Best electric fencing for escaping horse?

Hoof_Prints

Hoof_Prints

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Hi, our summer paddocks are wrecked and we should have moved to the winter paddocks in October, but the fencing is ruined due to cattle and we need to section off one field from the other due to building work and as a result, access to dangerous machinery etc.

One of the horses loves to tangle himself up in electric fencing, or just simply walk through it because he knows he can, but previously we have only used 3ft posts with no energizer so we gave up and took it away. This time we need something that will work as they really need to get on the decent grazing !

What are our best options? we have no means to put in permanement fencing or wooden posts, we need strong posts that will not break easily and thick tape that is easily seen. Plus a good strong energizer that doesn't cost a fortune. So if anyone can advise on the best stuff to buy that is not too expensive as we need a lot of it ! I would really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance :)
 
Is he rugged? Why no energizer? I wouldn't expect any horse to respect electric fence without an energizer and I don't really think it is fair to tbh.
 
Hoof_Prints said:
One of the horses loves to tangle himself up in electric fencing, or just simply walk through it because he knows he can, but previously we have only used 3ft posts with no energizer so we gave up and took it away.
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You have been so lucky that you haven't ended up with a huge vet bill and a de-gloved horse. Electric fencing without any current going through it, is weak plastic fencing, asking for escapees and injuries.

Ester has given you good advice.
 
he is rugged up yes, he is fully clipped so derugging not an option. No energizer purely because mine is broken (thanks to cattle) and the fencing needed to be put up immediately due to the sudden appearance of machinery! before the two fields were opened up as one. Tried it over one night and whilst the others respected it, he didn't so we just moved to the smaller field, which worked nicely as it was much closer to the yard, but now the grazing is rubbish so we need to sort it out (and he will happily break post and rail too)

Thanks for the replies, will have a look :)
 
I would suggest you buy yourself a decent energizer such as a Fenceman CP1500 and a couple of good and large car batteries and a battery charger so that when one is being charged the other is in use. You need sufficient fence posts which should be no further apart than each fence posts length and each one placed the other way round to the next one so that there is less chance of the wind blowing the tape off. Have two parallel lines of tape with the two connected together so that they are both electrified.
 
3ft fence posts aren't really high enough for escape artists. We've recently replaced all of ours with the 5ft ones. Be careful of buying the really wide tape if you live in a windy area, as it will flap around like a sail! You need to get an energiser and a couple of good batteries (second hand batteries will do as long as working well!). We've recently upgraded to a mains energiser as had a friend's horse staying who was an escape artist and the mains energiser delivered a far better kick and kept him in his field. If he is really persistent then I know a few people have attached a small section of electric tape up the front of their horses rugs and over the binding so that any impact with the fence will deliver a shock direct to the chest, especially if it's a horse who has learnt to avoid shocks due to rugs. Just make sure you protect the end of any tape used as can be sharp.
 
I have a serial houdini too we have found the only way to keep her in is a four strand electric fence to a good energiser our is mains but you need to make sure yours is kicking out at least 10,000 volts all along it. We use rope at the center with tape on top but that depends on where your horse is pushing through we then have a two strand fence about 5 ft to the outside of the four strand one also running at 10,000 volts, it deters her from jumping as she finds it hard to judge the distance with rope/tape blowing about and if she sticks her head through the first fence her ears catch on the second one. mind you we do have a post and rails ring fence which keeps them off the roads I wouldnt trust electic fencing for that purpose
 
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I use 5ft posts, which are a sufficient height deterrent, but I attach my tape to insulators screwed into the post and rail fences at both ends, as I've never found a post that will do the job of a gurt big wooden post in the ground. My plastic posts are just there to hold the tape up along the length - I attach it at both ends and pull it tight before attaching the plastic posts.

Any of mine that show any inclination to run through fences have a loop of electric tape throughthe front of their rugs, so that they get zapped if their chest makes contact! I don't have any pushers at the moment, and just the one jumper!
 
Hoof_Prints said:
Hi, our summer paddocks are wrecked and we should have moved to the winter paddocks in October, but the fencing is ruined due to cattle and we need to section off one field from the other due to building work and as a result, access to dangerous machinery etc.

One of the horses loves to tangle himself up in electric fencing, or just simply walk through it because he knows he can, but previously we have only used 3ft posts with no energizer so we gave up and took it away. This time we need something that will work as they really need to get on the decent grazing !

What are our best options? we have no means to put in permanement fencing or wooden posts, we need strong posts that will not break easily and thick tape that is easily seen. Plus a good strong energizer that doesn't cost a fortune. So if anyone can advise on the best stuff to buy that is not too expensive as we need a lot of it ! I would really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance :)
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I use to hate the 5 ft posts but now it is brilliant and we ditched the tape and brought the roping for the ponies and we are still using it now as we are strip grazing them we us 5 strands of rope so no one can jump it or Houdini under it.. I suggest this as Heras fencing would work out to many £££
 
PeterNatt said:
I would suggest you buy yourself a decent energizer such as a Fenceman CP1500 and a couple of good and large car batteries and a battery charger so that when one is being charged the other is in use. You need sufficient fence posts which should be no further apart than each fence posts length and each one placed the other way round to the next one so that there is less chance of the wind blowing the tape off. Have two parallel lines of tape with the two connected together so that they are both electrified.
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This plus make sure its tensioned properly...there needs to be no give in the wire/tape and make sure you push in your posts regularly.
I keep Shetlands on one strand of chest height wire...as long as it is tensioned properly they stay away from it whether it's on or off.
 
The reason for checking if rugged was because if you think he will still go through it once it is on I was going to suggest what Auslander does with a nice bit of 40mm tape.
 
I've had a Hotline Falcon energiser for years & this powers up to 18 km of fencing. I have a fence tester, but it only reads up to 5000v & it lights up to that every time & has given be a good belt in the past. I use plastic posts but I also put in the occasional wooden post with a couple of insulators screwed into them. These wooden posts give the fence added rigidity. I only use tape in my fences because I had a bad experience with electric rope & my wife ended up scared for life with the rope. Beware of the breaking strain of the rope, it is extremely high. Ensure that you put in plenty of rope connectors but only tighten them up finger tight so the rope will break away in an emergency. The tape may flap in the wind & not look as neat but it's far safer.
 
Been shopping today and bought some 5ft wooden posts and plastic posts for the bit that needs to be opened in the summer. Got some Rutland 40mm tape as I don't think the rope will put him off, not enough zappers and he will try and limbo them. Energizer being order tonight so will go for one recommended on here. Now I have to go buy all connectors and insulators that are confusing me ! Will be worth it when it's done at least
 
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