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Horse panels vs cattle panels: on a supplier’s price list they sit one row apart, and the difference looks like a label. It is not. The two products are built to different tube specifications, different frame geometry and — the detail the price list does not explain — different galvanising specifications. Ordering the wrong one means either paying for steel the animal never needed, or watching a panel fold under a load it was never built for.
This guide compares the two product lines on the numbers that matter, using DB Fencing’s published specifications as the reference case. The company manufactures both lines at its Anping facility and exports livestock fencing to Australian and North American wholesalers. Every figure below comes from its product specifications.
Key Takeaways
- Both panels are 1.8m × 2.1m with 6 horizontal rails — the difference is the rail itself: cattle panels use 80×40mm oval tube, horse panels use 30×60mm oval tube.
- Cattle panel frames are 50×50mm square tube, and the AU cattle line carries 18-28 microns of galvanising — a stock line specification, not to be confused with the 42-micron-plus temporary fencing line.
- Leg type changes how the panel behaves on your ground: loop legs resist sinking in wet or soft conditions, square and triangle legs reduce ground contact to stop panels shifting.
- Horse panels come as single units and double (two-joined) portable panels, which halves the number of connections in a long run.
- Because rail sections differ, the two lines are not interchangeable on price — compare quotes by kilograms of steel and rail count, not by panel size alone.
The Specification Comparison
Put the two products side by side and the shared headline size — 1.8m high, 2.1m long, six rails — hides more than it reveals. The table below lines up the published specifications for both lines.
| Specification | Cattle panel (AU line) | Horse panel |
|---|---|---|
| Panel size | 1.8m × 2.1m, galvanised | 1.8m × 2.1m |
| Rails | 6 × 80×40mm oval tube, 1.6mm wall | 6 × 30×60mm oval tube |
| Frame posts | 50×50mm square tube | Oval-rail construction; confirm frame tube in drawing |
| Galvanising | 18-28 microns (product page specification) | Confirm coating spec when quoting |
| Formats | Loop, square and triangle leg versions | Single panels and double (two-joined) portable panels |
What Rail Geometry Actually Buys You
The rail is the working part of any livestock panel, and the two lines make opposite trade-offs. The cattle panel’s 80×40mm oval rails with 1.6mm walls in a 50×50mm square-post frame are a heavy section: more steel per panel, more rigidity per metre of pen, and a structure that suits the pushing, leaning and crowding that handling yards impose on a fence. The horse panel’s 30×60mm rails are a lighter section in the same six-rail layout and the same 1.8×2.1m footprint — less steel, less weight per panel, and easier handling when pens move. Both lines carry rails at the heights where an animal actually meets the fence; what changes between them is how much steel answers at each of those heights, and therefore what the panel weighs, what it costs to freight, and what it takes to move by hand.
For a buyer, the honest comparison metric is not panel count but steel content per enclosed area. Two quotes at the same panel size can carry materially different tube specifications, and the price difference between them reflects the difference in kilograms of steel. Ask both suppliers for the rail section, wall thickness and frame tube in writing — the specification table above is the format a professional quote should arrive in. Sizing the pens themselves is a separate exercise; our cattle panel pen math guide works through it.
Legs and Ground Conditions
Cattle panels come in three leg types, and the choice is a ground condition decision. Loop legs are designed to stop the panel sinking into wet or soft ground — the loop spreads the load. Square and triangle legs take the opposite approach: a smaller ground contact point that resists the panel shifting once it is set. If your yard floods, drains poorly or sits on soft country, the loop leg is the specification to write down; on firm, finished ground the square and triangle legs hold position with less steel in contact with the mud.
Leg choice also changes how a pen ages. A panel that shifts loses its alignment with its neighbours, and misaligned pens are how gaps open at the joints — the first place an animal tests. Set the leg specification at order time rather than accepting whatever the factory has on the line that week. The full comparison of leg types is in our leg types guide.
The Coating Confusion: 18-28 vs 42 Microns
Here is the detail worth checking first. DB Fencing’s AU cattle panel line carries 18-28 microns of galvanising — that is the published product specification for that stock line. The company’s temporary fencing and outdoor lines are hot-dip galvanised to more than 42 microns for coastal and outdoor exposure. Two different products, two different coatings, both correct for their purpose. The mistake to avoid is assuming one number applies across the catalogue, or letting a supplier quote “galvanised” without a micron figure.
When you quote, write the coating expectation into the specification: state the micron range you expect for the line you are buying, and ask the supplier to confirm the horse panel line’s coating in the same terms. A supplier that manufactures both lines under one roof can answer that question precisely — the cattle panel product page states the 18-28 micron figure openly, which is the standard of transparency worth demanding on every line you buy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are horse panels and cattle panels the same size?
Both lines come in 1.8m × 2.1m panels with six rails, so the footprint matches. The difference is the tube: cattle rails are 80×40mm oval (1.6mm wall), horse rails are 30×60mm oval — a materially different amount of steel per panel.
Can I use cattle panels for horses?
The heavier cattle rail is built for yard pressure, but containment is only part of the design brief — rail spacing, height and edge treatment are animal-safety questions, so buy the panel built for the animal you actually house, and confirm the specification with your supplier.
Which leg type suits soft ground?
Loop legs: their shape spreads load and stops panels sinking into wet or soft ground. Square and triangle legs suit firm ground, where their smaller contact point resists shifting.
What galvanising thickness do cattle panels carry?
The AU cattle panel line is specified at 18-28 microns. Do not confuse this with the 42-micron-plus coating on temporary fencing lines — different products, different specifications, and any quote should name the micron figure for the exact line you are buying.
Conclusion
Same footprint, different fence. Cattle panels carry 80×40mm rails in a 50×50mm square frame with 18-28 micron galvanising and a three-way leg choice; horse panels carry 30×60mm rails in single or double portable formats. The right product is the one whose rail section, leg type and coating match the animal, the ground and the exposure.
Before your next order, put both specifications in front of you and compare steel, not labels. Ask for the drawing, the wall thickness and the micron figure — then buy the panel that answers your ground conditions, not the one that is one row cheaper.
