Barbed wire is a critical innovation that shaped the High Plains. Field Editor Lacey Vilhauer takes a look at its origins.

The HISTORY. In 1876 salesman John W. Gates brought barbed wire to Texas when he wagered $1 million that he could build a fence that would capably contain cattle.

On the humble barbed-wire fence, ... It ended the storied cattle drives and prompted a period of fierce, ... until another H-brace is necessary to turn a corner or hang a gate.

For my first fence, I used 14-gauge wire and barbed wire. Both are bad choices for an electric fence. That size of wire is simply too weak for permanent use, and it kinks and breaks easily.

To manage livestock and keep them in the proper areas or pastures or to graze a pasture rotationally, traditional fencing with wood, wire or steel, or even portable electric fencing, is one solution.

One option, a hog wire fence, is budget-friendly and practical, but there are some downsides to consider. ... While traditional livestock fencing with hog wire panels is generally 4 feet tall, ...

Today, an estimated 620,000 miles of fencing, most of it barbed wire, stretches across the rural West, and its toll on the region continues to mount.Animals that try to jump over or wiggle under ...