My husband and I live out on Moon Creek, and are working towards getting our horses down here from my mother's and were just curious as to who owned the open range horses. We want to make sure there are no loose studs potentially in the group because one of our horses is a mare. If anyone can let us know, we'd greatly appreciate it. Thank you.

am sure they belong to chizems

They belong to the Chizm's. It is essential you get fencing up or their horses will be allowed to have full access to your property. Only if your property is properly fenced will you have any recourse if a stallion should get in. I looked into property out there and this is the information I was told. Happy riding!

Thanks! I guess we may have to consider a hot wire alone with a barbed wire fence. Most studs I know of will take a fence to get to a mare in heat. Thanks everyone!

I've even seen the mares crawl the fence to get to the stallion!

And, it's my understanding that for more than a century, Montana's open range law has allowed for the grazing of livestock where they have not been fenced out. The majority of Montana is considered open range. What this means is that if you do not want free roaming livestock on your property, you have responsibility for constructing and maintaining your own fence.

Montana law says that any of the following constitutes a legal fence. The fence is not under 44 inches and not over 48 inches in height. The fence is made up of a minimum of three horizontal, barbed wires that are well stretched. The lowest wire cannot be fewer than 15 inches or greater than 18 inches from ground level. The wire must be fastened securely to substantial posts that are set firmly in the ground, and these posts should be as nearly equal in distance apart as possible. Or, wires must be fastened to leaning posts that are well supported. Posts must be no farther apart than 20 feet. As an alternative, they can be 33 feet apart provided two or more pickets or stays provide additional support at equal distances between posts.

Fences can be made of a combination of standard woven wire and barbed wire under certain specifications. They can also be made of barbed wire, boards, rails or poles under specific dimensions and provisions. Under some circumstances, rivers, bluffs, hedges and mountain ridges constitute a fence.

Hopefully, you did your homework and checked into these laws before you purchased the property near Moon Creek.

Thanks Rick. We were aware of most of this, as both my husband and I have grown up on ranches/farms, but thank you for refreshing us on some of this!

Rick is correct. Range law says that livestock must be fenced OUT. Except for hogs and chickens. They must be fenced IN. That's basic; but if you want to protect your interests, i.e. a mare, you might want to consider a stout corral.

Last I knew, the Chezums don't have a stud out with their mares though that could have changed. I have a place on Moon Creek also and all I've seen this year is mares and last year's babies. Still you'll want to fence in just to protect your house They do like their scratching posts.

Thanks Diane, the biggest concern was whether or not there was a stud in the bunch or not. Still most definitely going to fence the property off, and most likely add some stout corrals. Thanks to everyone for giving us info on fencing, as well as letting us know they belonged to Chizums'.

Maybe you guys should learn how to spell so they have accurate information. Its Chezum and theyre the only ones out there with open range horses. Everybody else out there (open range anyway) has cows