Know the Horse Behind the Fence
The Canadian Horse is a compact, sturdy breed shaped by harsh winters and scarce feed — an easy keeper with dense bone, a thick coat, and a reputation for intelligence and independence. Those virtues shape the fencing brief. A Canadian tests boundaries out of curiosity, works at a gate latch with mobile lips, leans into rails while scratching a winter itch, and treats a sagging top board as a puzzle rather than a barrier. He is not a fence-wrecker by size, like a draft; he is an escape artist by inclination, so the safest setup combines a fence he can clearly see with hardware he cannot undo.
Visibility First: Boards or Broad Rails
Horses run into what they cannot see, and the injuries that follow are among the worst fencing accidents. Wide boards or broad flexible rails give a Canadian a barrier he reads instantly, even at a gallop in poor light or while being chased around by a playful companion. Rails should be smooth, firmly fixed, and set so the top one meets him at a height that discourages leaning over to graze the other side. If your horse rubs or presses, an electric strand run on offsets inside the top rail teaches respect for the boundary without making the whole fence dependent on current — the visible barrier still stands if the power fails.
Leave Wire Out of the Plan
Barbed wire is unsuitable for horses generally and indefensible around a breed that investigates everything with its body. Thin single-strand wire, including high-tensile lines with no visible rail above them, can be nearly invisible to a horse moving fast and can cut deeply when a leg catches. If an existing wire fence must serve temporarily, make it visible with a broad top rail, keep it tight, and plan its replacement honestly rather than calling it finished. Check any inherited fencing for old staples, broken insulators, and stray wire ends at leg height, and clear them before turnout, because a curious Canadian will find what you missed.
Gates and Latches: Where Canadians Actually Escape
Ask owners of this breed where escapes happen and most will point at the gate. Use latches that need a deliberate two-part action, back them with a chain, and hang gates so they close squarely instead of dragging into a gap a hoof can widen. Keep halters, feed, and interesting activities away from the gate area where possible, since a horse that crowds the entrance daily is rehearsing his exit. If the field gate opens onto a lane, a second barrier — a yard gate or a fenced collecting area — turns a successful latch-working trick into a non-event rather than a horse loose on the road.
Keep the Whole System Honest
Fences fail gradually: a rotted post here, a popped rail there, an energiser battery quietly flat for a month. Walk the boundary regularly, push on posts, run a tester over electric strands, and fix small faults before your horse's daily inspections find them for you. Clear fallen branches after storms, and watch the ground under gates and along favourite scratching rails for wear. Even a well-kept fence meets its match eventually, so plan the bad day too — KinsLe's Lost Pet Alert System can send a free alert when a Canadian Horse goes missing, letting a finder who has caught him in a neighbour's field message you directly through KinsLe.