Horse-safe Gallagher Insulated Line Posts quickly fitted the bill for peace of mind

Wavealee Laird and partner Jacqui Norris had bought a small farm in December 2020, but widespread fires through Gavoc in March 2021 burnt half of “Breezeholme”, including all the eastern boundary fencing and two internal fences.

Wavealee says, “Having sold our property just before the fires it was frustrating because we were into our 60-day settlement period. We had about three weeks to get the new place re-fenced, so we were in a bit of a pinch. BlazeAid said they could redo our fencing, but it was going to take a couple of months organising, so I had to get something in the ground pretty much straightaway.”

Going through the options

The third-generation horsewoman went to the nearest Gallagher reseller, where she’d previously purchased their horse supplies to discuss the available options.

“I really don’t like star pickets for the sheer reason that I’ve seen horses put them through their chest with devastating outcomes; it’s not nice – they’re dangerous.”

The store showed them their options and introduced them to the Gallagher product including Gallagher Insulated Line Post. Wavealee said being black and orange, the Gallagher Insulated Line Posts are “nice and visible”.

“They are made out of flexi-fibre material, so the post flexed when he bent it and poked it into the wall. That really demonstrated that if a horse hit it, instead of piercing them like a star picket would, the insulated line post would flex.”

“It just flicked back happily afterwards, so they’re very durable and don’t have any sharp edges. He showed me they just go in with the sleeve and a post rammer. They were in my price range, so I could afford enough to have them at the intervals that I wanted.”

Solar Powered

Wavealee is using the UV-resistant, super-strong, snap-on Gallagher Insulated Line Post Clips to hold a top wire and knee-high wire onto the Insulated Line Posts.

“We’re powering it all with a Gallagher Portable Solar Energizer, an appropriate electric-fence portable solar energizer. It’s got the solar panel and the battery within the unit, so I could set it out there and just leave it. I also got the fence monitor, so it tells me if the fence is shorting and where.

Fencing to keep

“When we bought the property, we had a price for how much it was going to cost to use a particular type of internal horse fencing, and it was around $30,000, at that stage it was not in our budget. So we moved the Gallagher Insulated Line Posts and used them as our internal fences. We’ve got them dividing our acres up into horse-sized paddocks now, so they’re not just roaming around in cow-size paddocks. We created a laneway and a couple of small paddocks and a big paddock. I really like it.”

Exceeding expectations

Wavealee says she’s never used Gallagher equipment before, although knows it’s “got quite a good name from some of the non-fencing Gallagher gear that we sell at work”. So far, I’ve been really impressed with all of the products that we’ve bought: they’ve all exceeded expectations and they’re super user-friendly.

“And probably the most important thing, and why I bought them in the first place, is that peace of mind. There had been a few times over the years where I cringe before I drive around that last corner and wonder if I’m going to see horses tangled or injured. But not with this; so it’s good.”