I see a lot of people who use T-post fencing for their horses, and I get it. They’re cheap, and easy to install, and, in theory, they’re not that dangerous. If you cap the posts they’re really not that dangerous, right? Even if they’re capped, T-posts have always made me nervous. Too many people I know have answered the question, “How did your horse get that scar?” with, “Oh, he impaled/stabbed/harpooned/gouged himself on a T-post.”

Even horses that walk away (or, more likely, limp away) from T-post related injuries with relatively little damage done still usually need some combination of Tetanus boosters, antibiotics, stitches, stall rest and rehabilitation care.

The horse pictured above was playing with another horse over the fence, and while bucking he kicked the cap off of a T-post, then landed on it. I will repeat, this injury came from a capped T-post. There was actually a chunk of horseflesh on the post. Yuck, and ouch. Luckily, this horse was caught and treated within minutes of injuring himself. He is recovering and doing as well as can be expected.

I’ll keep this post short and end with this statement: Please don’t use T-posts. Even if you cap them, they’re not safe.