Imagine rolling green hills crisscrossed with a pristine white 3-rail fence. Now you get the picture. Now imagine that fence after several summers and winters. What you see now is work! Investing in an all-vinyl fence is the answer.

When vinyl fencing was invented, we’re certain that they had horse owners in mind. Horses are not "livestock". This means that inexpensive materials safe for cattle can spell disaster for a horse. Veterinarians will tell you that the wrong fence can do more damage than good. Safety issues from leaning to charging to cribbing are also important fence issues. Vinyl’s smooth surface discourages horses from leaning and rubbing against the fence to scratch themselves. Vet bills associated with cribbing on a wood fence are eliminated with vinyl posts.

Heritage vinyl fencing is the safe, maintenance-free solution. Remember that proper fence maintenance is a critical factor in keeping your horses' safe. A fence that is difficult or expensive to repair means you’ll be less likely to do the necessary maintenance.

Heritage Vinyl Products, Inc., a leading manufacturer of ranch post and rail systems, has been serving the equine community for over 13 years. "Our first efforts in creating fence materials were for ranchers and farmers looking for a substitute for pipe or wood fencing. Many of these customers were familiar with agricultural uses for PVC. We used that knowledge to build a product that could withstand the demands of sun and snow and be safe for horses," relates Arden Fullen, National Sales Manager.

"Understanding the technical aspects of quality vinyl fencing can be overwhelming. It’s easy to fall in love with the beautiful looks of a white picket fence, but the long-term value of vinyl is based upon the product’s chemical makeup and the manufacturers’ production methods. Your time spent in choosing a manufacturer is important. Heritage is confident of its built-in quality and reputation. We back our product with a non-prorated Lifetime Warranty. All our materials have this warranty even for do-it-yourself installations."

The basic ingredient for vinyl fencing is polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The addition of chemicals such as UV inhibitors and impact modifiers is critical to vinyl’s stability, durability, weatherability and overall life. Heritage uses the industry-leading standard of 10 parts per 100 of titanium dioxide (Ti02). This is a costly ingredient but skimping on this UV inhibitor means that the product won’t hold up in the sun. Impact modifiers add flex so that the product will give instead of crack or splinter like wood.

Heritage ranch products are manufactured from pure virgin materials using a state-of-the-art process called coextrusion. By using pure product with no recycled materials, the consumer is assured of the best quality possible. Coextrusion is considered the preferred method by major manufacturers. The manufacturer has the ability to control the placement of the majority of the UV inhibitor to the outside where it sees the sun. The "layers" are molecularly bonded during the process and cannot physically be separated unlike veneer. The product quality and the color are true throughout.

The Heritage extrusion dies used to create the vinyl posts and rails are the exact size and shape of the final product. Vinyl has a memory. It always tries to resume the shape it was "born" as. Material extruded in pipe sizes and pressed into square or "out of true" dies will eventually become misshapen.

Vinyl has five-times the tensile strength of wood and four-times the flexibility. The strength and flexibility factors have been put to good use in post and rail systems for horses. Whether you select 2-rail, 3-rail, 4-rail, Crossbuck or Split Rail systems, the posts are set 8-foot on center. The 16-foot rails come in two sizes; the most popular is the same size as a wood 2" x 6" which means it is actually measures 1½" x 5½"; the second is a true 2"x 6". Both rails have internal ribs for additional strength.

Rails are interwoven through the factory-routed 5-inch square posts to add even more overall strength to the fence. To internally attach the rails to a post, tabs are cut in the rail with a special notching tool. The notching system works just like a fishhook. Once the rails are inserted into the post, the tabs expand and the rails are secured. Heritage fence owners have found the notching to be a simple yet effective method to assemble their fence. There are no outside brackets to rust or break and there are no additional connectors to fail. The natural strength of the vinyl is more than sufficient for a sturdy horse paddock or training area.

An additional benefit from the Heritage notching method is that should an aggressive horse challenge your fence, the rails will flex tremendously and given enough force would eventually pop out of the post. The vinyl fence might be disassembled but the horse would be protected. Often rails can be slid back into the post without any additional repair costs. Horse owners across the U.S. report their relief when they discover just how safe their Heritage fence is for their animals.

Heritage manufacturers their own post caps and has several to choose from. Their "H" cap was created specifically for fences containing horses. This cap has no outside edges therefore horses can’t pull it off.

Color consistency and stability are important when you are building a product designed to last a lifetime. Heritage selected a specific white color and their "dye lot" has remained true through the years. This built-in consistency along with the weatherability of vinyl means that you can install 1,500-feet of Heritage 4-rail this year and 2,000-feet two years from now and they’ll all look new.

The most important feature of Heritage vinyl fencing is its no-maintenance aspect. Heritage fences are not only beautiful but stay that way. They never need to be scraped and painted. They never splinter or warp. And there are no termites that eat vinyl! Vinyl never rots and mildew and moss are not a problem. A beautiful fence adds value to your property while improving its "curb" appeal. Heritage fencing materials have been designed and manufactured to be a long-lasting fence.

Heritage fencing is also available in tan (a dark beige), ivory (a warm cream) and oyster (a soft grey) for horse owners interested in matching barn trim or coordinating with stable colors. Homeowners have over 30 Heritage styles of fencing along with all-vinyl decking and an assortment of garden accessories to select from. Along with the traditional ranch styles, Heritage offers styles ranging from a full privacy fence, to a classic white picket fence to a "wrought-iron" look. To accent your yard, there are picnic tables, park benches, arbors, trellises and a lovely little gazebo. For more information on Heritage Vinyl Products, please call 1-800-473-3623. Your local Heritage dealer can help you with materials or complete custom installations.

Written for Heritage Vinyl Products -  

Published in Equine Journal (July 1999)