electric fence

[CheriFen]

for those that use it, can you tell me what type you use, and why...what you like about that type. We are electrifying 2 areas. One area needs just a single line of wire or what ever type we choose along the top of a fence that the horses lean on, and the other is a field that we have put posts in now (all in concrete) and want to close it in with electric. and how many strands do you use.

I recently visited a farm where the horses were kept behind a single piece of electric wire about 2 ft. from the ground...maybe less. I was shocked the horse didn't just jump it. anyone seen that before?

both will be permanent.

 

[eml]

I mainly use electric for temporary grazing...(such as the lawn..much easier than mowing!!) where I use three strands on plastic posts.

To attempt to keep my naughty connie in her field we have three strands on plastic 1m in from post and rails where her field joins others and one strand between the middle and top rail of the post and rail where it is next to walkways....she still jumps out regularly just stops Poundstretcher cob joining her!!!

I have not yet met a pony/horse that one strand will keep in!!

As the paddocks with electric fencing are for day use we use the simple D battery portable energisers with a long earth spike and green posts and tape which just look a lot neater!!

 

[Wally]

We use single strand for temporary use. About 18 inches from the floor. They respect it and keep well clear. Generally use mains electric round all the sheepnet fences. Stops bottom rubbing and horses leaning on the fences.

WE do have several battery energisers and lots of old tractor and car batteries in case we need a temprary run of fencing.

 

[Lemme]

3 out of our 4 respect fencing, Acorn sniffs it and unless there is a low strand will take a run under it if he feels the most he will get is tickled!

The other 3 will stand behind an 18" strand all day including Tess who could just stride over it - generally most areas have 2 strands and any paddocks Acorn is likely to go in get a low strand as well. I like the thick rope and have started replacing the old tape with it now as it needs doing.

We have 12v leasure battery, a good energiser , well knocked in earth stake and I have a solar panel onto the battery which means other than winter hardly needs charging, although I do have spare.

 

[Tina2011]

Electric fencing is the bane of my life. I totally hate the stuff. One minute it works, the next it doesn't, for a million and one different reasons, it is unbelievably temperamental.

I have had every type in the book and spent an absolute fortune on the stuff.

All of my horses will either go through it, under it, over it, you name i, its happened to me. I have tried everything, even getting a qualified electrician in to check that I haven't made any mistakes. Its a total :banghead::stomp::stomp::banghead:

I bought horses to ride and have fun with not spend endless hours fiddling round with electrical stuff in all weathers at all times of day and night for gods sake:banghead::cry:

Ok rant over, that feels better.

The best is wooden stakes and thick tape, at least two strands, three is better. Sometimes two rows with a two-three foot gap in the middle is effective. Mains energisers are best.

 

[Joyscarer]

I have to use 4ft posts and just have a top and mid strand. Even so, if they sense the power dropping on it then Joy will clear the fence and Littles will commando roll through it, I was lucky enough to catch him doing it once or I'd never have believed it!

I can't energiser what energiser I bought but it was on the advice of hubby who is an electrics buff and did the research to pick out the best powered for about £150 as cheap low powered units are a waste of money. Hubby also can get 'commercial samples' of batteries so I've got a couple of properly chunky big batteries to stick a decent charge through the fence but last a decent amount of time.

Its important to make sure the whole thing is properly grounded as then the power doesn't get diluted. Hubby is very derisory of the energisers that are an all in one with battery and earth spike built in. An ex field mate hade one of those and I could fart with more power than that produced yet its people with these sorts of set ups that assume their horses don't respect electric fence!

 

[Claire1605]

I used steel stakes with steel corner anchor posts with three lines of wire.

Works a treat. I buy it from here http://www.rappa.co.uk/categories/15-stakes-posts

Harvey, the escape artist, has never got out of a paddock using this. You have to ensure your battery is well charged although having said, it has run down a couple of times and he hasn't got out.

 

[Tina2011]

Some good comments. I think I will run off and get some more earth stakes and bang them in whilst the ground is soft enough.

I am a bit wary of the steel posts/stakes, I have visions of them causing injuries.

 

[KarinUS]

As far as what type of electric fencing, we use the 2" wide tape since it gives such a good sight cue.
We once put in a new garden fence (just mesh) to keep the horses from eating my stuff and DJ didn't see it, ran full force into the garden fence and flip over landing on his head.
So visibility is very important in fencing IMO.

The perimeter of our property is fenced in 5ft horse fence and then has electric tape over the top. Looks like this:

We used to have the sections INSIDE the property divided with just electric fence but like Tina says, one day it works, then it doesn't.
We live in a very sandy, dry place so usually getting good enough grounding to make it work is an issue. This year my gelding broke through the non-working electric tape and got tangled up. He cut himself up really badly and it took about 3 months of bandaging and fuffing over it to heal up.
So at this point I am just using the electric tape on top of other fencing.

Next year we will just replace all of the electric fencing with more of the no-climb horse fence.

 

[Claire1605]

Some good comments. I think I will run off and get some more earth stakes and bang them in whilst the ground is soft enough.

I am a bit wary of the steel posts/stakes, I have visions of them causing injuries.

Never had a problem in 5 years Tina. If it is charged correctly then you will have no worries.

Once the fence is anchored at four corners (there is no way those anchor steels will move) then the wires/tape can be pulled so tight that nothing will move. The steels stay firmly in the ground.

I hate electric fencing that uses those plastic white/green post things and the electric tape is really saggy. Asking for trouble :wink:

Good luck. Hope you find something that works for you.

 

[Claire1605]

As far as what type of electric fencing, we use the 2" wide tape since it gives such a good sight cue.
We once put in a new garden fence (just mesh) to keep the horses from eating my stuff and DJ didn't see it, ran full force into the garden fence and flip over landing on his head.
So visibility is very important in fencing IMO.

The perimeter of our property is fenced in 5ft horse fence and then has electric tape over the top. Looks like this:

We used to have the sections INSIDE the property divided with just electric fence but like Tina says, one day it works, then it doesn't.
We live in a very sandy, dry place so usually getting good enough grounding to make it work is an issue. This year my gelding broke through the non-working electric tape and got tangled up. He cut himself up really badly and it took about 3 months of bandaging and fuffing over it to heal up.
So at this point I am just using the electric tape on top of other fencing.

Next year we will just replace all of the electric fencing with more of the no-climb horse fence.

Agree with the visibility thing. Wire is great but horse possibly won't see it hence why we always put a line of white tape too so the horses can see it.