Stock & Noble
- BY Tripti Kakkar
As the name suggests, horse sighter wire is a highly visible fence wire specifically designed for horse properties. It is the ideal top wire for horse fences that help prevent horses from running into the wire and reduces horse injury. Thus, resulting in fewer vet bills, happier horses and a heavier wallet.
If you are already impressed by the features of this fencing and are looking for the best horse sighter wire, then keep reading.
At Stock & Noble, we provide the finest horse fencing solutions to properties across Australia and New Zealand. Along with our other globally successful products, we feature three types of horse sighter wires – Border Line, Horsecote (Horserail) and Legacy Line. Being our products, we feel they are the most effective horse sighter wires available today, however, we understand it’s important for you to know all the options and the right fit for your property.
In this article, we will compare the most popular horse sighter wires – Waratah, Border Line, Legacy Line, Horsecote, NemTek, Bayco and ThunderBird.
This will be based on their thickness, visibility, tensioning, and other characteristics so that you can weigh them all and select the horse sighter wire that best suits your vision and budget.
The good news is, it doesn’t matter what sighter wire you choose, you are choosing a safer alternative to wire.
Comparison of Horse Sighter Wires (Non-Conductive)
Before we dig deeper into the 7 top brands and their key features, here’s a comparison chart that will help you get a clear and comprehensive picture of the world of horse sighter wires.
It’s important to note that tensioning is set by the manufacturer and since every product is made of different material a higher tension doesn’t necessarily mean more stretchability of the product.
Horse Sighter Wire from Waratah
Waratah fencing is a well-known name in mesh and exclusion fencing. Their fencing is Australian made and owned.
Because horses run into normal wire fences, Waratah has focused on designing a Horse sighter wire that has better visibility. It’s UV Stabilised PVC Coated wire.
White coating provides improved visibility for horses.
Specifications of Horse Sighter Wire from Waratah
Thickness: 5.2mm
Breaking Strain- 622 KG
Tensioning: Recommended Tension 2.0 KN
Length: 400m
Colours: White
Warranty: Australian made Waratah products are strong and will last longer than cheaper imported products (Years not mentioned on the website)
Price: $286.88 for 400m including GST.
Additional features:
- UV stable
- Finished size of 5.20mm enclosing a 4.00mm standard galvanized wire
Border Line™ Horse Sighter Wire from Stock and Noble
Border Line Horse Sighter Wire is designed specifically for fencing around horses and is a complete fencing system.
It is a 4mm thick high-quality nylon sighter wire for the border of any property. Perfectly suited for all ‘sighter wire applications’, it’s forgiving and flexible, making it horse-safe and a breeze to install.
Border Line horse sighter wire has no steel in it and is pre-stretched for extra strength resulting in highly flexible fencing.
Originally Border Line was manufactured in Australia, but currently, we get it made in India to our specifications.
For the last 15 years, it has been successfully used at horse properties across Australia and New Zealand and is best suited for horse owners that simply want a safe, functional and cost-effective fence. To learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of this fencing system, check out the in-depth review of Border Line Horse Sighter Wire.
Borderline also has options in thickness and colour including glow for horses suffering from night blindness.
Please note, we are only using Border Line Round for ease of comparison. If you need more information check out the comparison of different types of BorderLine™ horse sighter wires.
Border Line Horse Sighter Wire (Round) Specifications
Thickness: 4mm
Breaking Strain- 495kg
Tensioning: 4% tension
Length: 600 Meters Roll
Warranty: 20 years
Post Spacing: Upto 6 metres
Colours: Black or white
Price: $465.50 for 600m
Additional features:
- UV stable
- Infused with anti-mould
- Pre-stretched for extra flexibility
- A complete fencing system with anchors, joiners and tensioning tools.
Legacy Line Horse Sighter Wire from Stock and Noble
Designed and manufactured in the USA Legacy Line is a high-tensile wire that is molecularly bonded to a unique polyolefin blend of flexible plastic.
This coated wire is a non–electric horse fencing solution. It’s also available in an electric option called, Legacy Line Electric.
Legacy Line Horse Sighter Wire Specifications
Thickness: 7.5 mm
Breaking Strain- 635 KG
Tensioning: 4% tension
Length: 402 Meters Roll
Warranty: 30 years
Post Spacing: Up to 6 metres
Colours: Black, Natural or white
Price: $603.90 including GST
Additional features:
- Mildew resistant
- UV stable
Horsecote Horse Sighter Wire from Stock and Noble
Horsecote belongs to the coveted brand of Horserail. This economical fencing system is a non-conductive polyethylene-coated wire designed to help prevent horse injuries.
Horsecote is installed the same as a traditional high tensile wire.
Designed and made in America, it’s also available in an electric option.
Just like the original Horserail, there are very few suppliers of Horsecote in Australia and New Zealand. It’s a fast-moving product, so it’s best to check the availability before you begin your fencing project.
Specifications of Horsecote Horse Sighter Wire from Stock and Noble
Thickness: 7.5mm
Breaking Strain- 612 KG
Tensioning: Proper tensioning is accomplished by
-Making sure the coated wire is hand tight before final tensioning with mini spooler.
