Electric fencing and field perimeter fencing

Guessing that was my post that got you thinking! my field is hedge on 2 sides fenced down 2 sides, which electric running along the top of that! there is a gap in the corner about 10 foot, that was once a gate way but not properly fenced yet by the farmer, so I have about 10 fence posts there with 6 rows of tape, the battery died yesterday and horse got out!

I say that but where I used to be we had them fenced with only electric and they were fine but before the electric was put up the same horse barged through a proper fence to get to another horse in a field next door!! He has also jumped a normal height fence and a 5 bar gate on occasions too! so I think regardless of the fencing, if he wants to get out he will!
 
I don't use electric fencing at all, my farm is almost all vinyl fenced. I would never ever use just electric tape/rope to keep horses inside a property. As temporary internal fencing it's fine but it's certainly not suitable as a perimeter fence. I live at the very end of a little dead end lane, well away from any traffic, and I STILL wouldn't use flimsy electric tape/rope as my means of fencing in horses.
 
kerrieberry2 said:
Guessing that was my post that got you thinking! my field is hedge on 2 sides fenced down 2 sides, which electric running along the top of that! there is a gap in the corner about 10 foot, that was once a gate way but not properly fenced yet by the farmer, so I have about 10 fence posts there with 6 rows of tape, the battery died yesterday and horse got out!

I say that but where I used to be we had them fenced with only electric and they were fine but before the electric was put up the same horse barged through a proper fence to get to another horse in a field next door!! He has also jumped a normal height fence and a 5 bar gate on occasions too! so I think regardless of the fencing, if he wants to get out he will!
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It was (sorry) - but I am with you to a degree that if a horse wants to escape, it will. My last livery was all mains fed electric and thankfully even when it wasn't working, no-one escaped into the fields or road. I think also now being in post & railed paddocks got me thinking too...

Hillside should've done better - they are lucky they haven't had this happen before. Not doubting the fireworks spooked the ponies, or certainly added to any issue, but those ponies have been there a while and the event is an annual one, combined with the boxing day and NY ones too in the area. I hope they sort it out for the better.
 
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Half of our paddocks are post and rail topped with electric rope. The others are permanent post and electric fencing, with metal gates. There's a walkway all round and then stock fencing and trees around the outside.
 
I've got post & rail fencing around the perimeter of the field. I then divide into paddocks with electric fencing. Peace of mind - if they do get through the electric tape, they can't get out of the field.
 
All of our fencing is electric tape, no post and rail at all. We have occasionally had a horse go through the tape when afraid, but then again they would probably have gone through P&R too.

At my former RS, all the fencing was electric cord, which is worse than tape as it doesn't break, but there has never been a field accident with the fence in my knowledge.
 
I wouldn't use electric fencing for a perimeter to the outside world. My friend was using an electric fence to fill in for a poor outer fence (as in knackered old post and rail) and a pony managed to escape, thankfully it chose to go into the one available crop field and not the multitude of main roads, phew!

My ponies are generally quite good with electric and are fine with it being off for a day or so (a haflinger too you'd never believe it haha), but that's just between us and the neighbours.

One problem is that people steal electric fence paraphernalia no matter how hard you try to stop them!
 
That's cool, don't worry, its an interesting debate! I went to see my friends horse the other week and I was shocked at the fencing, didn't notice what was around the outside, could have been proper fencing but it was divided into about 15 individual paddocks, all were really bad with just plastic polly poles and they were all saggy!! I defo wouldn't be happy with that! my horse would be over them in an instant! unlike my mare who wouldn't dream of going over the fencing if it was laying on the floor!

Also shetties are known for being bad with fencing so I wouldn't want my boy in a whole field if it was only electric, luckily he is a scardie cat so wont go near the electric whether its on or not, but hes no normal shettie!
 
Proper post and rail around the perimeter and electric to split the 12 acres into sensible sized fields

We are right on a main road so I couldn't rely on just electric. Even with 3 or 4 strands of tape and a mains energiser my big horse wonders from field to field on a whim! I;ve given up trying to keep him in
 
I have strong perimeter fencing; 5ft high tensile horsefence topped with rail or wide electric tape (depending on where it is). In 3 paddocks this also has a mixed leaf or hornbeam hedge behind, for shade/shelter.

The paddocks are divided with post & rail, and this has electric fencing set about 6inches inside to stop fuzzies scrubbing on it. It can be pulled out or back in each paddock to give a good space so new ones can't touch over fences, if needed.

I also use tape to let tiny fuzzy strip graze, but as she 'morphs' through on occasions <sigh> I do have to be careful. She does stay behind permanent fencing tho :)
 
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