I've just been told that next time I run a rally trial I'll have to pay to hire the fencing and poles, which is fair enough, wear and tear etc, but they are wanting quite a lot of money to hire them. I was looking into buying my own fencing and I have found the orange mesh fencing like we use, and the steel 'pig tail' poles that we put on the corners and the middle of each side. But to cover the space between each metal pole, we use a couple of plastic poles, they have little sticky out bits all the way down to hook the mesh onto, and at the bottom they have a little plastic ledge and a short metal spike so you can just stamp it into the ground. Does anyone know what these are called so I can find them on ebay, or know somewhere where I can buy them? I reckon I can afford enough fencing & poles for one ring, and a friend is considering investing in another, so we'd only need to hire one ring then.

Look at electric fencing posts.

Lucy if you google plastic stake fencing pins you should get them come up. I recently purchased some plastic barrier fencing and had the option of the metal or the plastic poles.

http://premierbarriers.co.uk/catalog/green-plastic-stake-fencing-pins-p-468.html?osCsid=8ef9c5d3e9d549cc8b79445ad571ba6c

For the cost of a couple of phone calls try ringing Clarkes of Walsham, Gladwells have a place in Stowmarket or CWG in Bury probably stock them, it would give you an idea of cost and if its reasonable then no carriage cost if you collect.

ps I have about 14 you could borrow plus about a dozen of the pigtail posts.

Chris

I got some nice pink ones from Scats :)

That's them! Now I know what they're called, I can see if my company might be able to order some in. We are a builders merchant so it's not impossible, and I get stuff for cost price plus a penny. If not, at least I know where to find them now - thanks all!

Tatty-ead thanks for the loan offer, that might be an option though I'm inclined to get my own because if we've borrowed some of you, and hired some from the rally people, and Rachel gets her own set too, it will be hopelessly confusing to get all the right posts back to the right people! I'll let you know!

The plan is even more complex now as the indoor riding school we were thinking of using can't have these posts, but does have its own fencing of some type. So we can either go there for more money but no fencing costs or catering, but yes to indoor competing, or we can go back to the venue I've used twice, probably have my boss's Cats Protection League lot do the catering again and lower hire costs, but risk the weather..... It's all good fun, this organising lark!

> Lucy if you google plastic stake fencing pins you should get them come up. I recently purchased some plastic barrier fencing and had the option of the metal or the plastic poles.

>http://premierbarriers.co.uk/catalog/green-plastic-stake-fencing-pins-p-468.html?osCsid=8ef9c5d3e9d549cc8b79445ad571ba6c

> Does anyone know what these are called

Electric fencing stakes...the type you mention are used primarily for sheep. Any farm hardware store will sell them..Mole Valley farmer etc.

We definitely don't want electric fencing stakes, we want to just mark out a ring, not shock the dogs! But thanks anyway, the plastic ones are what I'm after.

>Electric fencing stakes

The plastic ones are for electric fencing - you need fencing and electricity to give the shock, the poles only hold it ;-)

> We definitely don't want electric fencing stakes, we want to just mark out a ring, not shock the dogs! But thanks anyway, the plastic ones are what I'm after.
>
>

But that is what they are called, so yes that is what you want. They are plastic, otherwise if they were used as intended(for sheep etc), the electric current would short out... that is why you can get them for use with cows with just the pig tails at the top of the stake. The pig tails are covered with plastic coating to not short out the current...am I boring you yet??

Ah, ok. Well I've found them on that link someone gave me and on ebay too now, so I just have to decide whether I'm going to splash out or not now!