• Barbed wire should never be used to fence in horses.Barbed wire image by Hlynur Vidar from Fotolia.com
  
  To protect your investment of livestock and poultry, fencing your animals within a restricted boundary becomes necessary to reduce the risk of escapes and predator attacks. While most fencing, such as typical wood or metal fencing, doesn't pose a threat to animals, there are a few types that are potentially harmful and should be built and maintained with great caution. It's not necessary to completely avoid these types, but for some animals it's best to use a safer alternative.
  
  

Barbed Wire

• Barbed wire fences are made with narrow, razor sharp wires and are best for keeping cattle in designated areas. Barbed wire fencing should never be used for horses. A galloping horse can't see the thin barbed wire lines and may run into them, become entangled, and suffer from serious lacerations. These fences are frequently used in conjunction with electric wire to reduce the risk even more of the livestock escaping and predators attacking.
  
  

Snake

• A snake fence, also known as "split-rail," is a type of fencing that weaves back and forth and is made out of thick wood posts buried deep in the ground with rails between them. It was commonly used in the settler days but now it's used only on smaller farms due to the large amount of wood and land usage. This type of fence usually encloses horses as it is safe and dependable and a classically successful option. These fences are safe for all large animals.
  
  

Wire Mesh

• Wire mesh fencing is versatile and low maintenance, and is considered to be more attractive than barbed wire. It is constructed with wire mesh tightly stretched between sturdy wooden or metal posts separated by about 20 feet. Mesh is effective in containing just about any barn animal and is not considered to be dangerous. However, large animals may lean on the fence and cause it to bend.