The right farm fence depends on the animal: board fence for horses, field wire with a top board for cattle, welded wire panels for goats and dogs, and pipe or no-climb for arenas and working pens. Northbound Fences builds all of them on pastures across Tangipahoa and St. Tammany Parishes, and this guide explains where each one fits.
Pasture fence on the Northshore has to do two jobs that fences in drier country do not. It has to hold in wet ground that softens every spring, and it has to shrug off hurricane wind and the limbs that come down with it. The options below are ordered by the animal they suit best, with the Louisiana-specific notes that change the decision.
Which fence is best for horses?
Three-board and four-board wood fence is the horse standard for good reason. Horses see boards clearly, a horse that runs into a board breaks the board rather than a leg, and the fence reads as a boundary from across the field. Four boards sit closer together and are the better choice for foals, ponies and horses that test fences. Three boards suit larger pastures with settled horses.
On the Northshore, the boards are rarely the weak point. The posts are. A board fence is only as straight as the posts holding it, and posts in Tangipahoa clay or the sandy, wet ground near the Tchefuncte need the ground-contact rating and proper setting to stay plumb. Many horse owners in Folsom and Franklinton pair a board fence with an electric offset wire along the top, which stops leaning and cribbing and keeps the boards intact for years longer.
What fence works for cattle?
Woven field wire is the workhorse for cattle because it covers long runs economically and holds up to animals that lean. The usual Northshore build is field wire stretched tight between well-braced corners, with a single wood top board or a top strand that gives the fence visibility and keeps cattle from pushing it down. The top board also adds stiffness in high wind, which matters more here than in most places.
Field wire depends entirely on tension, and tension depends on bracing. A corner that is not braced properly will pull inward over the first wet season, and the whole run slackens. The section on posts and bracing below explains what to look for. If termites and moisture are the worry, the Louisiana humidity and termite guide covers post materials in detail.
What fence keeps goats and dogs in?
Goats climb, lean, and push their heads through anything a head fits through, and dogs dig. Welded wire panels with small openings answer both. The panels are rigid, so there is no wire to stretch or sag, and the small mesh stops horned goats from getting stuck. For dogs that dig, the crew can set the bottom of the panel at or just below grade, or add a buried apron along the problem stretch.
Welded panel fence is also the right answer for a small hobby pasture near the house in Hammond or Ponchatoula where looks matter and the run is short. It works with wood posts or steel T-posts and takes a wood top rail if you want it to match a board fence elsewhere on the property. See farm and ranch fencing for the panel options Northbound installs.
When does an electric offset make sense?
An electric offset is a single hot wire mounted on stand-off insulators a few inches inside the main fence. It is not a fence on its own. Its job is to keep animals off the physical fence, which is what makes board fence last with horses and keeps cattle from leaning on field wire. It also discourages predators and neighbor dogs from working at the fence from the outside. Any of the fences above can take an offset wire, and adding one during the build is easier than retrofitting later.
What goes around an arena or working pen?
Riding arenas, round pens and cattle working pens take abuse that pasture fence never sees. Pipe fence is the choice where strength matters most, and no-climb mesh on wood or pipe posts is the choice where a horse might kick or strike at the fence. No-climb mesh has openings too small for a hoof to pass through, which prevents the injuries that board or wire fences allow in a confined space. Sand arenas in St. Tammany often combine the two, with pipe or heavy wood posts and a top board for visibility over the mesh.
Tip: decide where equipment will enter before the fence line is laid out. Moving a gate after the corners are braced means rebuilding the brace, and a gate placed where the tractor cannot turn is a daily annoyance.
How do the farm fence options compare?
| Fence type | Best for | Upkeep in Louisiana | Look |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three- or four-board wood | Horses, front pastures | Replace a board now and then; watch posts; stain optional | Classic farm, highly visible |
| Field wire with top board | Cattle, long runs | Re-tension after settling; check corner braces | Working farm, low profile |
| Welded wire panels | Goats, dogs, small pastures | Minimal; rigid panels do not sag | Neat, modern, takes a top rail |
| Electric offset | Added to any fence above | Keep grass off the wire; check the charger | Nearly invisible |
| Pipe or no-climb mesh | Arenas, round pens, working pens | Very low; no boards to break | Heavy duty, equestrian |
How are posts, bracing and gates handled on a pasture?
Three construction details decide whether a farm fence is still straight in ten years.
- Post spacing and setting. Line posts on a board fence are spaced to the board length, and field wire posts can run farther apart because the wire carries the load. Every post in wet pasture is set deep enough and in a way that suits the ground, which the crew judges on site rather than by a rule of thumb. Low spots that hold water get extra attention.
- Corner and end bracing. Corners, ends and gate openings take all the pull from a tensioned wire fence and all the weight from a gate. They are built as braced assemblies with heavier posts, not as single posts. A properly braced corner is the single biggest difference between a farm fence that holds tension and one that goes slack.
- Gate width. Equipment gates run 12 to 16 feet so tractors, trailers and hay equipment pass without clipping a post. Gate posts are the heaviest on the property. Gate installation covers the hardware choices for farm gates, including options that stay level on long spans.
Northbound Fences builds pasture and ranch fence across the service area, including rural tracts around Folsom and Franklinton. Call (985) 630-4452 or send the estimate form, and the crew will walk the line with you and plan the gates before anything is set.
Farm fence questions
What is the best fence for horses on the Northshore?
Three-board or four-board wood fence is the standard choice for horse pasture in Tangipahoa and St. Tammany Parishes because the boards are visible to the horse and will give before a leg does. Where a lower budget matters, field wire with a top board keeps visibility and still contains most horses. See farm and ranch fencing.
How wide should a farm gate be for a tractor?
Plan on 12 to 16 feet for any gate that equipment will pass through. A 12-foot gate clears most tractors and trailers, and 16 feet gives room for a hay trailer or a wide implement without clipping a post. Walk gates near the barn can be narrower. See gate installation.
Will a wood farm fence survive Louisiana termites and wet ground?
Yes, if the posts are rated for ground contact and set properly. Formosan termites and standing water take the bottom of a post first, which is why our Louisiana humidity and termite guide focuses on post selection. Boards and rails above ground last much longer.
Does Northbound Fences build fence on large rural tracts?
Yes. Northbound Fences installs farm, ranch and pasture fencing within about 50 miles of Covington, including Folsom, Franklinton, Hammond, Ponchatoula, Amite City and Kentwood. The free estimate includes walking the line and planning gate placement.
