Stirrup Posts: A Firm Tread for Fast Fencing in Every Field
On the wide stirrup you stand with your whole foot and get the post into firm ground too. That way your fence grows post by post without much effort.
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AKO Stirrup Fence Post Plastic 114.5 cm, Green (Pack of 5)
Sale price: €19.75 Regular price: €21.49 (8.1% saved)
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AKO Stirrup Post Plastic 114.5 cm, White (Pack of 5)
Sale price: €18.98 Regular price: €21.49 (11.68% saved)
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Kerbl Stirrup Post Fiberglass-Reinforced Plastic, 158 cm, White (5pcs.)
Sale price: €19.95 Regular price: €21.49 (7.17% saved)
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AKO Stirrup Plastic Post 158 cm, green, fibreglass-reinforced plastic (5 pcs.)
Sale price: €21.17 Regular price: €22.59 (6.29% saved)
Stirrup Posts: Put Your Whole Foot Into It
A stirrup post is a plastic post with a wide stirrup as its tread. Instead of pressing down on a narrow step with the ball of your foot, you stand on it with your whole foot. That puts more weight on the spike, and the electric fence post slides into firm ground as well. Like every plastic post, it insulates by itself, so you clip polywire, polyrope and polytape straight into the loops.
When the Stirrup Pays Off
On soft, damp meadows a simple step-in post works fine. In summer, when the ground has dried out, or on clay and compacted land, the stirrup shows its advantage. Anyone setting lots of posts in one go will feel the difference in their knees and back. The wide tread also braces the post in the ground, so it wobbles less when animals touch the conductor or the wind pulls at the tape. That makes the stirrup post a popular companion for strip grazing in dry summers.
Heights for Cattle, Sheep and Horses
The stirrup post comes in a medium height of around 114 cm and as a tall post of 158 cm. The shorter version suits cattle, sheep and goats. The tall version is intended for horse paddocks, where the top conductor runs higher. For corners and gates you still need a sturdy post, because even a firmly standing step-in post is not built for strong tension.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a stirrup post and a standard plastic post?
The difference is the tread. On a stirrup post it is shaped as a wide stirrup with room for your whole foot. That makes it easier to push into firm ground, and it stands a little steadier.
What height do I need for a horse fence?
For horses, the 158 cm version is the right choice, because the top conductor should run at roughly chest height. For ponies, or for a second, lower line of polywire, the shorter version is often enough.
How do I get the post into dried-out ground?
Make a pilot hole with an iron bar and then push the post in with your foot. It is even easier after rain. Do not hit the top with a hammer, or the plastic may break.
Stirrup Posts for Firm Ground
Anyone who has fenced off a new paddock on a hot summer day knows the problem: the ground is hard and the narrow tread digs uncomfortably into your sole. This is where the stirrup post helps. Its wide stirrup takes your whole foot, you simply shift your weight and the post is in. Because it is made of plastic, you need no insulators and can clip polywire, polyrope or polytape straight in. The shorter version fences in cattle, sheep and goats, while the tall one suits horse paddocks. As a line post it complements corner and gate posts made of wood, metal or recycled plastic and makes fencing large areas much easier. After the season you pull it out just as easily and store it somewhere dry until next spring. Combined with standard plastic posts, it gives you a handy mix for soft and firm patches of ground.