What fencing options work best for horses and what should be avoided?

Fencing for horses must balance safety, containment, visibility, and durability. A horse that is injured by inadequate or inappropriate fencing, escapes through failed fencing onto a road, or develops behavioral problems from poor confinement has cost far more than premium fencing materials would have. Board fencing — solid wood boards attached to posts at appropriate heights — is visually clear to horses, relatively safe when maintained correctly, and durable with quality materials. Its primary drawbacks are cost and maintenance. Wood weathers, splinters, and eventually needs replacement, and horses that crib or chew wood can damage board fencing significantly. Board fencing with a strand of electric wire along the top inside edge reduces chewing and keeps horses from leaning into the fence. No-climb horse fencing — a woven wire product with small openings that prevent hooves from becoming caught — offers a safer alternative to large-opening welded wire. Used with a top board or electric wire, no-climb fencing is effective and relatively low maintenance once installed. Smooth wire electric fencing is cost-effective and safe for horses that respect it, but requires that the charge be maintained consistently and that horses have been properly introduced to it before turnout. Barbed wire is inappropriate for horses under any circumstances. Its injury potential is severe, and horses in normal social behavior can sustain catastrophic lacerations from barbed wire that other species tolerate without injury.