided which is the best way to do it, so I thought I'd throw it out there to see what others would do.

We originally (many years ago) put in 3ft field posts all the way around but the grass and hedgerows grew and what with all the other jobs it just shorted out and that was that - and so it went to the bottom of the list.

Appreciate everyone taking the time to read and reply.