Safe and Functional Horse Fencing

between paddocks?
Think about your management objectives. For example do you need dedicated individual turnout areas for the types of services your stable offers?
Do you want a portion of your fencing to be movable to access rotational grazing?
Consider the size number and location of gates taking into account the safe movement of animals and access for farm equipment. Gates and their placement are just as important as the type of fencing used.
The answers to these questions will help you calculate a budget. Fencing for horses is an essential part of any horse farm or acreage but skimping to save a few bucks could lead to horses getting injured or loose repairs and added maintenance.
Horses test fence strength regularly so fencing needs to be sturdy and clearly visible. They are flight animals and fear of something can send them running first and thinking later. That instinctive behaviour dictates the kind of fencing material to use and where it should be placed keeping safety uppermost in mind. For example if a fenceline is placed in a shaded area an obscured area where it is concealed by bush or at the bottom of a slope a running horse may not see it until the last moment and may crash into it.
For fencing think big bold and high. Be sure that the fencing does not allow a horse to put its head through the gaps to snack on grass on the other side and become stuck. Horses always seem to think the grass just out of reach is better than what is in front of them! 
In looking at fence design consider the clearance from the bottom board or wire to the ground. A higher clearance means a foal or miniature horse could slip underneath or children and dogs could crawl into the pasture.
Laura Kenney extension educator for equine at Pennsylvania State University recommends that fences should be installed at a height equal to the height of your horses eyes with his head up about five feet or better. Draft horses might need something higher and stallions should have fencing at least six feet high. Plan your fencing around your tallest horse.
In the planning stage remember that horses are herd animals with a pecking order which can sometimes have harsh repercussions. A subordinate horse might panic if trapped by a dominant animal in a tight corner of the pasture. Where possible choose rounded corners rather
than hard 90degree angles. A rounded corner or a curved fenceline makes for an easier escape route for a trapped horse. If horses are being separated into different paddocks or turnouts that share a fenceline the safest option is a double fence separation between them to prevent horses interacting with each other over the fence. Another option is to place a strand of electric wire across the top of all shared fencelines. 
All pastures have gates and ideally more than one. Decide the size of each gate and have one that is wide enough to comfortably drive a vehicle or your farm equipment through. Gates should have a straight approach and be placed where horses wont gather and get stuck when you are opening it.