Clean Run - August 2017 - 35

Affordable,
Portable, Storable
Ring Fencing
By Carol Bolduc, photos by author

Hilltown Hounds Agility Club needed 4-foot portable fencing for classes
at the barn where we train. The densely packed arena sub-surface did
not accept step-in-the-ground posts without first driving a thick, long
spike to place each post every time we set up. This was time consuming, cumbersome, and required a strong arm and very heavy hammer. It was a deterrent to classes starting on time and the job no one
wanted. Fencing was my pet project to solve as I had the dog that most
needed it. The solution had to be economical, simple, quick to set up
and take down, reasonably secure, and store easily in limited space.

Thus, the snow fence and traffic cones design was born. It
worked out so well for classes,
the club decided to purchase
enough to use for our annual
trial at a sports dome on artificial
turf. It has been used successfully at three trials and got rave
reviews from competitors and
judges. It cost about one-third
of what it would have to outfit
a trial with accordion-style PVC
ring gates. This is more durable,
easier to repair, stores more
compactly, and is higher for
green dogs that are starting out.
Supplies Needed
* 28-inch traffic cones-the
cones are the most expensive component. You need
one cone for every 10-feet of
fencing desired. After much
research, I selected JBC Revolution Series with a 7-lb. base
for stability (they also make a
5- and 10-lb. version). Prices
vary widely. Since they are
heavy, you must consider both
shipping cost and cone price
to accurately comparison shop
for best price delivered to your
August 17 | Clean Run

location. A pallet shipped to a business with a loading dock will be cheapest. The
local farm and garden store was agreeable to receive the shipment for us, as they
do not carry traffic cones. We in turn purchased the snow fencing from them.
* 1-inch schedule 40 PVC pipe cut to 48-inch lengths-you need one pipe for each
traffic cone.
* 12-inch ball bungees-you need two ball bungees for each traffic cone. Shorter bungees might have worked, but the ones we found had thinner cord and smaller balls,
neither of which suited this application. We tied one half-hitch in each 12-inch ball
bungee, and it wound perfectly around the PVC pipe twice for a snug and secure fit.
* 4-foot high snow fence
Set Up and Take Down
1. Place the cones at 10-foot intervals in a straight line, and drop a 48-inch long PVC
pole into each cone.
2. The next step requires two people. Begin at one end, with one person unrolling the
snow fence vertically as needed, and the other attaching it to the PVC poles with
two ball bungees per post.
3. Be sure to keep the snow fence straight and taut as you proceed, moving along
one cone at a time. Snow fencing must drape the cone on the inside of the working
area, so it is supported by the cone, preventing a dog from pushing out underneath
it easily.
4. Once set up, the poles slide in/out of the cones; gravity holds them in place. To
take the fence down, lift the poles from the cones, with the fencing attached, and
lay them flat on the ground. Then roll the fence up with the poles attached, bungee
the roll, and stack the cones-it all stores and transports easily.
5. Next time when you set up, simply unroll the fencing and place the poles into
cones. Adjust to keep taut and you are good to go!

Since the fencing can be cut to any length, you can create and customize your
own design for entry/exit chutes and gates. To get equipment in and out of the
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - August 2017