Privacy fence and horses

[Wrooster]

We want to put up 100' of 6-foot-high privacy fence between us and a neighbor. They have horses and dogs and a wire fence. The dogs are fairly hostile and don't like it when we're near the fence. We want better screening from the dogs and also just want better privacy. Shrubs are part of the solution but right now I need some information about fences.

I plan to put up a standard board fence: 4x4 posts, 2x4 or 2x6 horizontal rails, 1/2x6 vertical boards with only expansion room between them. They would take down the wire fence.

Will that be OK with horses? Will they walk down the rails or damage the top scratching their necks? If I put the rails on our side then it's stonger but I have to be on the other side to maintain the fence. Maybe a couple strands of wire on the livestock side? Is there any likely liability here? If a horse wants to escape - and they have - there will be easier places than this but I don't want to be responsible if a horse gets injured on the fence, especially since some of them might be boarded.

I spent some Google time on this and didn't learn much. Everything I saw was positive, nothing mentioned construction details or problems. Any thoughts? I know something about fences and something about chickens but this is as close as I've lived to horses.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Wow, you must be unhappy. That sounds pricey.
It won't give immediate privacy but have you considered something like this?
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/horse-fence-panel-5-ft-x-16-ft

In Florida you could grow an evergreen vine on it for privacy.

 

[Wrooster]

That's not really different from what's already there and I know what my vegetation options are.

Yes, I'm fairly unhappy but It's my problem, not theirs. They do a decent job of keeping the animals on their own property. The biggest problem is privacy. Even though it's fairly rural here, they can see from their door all the way through our house if they want to and when we look out the kitchen window we see all their comings and goings.

If I build it in from the existing fence then I don't have to deal with the animals, but because of the vegetation that's already there, it would be a lot more difficult. It would also create an awkward "no man' s land" between the fences. The fence I described is what we want, if it's not incompatible with horses.

 

[res]

I wouldn't want my horses fenced in with a typical privacy fence. Those 1/2" fencing boards will not withstand a kick, and will very likely injure the horse that kicks through them.

Horses do like to chew on wood.

Horses also like to rub their butts and heads on stationary objects...

Having the rails on your side means the horses will likely push them right off.

If you follow through with this privacy fence, I would definitely encourage you to have them run a few strands of hot wire - rope - tape on their side to keep the horses off the fence.

 

[Wrooster]

Thanks for the suggestions. The "pasture" that this would be part of is 2 or more acres and includes their house as part of the enclosed area, so claustrophobia should not be a problem for the horses. If the rails are on my side then pressure on the boards is resisted by the rails which in turn are supported by the posts. If the rails are on their side, my side looks better and I can maintain the fence from my side. but any pressure from horses is only resisted by the fasteners.

Someone local with horses advised using 10' 4x4's for all the posts or maybe alternate posts so they can be 4' deep to better resist pushing over, or maybe 6x6's.

Yeah - I think I'm going to have to talk to them about some hot wire or something.