Start by Reading the Fence the Way a Mustang Does
A Mustang rarely escapes through a fence that failed everywhere at once. She finds one forgiving place: a rail she has leaned on for weeks, a strand that sags after rain, a gate she can nudge while you are carrying hay. Walk the entire perimeter on foot, on the inside first and then the outside, and look for her evidence. Shiny rub marks, hair caught on a post, a bent corner, fresh hoofprints clustered at one panel, and soil scraped away beneath a gate all tell you where she has already been testing.
Run a gloved hand along rails and wire where it is safe to do so. You are feeling for splinters, lifted fasteners, cracked boards, and strands that move more than their neighbours. Push each post with your shoulder. A post that gives even slightly under your weight will give far more under a Mustang pressing, rolling, or scrambling after a spook.
Height, Bottom Edge, and the Spaces Between
Check that the top of the fence still reads clearly as a barrier to a tall, athletic horse, and pay equal attention to the bottom. Mustangs paw, and pawing near a fence line digs a shallow trench over time. Fill and pack any hollow under the lowest rail or strand, especially at corners and beside water troughs where the ground stays soft. A gap that looks harmless in dry weather can deepen after a storm washes soil downhill.
Look through the fence as well as at it. Wide spaces between rails invite a head through, and a head through is often followed by a neck, a shoulder, and a determined push.
Gates a Mustang Cannot Learn to Open
Mustangs are patient students of hardware. Work every latch with one hand, then lean hard into the closed gate the way a horse rump would. A latch that lifts, slides, or chatters under pressure needs a second securing point, such as a chain, so the gate cannot be worried open by lips or a swinging hip. Hinges should hold the gate level; a gate that sags drags, and a dragging gate is often left unlatched by tired humans, which is the most common gate failure of all.
Stand at each gate and scan the approach. Mud, ice, a rut, or a feed tub stored against the swing path can all tempt someone to prop the gate instead of closing it. Clear the swing, oil what sticks, and make the closed position the easiest position.
Corners, Water, and the After-Storm Walk
Corners collect pressure because horses bunch there at feeding time and during flies or weather. Sight down each corner for plumb, check diagonal bracing for cracks, and confirm nothing climbable or pushable, such as a mineral block or stacked timber, sits tight against the fence where it shortens the barrier. Move troughs a little off the fence line so drinking horses are not constantly shouldering the same posts.
Repeat the full walk after storms, after any horse has challenged the fence, and after ground work or deliveries move heavy equipment through gates.
A Backstop for the Day a Check Gets Missed
Even a careful owner can miss a strand hidden by tall grass, so pair the physical checks with identification and a plan for a fast reunion. Keep clear photos of your Mustang from both sides, note her markings and any brand or scar, and store the gate and fence repairs you complete alongside that record. If she ever slips out, KinsLe's Lost Pet Alert System sends a free alert to nearby Circle of Love members, and anyone who finds her can reach you directly through the alert instead of guessing who she belongs to.