Stock & Noble
9 Fencing Ideas for Designing Your Dream Horse Day Yards.
- BY Tripti Kakkar
A day yard is like a small, temporary space for horses. People use it for different reasons, like when they move a horse or when it’s getting better, or sometimes the day yard is a nice-to-have off the side of a large stabling complex. Sometimes, there’s a protective shelter on one side of the yard.
These yards are usually connected to stables and are an important part of a horse property. Picking the right fence for day yards is crucial because it’s a small space where horses often push against the fence. So, the fence needs to be strong. But it should also look good with the rest of your property.
At Stock & Noble, we provide top-quality fences for high-end horse properties in Australia and New Zealand. We know that horse places have different needs for various spaces like front fences, stables, shelters, and day yards. Every product we offer is chosen carefully to meet these needs and work well in terms of both design and use.
If you’re setting up a day yard and need some inspiration to plan and design this article is just what you need. Through the blog, you will see different ways a day yard can laid out with premium fencing. You will gain enough ideas to visualise your day yard more clearly and transform your dream into reality.
1.Use Secure Strong Fencing: Post and Rail
When it comes to designing day yards, incorporating thoughtful fencing ideas is essential to ensure the safety, well-being, and aesthetic appeal of the space for horses. Equally important is to use strong safe horse fencing.
Here’s an example of a day yard built with Premium Steel Post and Rail Fencing.
2. Explore the Use of Shelter and Avoid Sharp Corners
Adding a protective shelter within the day yard enhances its functionality, offering horses a shaded area. Additionally, incorporating features like rounded corners and smooth surfaces helps prevent injuries and promotes a horse-friendly environment.
Balancing practicality with visual appeal, choosing a fence design that complements the overall aesthetic of the horse property ensures a harmonious and well-integrated look.
3. Make your day yards spacious
Ensure that the day yard is spacious enough to allow horses to move freely, and stretch. A good rule of thumb is to provide at least 50 to 100 square meters per horse.
4. Well-planned entry and Exit for Day Yards
Plan the entry and exit points strategically to minimize stress during horse movements. Ensure these areas are well-designed to prevent accidents.
5. Put thought into gate location.
Design the gate securely, ensuring it is easily operable by anyone using the yards but secure enough to prevent horses from playing with the latch and opening it. Here’s a 4 rail gate system of Premium Steel post and rail Fencing from Stock & Noble.
6. Fencing Material Should be Easy to Maintain
Plan for easy maintenance by choosing materials that are durable and simple to clean. Regular cleaning of the day yard helps prevent health issues and maintains a pleasant environment.
7. Well-planned Fencing Colour
The most popular colour choices are black fencing with black shelters. However, we’ve seen clients use contrasting colours and they seem to look stunning as well. The basic principle is to match the look and feel of day yards to your entire property and choose the colour accordingly.
8. 4 Rails is Preferable
Day yards should ideally be 4 rails. The reason is since your horses are likely to get bored in the day yard and want to get to the horse next door or simply go roaming, they are likely to push on the fencing a lot. If you have 3 rails with large gaps between the rails, they’re more likely to ‘have a go’ at pushing through the gaps which constantly puts your fencing under pressure. On the other hand, 4 rails stop the ‘push through’ and also create a stronger fence for general containment.
9. Choose Fencing Horses Don’t Love to Chew
Horses are typically used to open paddocks where there are quite a few activities to keep them occupied. In comparison, these beings might get bored in day yards. Consequently, they are more likely to chew on the fencing. Our recommendation is to use stronger materials like steel in day yards, which they are not inclined to nibble on, unlike timber.
Ready to Start Designing Your Day Yards?
In summary, designing an effective day yard for your horses involves a careful blend of safety, functionality, and visual appeal. Opting for sturdy and secure fencing, like the Premium Steel Post and Rail Fencing, sets the stage for a safe and aesthetically pleasing environment.
The design should incorporate spaciousness, allowing horses freedom of movement, and strategic entry and exit points to minimise stress. Gates should balance ease of use for anyone managing and operating the yards along with security.
Considering maintenance-friendly materials and syncing colours with the property’s overall aesthetic is something to think about. Before saying yes to a fence, learn more about finding the right fencing material for your day yards.
Overall, a well-designed day yard is important to keep your horses safe and make your property look even more beautiful. Consulting with fence professionals will surely help you build a day yard that matches your vision.