>>> Would it be a bad idea to set up some corral panels in our large storage building to use as temporary stalls until our barn is built?
>> Excellent idea! My two stalls in my barn are pipe corral panels. They work great. No. It's not a good idea. I know there are parts of the country where it's almost impossible to set posts in the ground, due to rocky ground or whatever, and pipe corrals are common - maybe the only viable choice. We've discussed before how there are always lesser of the evils, but pipe panels can be very dangerous. I've known a horse locally who had to be put down after getting his leg caught in a pipe gate. And, if you don't remember, one of our own list members had a horse who horribly shattered her leg and had to be put down due to such an accident. Honestly, I've never found a 100% safe gate or fence...BUT, some gates/fences are especially dangerous in small areas. The smaller the area, the more likely the horse is to come into contact with the fence or gate so we need to be especially careful in those areas. I DO have some pipe gates in my pasture, but I try to do one of a couple things to make them safer. First, I try only to have them in relatively large areas, and not in a part of the pasture where they are likely to paw. In a stall, the horse is particularly likely to get bored. A horse is also more likely to get "cast" in a stall. The other thing I often do is run a single electric rope line in front of the fence, to discourage the horses from congregating too close to the fence. You simply can't do either of those things in a stall-sized area. I saw pictures of the new mare I just got in her old home. They were in an area where it's common to use pipe corrals - I suppose due to prevailing soil conditions. BUT...what they had done (at least with some corrals) is to install the 2x4 inch woven horse fence wire over the pipe corral openings, so the horse couldn't get a leg caught. That's a good idea...BUT, finding a way to attach the wire over the panels that is strong and safe brings up a whole 'nuther can of worms. Believe me, it only takes once - is it worth it? Karen Thomas, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.16.17/1178 - Release Date: 12/8/2007 11:59 AM
