Corral fence and post-and-rail fence are both posts with horizontal rails, and from the driveway they can look the same. One is built to be pushed on by a thousand pounds of cattle; the other is built to look good and mark a line. People ask for one when they mean the other all the time, so here is the difference and how to choose.
Post and rail
Two, three or four horizontal boards or rails on posts, in treated pine or cedar, sometimes with an X between (cross buck) or as rough-split rails in mortised posts (split rail). Posts on eight-foot centers, rails nailed or screwed on the outside face. It lines driveways, frames front pastures and marks a line near the house. With wire behind it, it holds dogs, goats and horses that respect a fence. It is not built to hold an animal that is being pushed.
Corral fence
Posts set deeper and closer, typically six to eight feet, in concrete. Rails of two-by-six or heavier, or pipe, bolted or welded to the inside of the posts so an animal pushing on the fence loads the post, not the fasteners. Five to six feet tall. Gates on weld-on hinges with latches an animal cannot open. It is built for pens, alleys and chutes where cattle and horses are crowded and worked. Corral fence covers how we build it.
Deciding
| If the fence… | Build |
|---|---|
| Lines a driveway or the front of the property | Post and rail |
| Borders a pasture near the house with calm horses | Post and rail with wire behind it |
| Holds cattle or horses being worked, loaded or sorted | Corral |
| Is a round pen or an arena | Corral (pipe) |
| Needs to hold goats, dogs or small stock | Post and rail with wire, or panels |
| Has a tight budget and a long run | Post and rail, or wire on T-posts |
Both on one place
Most properties want both: post and rail where the fence is seen and animals are calm, and a corral built heavy at the barn. The two can share a look, the same wood and stain, so the place reads as one design. We lay out both on the estimate. Simple advice for building a basic corral is the next read if the answer is a corral, and corral best practices after that.
Frequently asked questions
Can a post and rail fence be used as a corral?
A light one, no. Built heavy, with deep posts on close centers and rails bolted to the inside, a board fence becomes a corral. The look is similar; the construction is not.
Which costs less?
Post and rail, usually, because the posts are lighter and further apart and the rails are nailed rather than bolted. A corral costs more per foot because it has to take abuse.
Can I have both?
Most places do: post and rail or cross buck along the driveway and the house, and a corral or pens built heavy at the barn.