-Having sufficient slack in the coated wire for one full rotation before becoming taut.
Length: 400 Meters Roll
Warranty: 30 years
Post Spacing: 2m to 4m depending on terrain
Colours: Brown, black and white
Price: $579.70 including GST
Additional Features:
UV Resistant
Nemtek Horse Sighter Wire from Big Red Fencing, Australia
Nemtek Horse Sighter Wire is a non-corrosive nylon monofilament ideally suited to horse paddocks, driveways, flower beds and yards where visual or non-electrical boundary warning is required.
It is soft and pliable so no special tools are needed for straining and installing and it is available in a black or white finish, and 100m or 600m
Nemtek is a manufacturing supplier in South Africa. Big Red fencing is 100% Australian-owned and operated supplier of electric fence products and parts. They stock, source and ship fencing from warehouses, suppliers and manufacturers from all around Australia.
NemTek Horse Sighter Wire Specifications
Thickness: 4 mm
Breaking Strain- 330kg breaking strain +/- 10%
Tensioning: Easily tensioned by hand to 3% extension
Length: 100 or 600-meter Roll
Warranty: 1 Year
Post Spacing: 10 to 15 metres
Colours: Black or white
Price: $313.50 including GST for 600-metre roll.
Additional features:
- Mildew resistant
- UV stable
- Comes in Easy Dispense Packaging to save tangles
- Non-corrosive and resistant to most chemical sprays and saltwater
- Safe polymer monofilament sighter.
- Capable of stretching up to +/- 20%
- 7 times lighter than steel wire
Bayco Horse Sighter Wire from Gallagher
Bayco Horse Sighter Wire is an equine sighter wire for permanent fences. It’s a safe polymer monofilament sighter.
Manufactured in China, it’s claimed to be a high-density sighter wire that stretches under impact minimising potential injuries.
Specifications of Bayco Horse Sighter Wire
Thickness: 4 mm
Breaking Strain- 520 kg
Tensioning: Easily tensioned by hand to 3% extension
Length: 100m and 625m
Warranty: 10 years
Post Spacing:The closer the spacing you keep the more rigid the fence will be.
Colour: White
Price: $473.90 for a 625-metre roll including GST
Additional Features:
- Non- corrosive and resistant to most chemical sprays
- UV STABLE
- Low-weight
- High-stretch
- Resistant to herbicides and phosphates
Thunderbird Horse Sighter Wire
Thunderbird is an Australian company, and this sighter wire is manufactured in Australia as well.
Thunderbird Horse Sighter Wire is a 100% nylon sighter wire capable of stretching by up to 24%. It’s smooth, highly visible and attractive white wire for equine properties.
Specifications of Thunderbird Horse Sighter Wire
Thickness: 4 mm
Breaking force: Strong 300 – 400 kg
Tensioning: Stretch Up to 24%
Length: 650-metre roll
Warranty: Not known
Post Spacing: Not known
Colour: White
Price: $382.43 – 650m
Additional Features
- UV Stabilised
- 7 x lighter than steel
- Non-conductive
- Resistant to sunlight, crop chemicals, acids, extreme temperatures and salt water.
Which Horse Sighter Wire is best for my horse property?
You were looking for a safe, functional and cost-effective horse sighter wire for your property and wanted to find the one that’s best suited for your budget, your animals and your property.
Now you know all about the top 7 horse sighter wires that come from different fencing suppliers who offer different break strengths, and varied visibility based on the width of the diameter and are available in usually black, white or natural.
Based on our experience, white horse sighter wire is the most visible of all. UV stability, strength and tension are some of the most important considerations.
A crucial point to note is that Border Line is pre-stretched, so when it’s manufactured it starts at 12mm and shrinks to 4mm. As a result, the molecules are aligned, giving the product additional strength. Moreover, it provides additional safety since the product is in its final state and only has its natural stretch to give it more stretch before it bounces back. In other products, the wires can continue to stretch, which can cause horses to get tangled and injured.
Finally, the decision is yours.
- If you are looking for higher visibility, longevity and the finest quality and are ready to pay a premium then Legacy Line and Horsecote are good options. They are thicker horse sighter wires and ideal for high-functioning areas where you want extra strength. Their variants Legacy Line Electric and Hotcote also have the option of electrics, if you need one.
- If you want a thinner horse sighter with the utmost safety and flexibility Border Line™ , Waratah Horse Sighter Wire and Bayco horse sighter wire are suitable for you. They have similar dimensions and are similarly priced however Border Line™ has the highest known warranty of 20 years.
- Nemtek Horse Sighter Wire with one year warranty is the cheapest and a good fit if money is a huge consideration and you only want a temperaory fence.
Once you finalise your horse sighter wire, the next step is to know how much your fencing project is going to cost you. Learning about the key factors that affect the cost of installing horse sighter wire will help you in making the right estimate and the right decision.
If you have any more questions on the suitability of a horse sighter wire based on the specific needs of your property, connect with one of our fencing experts. We will listen to your requirements and help you create a safe and functional equine property.
