Electric Fence Tips and Advice

[Shoei]

Afternoon People,

I'm thinking ahead to when the world is full of green stuff and I need to utilise my new mains energiser. So far that is all I have.

I want to use it as secondary fencing up the post and rail to create and 'yard' area around the stables as the currently have free access and then to seprate my biggest field in the summer. I was thinking of polly posts for the division but I am undecided on gates, tape etc as we are in quite a windy area and have a few ponies who don't respect the fence (however I'm hoping the new energiser will do the trick).

Any tip/ advice welcome.

Many Thanks
Shoei

 

[neweventer]

We have electric fencing and I think it's great.
The polyposts are good, but I would suggest a wooden post every 4 or 5 poly posts to make it more sturdy.
In hindsight the only thing I would have done would be have a "proper" wooden gate rather then a electric tape gate. Although you can move electric tape gates, the horses are very wary and if you've got two to handle it gets a bit tricky.
Not sure if that helps

 

[cauda equina]

If you are in a windy place rope would be better than tape as it offers less wind resistance. Also ( I think ) rope conducts better .

Mine are fine with tape gates, even narrow ones ( 4 ft or so ). I have read awful things about the spring gates , tails being caught leading to dreadful accidents.

The beauty of electric fencing is it's so easy to change if you don't like how it's set up

 

[Shoei]

Thanks guys

Neweventer - How do you connect the fence around the wooden gate? Or do you just have it in the corner?

Thanks

 

[Auslander]

I'd always have a wooden post in each corner minimum, and preferably wooden posts all round. You can then fence off sections with poly posts wherever you like but have a solid perimeter to attach the ends of your section lines too.

I like gate reels, rathe than springs for gates. Never had a horse catch its tail in a spring, but have had countless shocks from them. They are evil things...http://www.agrisellex.co.uk/retractable-electric-fencing-gate-set.html

 

[Red-1]

I have wooden posts too, and poly rope. I have done the tape part of the gate so when I unhook it is the side that energises that I unhook, so the tape over the space is dead.

We do always turn the power off too (have the energiser next to the date as ours is battery) but if we were to forget the tape is not live when we are going through.

I also have ordinary gates, but my horse is a Houdini, so fences are 6'6", and the gates are normal with tape above!

 

[WelshD]

Tree stakes can be very helpful for adding stability and I use these at corners and gateways

I don't like the tape gateways as more than one strand can be a faff. I have the gateways marked with tree stakes hammered in, the last poly posts are cable tied each side. I then have a second tree stake hammered in on one side with a slight gap to the one with the fence attached. I then slide the hinge side of a sheep hurdle over this 'loose' stake to make a gate. The gate is fastened the other side with a loop

I leave different areas with tape boundaries and just move the gate to the area I am using this allows easy access though all the other areas and works very well. I think if I was to have tape gateways I would have the retractable reel type

I have non electric strands in my fencing that are connected to a separate earth stake, this gives an extra punch if a non electric strand and electric one are touched at the same time. I have found this to be very useful with sheep that don't respect the fencing.

 

[pixie]

Definately go with rope rather than tape. It is stronger, so won't flap about or break in the wind. You can get a better tension on it without worrying about it breaking. Horses respect it more, because it carries the current better and therefore gives a heck of a wallop if you touch it (in my unfortunate experience!). I have also found that electric tape tends to degrade and short itself out (I've found brown patches where all the wires have broken).
Yes, rope is more expensive, but it'll last longer. Its also much easier to untangle than tape!

Make sure you've got a good long earth stake that is hammered well into the ground. When the weather has been very hot, pouring water around this will make it more effective.

As others have said, you'll want wooden posts as well. At the very least at every point where there is a change in the direction of the fencing. You'll need more depending on the distance you are fencing, how permanent you want it to be,how exposed (and therefore windy) the area is, and how secure in the ground the poly posts are.

 

[jnb]

See - I disagree with everyone saying use the electric rope.
I've seen the damage done by it as it won't snap in an emergency.....down to the bone on one horse and a permanent scar on a show horse where he rolled next to the fence and caught a leg - luckily in the second incident the insulator holding the rope to the wooden post snapped, and not the horse's leg!
Use 10-40mm tape and don't space the posts too far apart. Keep the tape very taught, and use gate hooks for the gates (not metal pieces wrapped with insulation tape, as I've seen in some places!
Keep gates closed and don't drop the fence on the ground to avoid earthing, thus rendering your energiser useless and draining the battery.
And - check for vegetation/tape touching the wooden posts or the ground whihc will also break the circuit, lose the zap of the fence and drain your battery.