05/02/2026
Let's talk about fencing! Somehow it's a controversial subject nowadays.
Why do you need to keep a wild horse in 6ft+ solid fencing when you adopt/purchase you might ask?
1. You can't get approved through BLM legally if you do not have the adequate fencing. If you lie, you are lying to the federal government and that is illegal. Requirements are listed everywhere.
2. Treat them as deer and/or moose. They can and they will jump over 6ft tall like it is nothing. Now, how would you go about catching a deer and getting it back into your pen? Seems kind of silly doesn't it, there's no way you'd ever get a deer back. If you adopted such an animal, you would be buying and putting up the correct fencing for them to avoid the headache of them getting out in the first place. Mustangs are the same.
3. The requirements are in place for a reason!!! It minimizes the chances of your horse killing itself or killing someone else. Let me break it down;
If your horse gets out without severely injuring itself and needing to be put down, you will have a wild animal on the loose. Your horse could jump into oncoming traffic and kill someone, it could cause car crashes, it could show aggressive behaviours if someone tries to approach without knowing, it could kill someone's dogs, break someone else's fences.. then you have triple horses on the loose. Even if your horse ends up okay, you could get sued for millions in damage. The possibilities are endless. The BLM will need to be sent out to catch your horse, if you do not have adequate fencing when they arrive on premises, you are in big trouble $$$$. If you think a cowboy can go rope your horse, you are probably 50% wrong. The horses will not give to pressure because it does not know pressure. Leading it back via roping would be a dangerous and risky ordeal.
4. Yes, not all mustangs will jump out of 4-5ft fencing but I have seen so many jump without any effort. I have seen a mustang go through a HUMAN DOOR. Took it straight off the hinges by jumping through the small window. The horse had ample room to go anywhere else but he was smart enough to notice humans had been coming in and out of the arena through that door. I have seen mustangs try to go over a 6ft fence and get their tags stuck in the process. I have seen mustangs roll and slide under a 6ft fence. They will do ANYTHING.
5. I've seen so many people and new trainers say "it's okay, it hasn't happened to me". It WILL happen as you start taking on more mustangs. I do not use aversive methods and it still happens to me. Most of the time, it happens when I am not there.
We are not being overdramatic when we call out people for having inadequate fencing. Chances are, people doing the calling out have had a horse jump out. It's a lot of stress and uncertainty. I would never want to go through it again. Out of 55 horses I have only had 4-5 horses get out successfully. That is WITH the 6ft . Imagine what that number would be like if I did not have the correct fencing. It is an unnecessary risk. If you don't have the money to buy the taller panels, you can make your 5 footers taller with scrap wood. There is no excuse.
Please, if you love horses, do right by them and get the proper fencing. Set them up for success. Set YOURSELF up for success. It is irresponsible and negligent not to do so.
Thank you for coming to my Ted talk.
*I have permission from various people to post these pictures.
