[cali]

http://www.rubberfencing.com/

I am curious about it and the price sure is right!! I would love to hear about any experiences you might have with it.

[KSquared]

I don't know about you, but for $40 it sure is worth trying! (400 feet at .10 cents)

[cali]

I know, right? It almost seems too good to be true!

[tradewind]

I had a friend who used it on her farm in VA...it was pretty good, but did need to be periodically tightened up as it stretched over time. It was slightly wider than the examples shown in the link so perhaps it was a different company.

[goodhors]

I thought this stuff was gone forever! Wow!! Rubber fence was the first "kind to horses" fence anyone used. Cheap, wouldn't cut up horses, easy to put up, AND used the rubber in a recycling idea.

While the rubber strips sounded like a great deal, it needed electric inside to keep the equines off it or they pushed it down, pulled it off the posts. Horses didn't respect it at all without the electric fences inside to prevent leaning on the rubber strips.

BIG HAZARD was the strings inside the rubber. Horses would entertain themselves by playing with the strings, pull off strings, EAT the strings. Lots of DEAD HORSES from impaction issues related to strings from rubber fences. Local College Vet Clinic had a lot of those cases, still has the big wads of string among the collection of "Things found inside horses!" shown during Open Houses. They made money on the surgeries, whether horse survived or not.

Look at the photos of coils of rubber fencing under Specifications, which show the strings inside. Strings are pretty available to the horse and they DO enjoy playing with those strings. And the horses DO swallow those strings pretty easily. They are entertained when they pull a string and it comes loose the full length of the fence run. Really do eat those strings pretty readily.

As the obvious bad features became more well known among horse owners, the rubber fences were torn down, replaced with other kinds of fences that were somewhat safer.

Heck, we STILL have old rubber fences hanging from posts, left from when the horses died and were not replaced. That stuff is 20+ years old now. Rubber fence was a fad for a while, that I thought was gone forever. I wouldn't have it on MY FARM!

[katarine]

What she said. Terrible stuff.

[cali]

So it is too good to be true! Thanks for filling me in!

[Emily&Jake]

Is there anyway to cut the strings? I imagine it's like when some elastic comes undone on clothes? Or what if you put the inside of the fence facing out, that way the strings are inaccessible?

I have bookmarked the site for future reference - would love to hear more reviews of course.

[goodhors]

Is there anyway to cut the strings? I imagine it's like when some elastic comes undone on clothes? Or what if you put the inside of the fence facing out, that way the strings are inaccessible?

I have bookmarked the site for future reference - would love to hear more reviews of course.

No, you can't prevent the horses being able to reach the strings, which are on the edges of the rubber banding. Strings are what gives the rubber banding it's strength. This is TOTALLY UNLIKE elastic.

Even burning the edges of the rubber won't prevent strings from appearing in time. Also a lot of work for both edges and on long runs of rubber.

Any elderly Vets around you could ask about rubber fences? All the ones locally could tell you plenty of horror stories about the coliced horses who ate strings. Just a rerun of a very bad idea. There is a REASON these folks are the ONLY supplier now-a-days.

[BasqueMom]

Sorry, looks like an accident of some sort waiting to happen. Read the instructions on the site carefully. They nail it to the post or tree...trees are not a good idea....they grow. Recommed a face plate over where the rail is nailed...more work. Since we are told to replace tires regardless of mileage after 4-6 years because of UV damage, there is no way
this stuff is going to last ten years.

[Nipntuck]

Cool! Didn't know Jim had a website. I put up our first rubber fencing probably at least 8 years ago and it's held up beautifully. I am replacing the old oak board fencing as needed with rubber and will not use anything else going forward. It's relatively quick to put up, very cost effective, durable, and low maintenance. You do need to get the bracing right, as it's a tension fence and you will pull the corner posts (or whichever you are pulling against) out of line and get loose rubber, but done correctly (and correctly isn't hard) it's great.

And, yes, I buy from him, found out about him from his ads in the NC Agricultural Review.

Just read some of the other feedback. A local farm has had rubber fencing since the early 1972 and it's held up well. I didn't do the face strip and haven't missed it. We did have a tree fall on one section and pull it off the post, just nailed it back up. You should not bury the nail head into the rubber or it can go through. I don't nail anything to trees ~ I like trees too much, however in one paddock, I used a sturdy cedar tree as a corner, e.g. run it around the outside of it. I've also never had a horse think of messing with or nibbling on the fence. Those horses must have been desperate to eat that.

[Hannahsmom]

Years ago I boarded at a place that had something similar. A young horse was pawing or rolling or something, got his leg thru it and somehow twisted it on his leg like a tourniquet (sp). It was scary. No thanks.