HORSERAIL UK CONTRACTORS DAY
There was almost a festive feel and definite buzz of excitement in the air on a sunny Saturday in early October in Oxfordshire, with more fencing contractors gathered together than had possibly happened for quite a while. So what brought this on?
Maybe because Covid had put paid to the usual round of shows and industry events for the last 18 months or more, now given the opportunity to attend a Contractors Day, everyone was more than ready. I suspect that that may have had some bearing on the very healthy attendance. However, having quizzed many of the crowd I do know there was a genuine interest in the product that had brought them all there, yes folks this was all about Horserail.
For those who are not familiar with this product, Horserail is an alternative post and rail fencing system that is made from premium polyethylene that is molecularly bonded to pre-strung high tensile galvanized wires. The result is a fence that is flexible enough to install easily, but rigid enough so as to eliminate the possibility of horses becoming trapped or injured in the fence. 3 Rails of Horserail have a breaking strain of 6 tons. It is an extremely versatile product that can suit a variety of applications such as paddocks, lunging rings, gallops arenas and horse walkers. It contains a UV stabilizer that prevents Horserail cracking and fading, and it also contains an anti moulding agent that helps prevent Horserail from going green in damp weather.
This system has recently had something of a renaissance, improvements in its manufacture have to lead to more competitivepricing which now means it matches or betters creosoted timber post and rail fencing. This has meant a surge in interest from installers and contractors, who are now recognizing the viability of the product in their offering to horse owning customers.
This enthusiasm was born out by all of the fencers I had chats with on the day. There were over 80 attendees from at least 45 different fencing companies, not all local by any means, from as far as Scotland, Northern Ireland, Devon and Kent.
After a hearty, welcome breakfast laid on by the organisers, the major part of the day centered on the ‘best practice’ installation of 200m plus of Horserail and Hotcote including all relevant fixings and fittings. The demonstrations by James Corbett of Countryside Services and Lawrence Hull of Hull Fencing Ltd, were definitely well received by the crowd of enthusiastic onlookers. There was plenty of audience involvement, feedback, practical advice sharing and lively questions and answers.
Ruth Todd, Marketing Manager for Horserail explained, ‘The Contractors Day is an ideal opportunity to share product knowledge and practical hints and advice for all the fencers that are joining our approved installers register. It’s great to see so much interest in our products and we’re very grateful to everyone for making an effort to attend our event, from all corners of the UK.”
Matt Stacey of MS Rural Services told me, “I’ve several customers already interested in Horserail and they say it’s the safety aspect that is a priority for them, I think any horse owner would see itthat way. I’m very impressed with the products, the demonstrations are really helpful and the tensioning tool is a real game-changer.”
Many others had similar comments to make and also mentioned the 30-year guarantee on the Horserail components being very important in encouraging customer confidence and also the competitive cost. Ruth explained further, “Our Horserail system is simple and easy to install, but having this opportunity to ensure all our installers are given the correct guidance and technical support, along with listening to their feedback is extremely valuable. Contractors attending today will be added to our register of Approved Installers and we will pass their details on to prospective customers in their area who require installation.”
The day wrapped up in the late afternoon with more light refreshments and a chance to chat after what was undoubtedly an enjoyable and very successful event. Hats off to the Horserail team for putting together a superb, lively and informative day.
