High-tensile fence made with ordinary high-tensile wire is not suitable for horses because of the risk of injury. But it is suitable for cattle and other livestock; and if one uses a thick and visible high-tensile conductor like Hot Coat or Poly Coat (see conductors 02-65 and 02-66 in the first table below), it is also suitable for horses.
The supplies in the tables that follow are those needed to construct both electrified high-tensile fence (where each wire is typically under 150 pounds of tension) and non-electrified high-tensile fence (typical tension 250 pounds per wire). You won't find gear like posts and chargers used for all electric fences listed here, but we do list specialized high-tensile gear (conductors, braces, battens, insulators, splicers, tensioners, springs, and electrical connectors) needed to make high-tensile fence perform.
The traditional high-tensile fence conductor, especially for cattle fence, is 12.5 gauge wire. However, its weight makes it hard to ship and install, and as a result modest attention has been directed to 14-gauge wire as an alternative. Another alternative attractive to horse-lovers is 12.5-gauge wire coated with bonded polymer to make 5/16-inch thick "Hot Coat" and "Poly Coat" rated safe for horses. Hot Coat also has 3 strips of material running through its coat that make it a good electric fence conductor. All the metal wires listed below have Class III galvanization and strength exceeding 200,000 psi.