When Ben Duncan began building fences in the revered vineyards of southwest WA back in 1993, little did he know that experience would ultimately lead to running one of Australia’s most sought-after equine fencing suppliers.
Ben Duncan, Founder and Director of Duncan Equine, first began building fences back in 1993.
“When it came to horses,
he knew there had to
be a better alternative…”
During the 90s, Ben Duncan’s father ran a Thoroughbred stud near the sleepy town of Busselton. Like many horse owners, they had first-hand experience of several devasting accidents involving horses and fencing wire. As someone who was building fences for a living, Ben began to consider how they could make their paddocks safer.
Wire was fine for grapes, but when it came to horses, he knew there had to be a better alternative.
“Word spread around the
horse community…”
Ben subsequently spent many months researching a better and safer option, and ultimately travelled to the USA in 1995 to look at what was available. He was pointed in the direction of Horserail in Pennsylvania, and ultimately ordered his first container of their original two-wire rail.
After re-fencing his father’s property, word spread around the horse community and other studs showed intense interest. It wasn’t long before Ben began fencing other equine properties around southwest WA with Horserail. A career transformation from vineyards to horses was well underway.
A GROWING BUSINESS
In 2006 came the development of Horserail’s three-wire rail. This was a better, stronger option and became Ben’s go-to option in Australia.
Duncan Equine’s Stallion Rail is in use at Willinga Park in Bawley Point.
At this point, he was fencing many horse properties in WA, as well as some on the east coast, however he began to dream of product improvements. Horserail’s standard three-wire rail was non-electric, and therefore to achieve a better level of horse safety, he was often also installing Hotcote® (high tensile wire, coated in a highly conductive carbon compound) or a wire standoff to electrify the three-rail fences.
However, Ben always felt that an even better, safer system was possible – he just had to figure it out.
By 2007, the interest in Horserail across other areas of Australia was taking off. By this point, Ben had installed over a million fence posts during his fencing career – but he was no longer able to continue installing and keep up with the day-to-day operational demands of Horserail Australia. Instead, he opted to focus on the promotion of the Horserail product across the country and a second warehouse was set up in Victoria to meet east coast demand.
AUSSIE DEVELOPMENT
After much discussion, Horserail’s manufacturers agreed with Ben that an electric rail was required. Hottop®was finally developed in 2008, providing an electrifiable option to the popular Horserail® product line. However, insulated accessories were not developed until later; Ben actually designed and made these in Australia before the manufactures took over in the USA.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Ben felt there in Australia a more-effective option was required. Hottop® was originally used on four- or five-rail fences, but in 2012 Ben again worked with the manufacturers to develop Hottop Plus® for Australians. This allowed the use of only three rails and delivered a more cost-effective option for Aussie horse owners – whilst also promoting safety.
As Horserail Australia’s product range grew to include horse safe gates and alternative post options, Ben realised he was no longer just the Aussie distributor for a single brand.
“It became apparent we had evolved into a full fencing system supplier, as well as rubber supplies and even the development of our own feed bins,” he explains. As a result, Duncan Equine was born.
“To suit the company’s evolution, the decision was made to change our name to Duncan Equine Group. Along with the name change in 2018 came the development of our own rail: Stallion Rail, our very own improved flexible rail for horses.”
Stallion Rail was developed in 2018 and is the “The Thoroughbred of Horse Fencing”.
“THE THOROUGHBRED OF HORSE FENCING”
Stallion Rail has become Duncan Equine’s Aussie innovation success story, developed on the back of Ben’s many years of experience in the world of fencing and horses. And of course it’s not just for stallions – it’s ideal for all horses, including ponies and foals.
“With superior molecular bonding levels, thanks to new technology, we have enhanced the conductivity of the rail. The inside wire is completely surrounded by a carbon compound. This allows for greater electrical conductivity trough the top and bottom of the rail,” he explains of the product’s point of difference.
“With a much stronger bonding of the plastic to the supportive wires, it is nearly impossible to expose the wire inside the plastic. Not only does this mean Stallion Rail has superior electric qualities, but it also means it is the safest and longest-lasting flexible rail on the market today.”
We’ve all been caught out by an accidentally-electrified gate in wet weather – having electric fencing you can trust is certainly something horse owners appreciate.
Ben explains that during stringent and relevant independent testing completed here in Australia, Stallion Rail’s results were excellent: “The carbon compound’s superior bonding to the high tensile wire could not be separated, even after being exposed to high humidity, temperatures exceeding 63°C, and consistent ‘simulated’ rain.
“With this inability to expose or damage the carbon compound or the wire in Stallion Rail, our product’s longevity is far superior to other flexible horse fencing rails. We feel Stallion Rail is far better suited to Australian weather conditions thanks to our first-hand knowledge of the harsh Australian landscapes.”
Stallion Rail now provides two product options to suit varying needs and budgets.
Stallion Rail Ultra isa premium, flexible rail that can be electrified on a single edge of the rail. Made with advanced technology, the carbon fibre molecular bonding delivers superior electrical conductivity and flexibility. Made with premium-grade UV stabilised Polyethylene, it is very low maintenance.Stallion Rail Extreme has all the benefits of Stallion Rail Ultra, while providing the superior ability to be electrified on both the top and bottom edge of the rail.
For those who don’t require an electrified fence, standard Stallion Rail provides the ideal option – and for those who want to electrify an existing fence or are looking for a simple alternative to plain wire, Shockcoat is an affordable option.
SAFETY STARTS WITH FENCING
One of the most important ways to ensure your horse is kept safe is to provide safe fencing – and Stallion Rail has been designed with that goal in mind from the outset.
“We have put our knowledge and experience into what we believe is the perfect rail for Australian conditions and for our beloved horses,” says Ben.
“Now in Australia, Duncan Equine is recognised for our expert product knowledge, exceptional customer service, down to earth attitude and genuine passion for horses. Our integrity has seen us build our customer base to include the largest Thoroughbred studs in Australia.”
Ben’s passion for horses and their safety has continued to be his driving force to create the ultimate fencing system for all horse owners. “My mission has always been to develop a complete, safe horse fencing system – one that delivers the whole package and doesn’t leave our customers still scratching their heads.
“We wanted the ultimate safety across the entire paddock. From rail to posts to gates and corner posts. We have researched, developed and tested our products on our horses first to make sure we deliver you products we know work.”
To find out more about Duncan Equine’s range, visit their website here. EQ
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