What Fence Planning Questions to Prepare For?
When you call RAMM Horse Fencing & Stalls to start planning your fence project, our expert account managers will need to obtain certain information about your property to help you best prepare for a fence system installation. Having some of this information readily available will help speed up the process.
How many horses or other livestock animals are you planning on safely containing? What're their breeds? Do you plan on adding more horses or other animals in the future?
Buying once, not twice will save you many of your hard-earned dollars in the long run! Shipping costs are constantly rising, so instead of paying for shipping twice, planning for the future will pay dividends.
How soon is the project?
Supplying a timeframe is very important in the fence planning process, especially if you're not installing it yourself; fence installers book up quickly!
What type of fence (and color) are you most interested in? How many fence rails do you want/need? Do you plan on running the fence rails to the inside or outside of the pasture?
There are a few different factors that come into play here. Based on the breeds, behavior/personality, discipline, and more will determine what fence system will work best for you. For example, if you have a horse that likes to eat grass on the other side of the fence (where the grass is always greener), you may want to have a combination fence system with an electric rail or two. We have many different fence types for every budget. If you don't know what would work best, that's okay; it's why we have friendly RAMM fencing experts on staff!
Are you installing the fence yourself or do you plan on having an installer complete the installation?
We have many customers tackle the projects themselves to save on costs, however, we highly recommend following each fencing's installation instructions so you're covered by the warranty. If you do not want to mess with installing it yourself, our account managers have installer contacts they can put you in touch with.
Do you have a layout of the area you are planning on fencing?
Account managers can work with a Google maps drawing or even a hand-drawn image on scrap paper roughly showing the shape of your property. If you know the acreage and/or linear footage for each side it will help tremendously with the accuracy of the calculations.
Where are the gates located?
Many times, depending on where your gates are located can be the difference in hundreds of dollars in hardware costs. Are they going to be inline or in the corner? If they're in a corner, it will be one less post that needs hardware. Additionally, please keep in mind, it's much easier to put a gate into your pasture when installing your fence system the first time around, then it is to add them in later.
What type of fence posts will you be using?
To best determine the type of fencing supplies that will be needed, we will need to know what type of posts you will be using (wood, t-posts, round rods, etc). Based on your fence type and posts being used determines the types of screws, insulators, post brackets, and more.
What is the post spacing?
Different fence types will require specific post spacing. For example, Flex Fence post spacing should be no more than 12' apart, whereas some of the lighter (less-tensioned) electric fences only require 15' post spacing. For any high-traffic or turnout areas where leaning or playing may occur, we recommend closer post spacing (8'-10').
What the land on your property like?
Are there any significant features we should be aware of such as the soil type, any standing water, rolling hills, etc?
Is there any other miscellaneous information relevant to your layout we should know?
If there is any underlying important information that would pertain to your fence system, it's important to let your account manager know so they can help you find the best solution. Some customers have weather conditions, specific boundaries, etc.