Electric Fencing: disaster! Went straight through it!

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Went up to the field yesterday morning, where I'd got everything organised for strip-feeding (or so I thought!) and His Nibs was on the WRONG side of the fence, having stampeded through it.

Soooo, I put it up again, and - unbelievably - while I was watching, he just stampeded through it again, taking the whole blimmin lot with him and snapping three poles. Wotta toad!

But, the problem is, he's strip-fed for a reason; i.e. to restrict his grazing, and if he's not respecting electric fencing any more, I don't know what I'm gonna do. I've had one horse with laminitis in the past and don't ever want to have to deal with that again, plus he's gonna get fat! One problem is that he has to wear a rug & fly mask coz of his sweet itch, and probably doesn't even know the current is on because he can't feel it through the rug. The yesterday the b**g*r had that gleam in his eye and I just wonder if he did it just for sheer hell of it.

Any ideas anyone? I'm thinking along the lines of having to put a grazing muzzle on ..... dunno what else to do.

 

[ester]

I suggested this to fihunt for her mare in the winter and it did seem to work

get some wide (40mm) electric tape and thread it through the buckles on the front of the rug so that you get a strip on the outside and a strip touching the skin. So essentially it just means you are carrying the current throught the rug.

Did he go through the tape or push a post? only because if he is pushing post you can get live posts.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Gosh! Good idea re. taping fencing wire into rug so he gets the current! I'd never have thought of that.

Little s*d just went through the whole blimmin lot, tape, poles the whole lot drifting after him. I used to know a pony who'd pick up the poles in his teeth tho' ......!!! they had to get metal poles for him, little monkey.

 

[appylass]

Assuming you have a really good kick from your fencer and the tape/rope is really tight, you may just have to muzzle him. If you wanted to persevere with the strip grazing, you could give him a nice bath and turn him out rugless whilst still wet, just long enough for him to try the fence, he will feel it then and it might deter him. Sounds a bit cruel but it has worked for me with a really naughty pony and rather a short, sharp, shock than laminitis.

 

[ester]

simple but can be reasonably effective, I also think plenty work out that it hurts with rug off, not with rug on. fi would have to confirm but I think genie had been getting out once a week prior to that, I think she managed it maybe once after but it pretty much stopped it.

If you can't get your hand on a bit of the thick stuff and don't want to purchase a big roll give me a shout have loads of spare bits and happy to stick some in the post

 

[brighteyes]

Thing is, by charging flat out through it, he's not getting much of a zap - did you introduce him slowly so he would get a real 'belt'? All ours check for current with their whiskers. Can you arrange for it to make a menacing 'ticking' noise? Ours hate the snapping sound when it shorts and associate that with the rarely sustained accidental 'encounter' nose-to-wire!

Gallagher do a really tall post - it's a good 4ft or more and he's at least be touching it with his throat. Take his rug off and try and organise a controlled 'crack' from the fencer.

Once they know what to do, it's hard to outwit them.

Mine wear muzzles, and wouldn't dream or going through a fence due to initiating them deliberately before they were fenced in with it.

 

[Laafet]

My boy has absolutely no respect for electric fencing, he totally destroyed it at the last three yards we have been at, much like those clever dogs that realise that the 'invisible fence' thingy only stings for a second. He will either jump it or if it it high then will put his head down (yes like a bull) and charge it. He seems intelligent enough to pick a weak bit - usually the gate!

 

[jhoward]

can you strimmer/mow the field ??? is he scared of bags/ballons etc would tying some to the fence keep him off it?

(ps had an epic fail at dressage today)

 

[Shilasdair]

I've found it most effective to use two lines of tape - one just below horse knee height - and make sure this one is live.
A good zap in the knee usually stops them...
S

 

[jhoward]

I've found it most effective to use two lines of tape - one just below horse knee height - and make sure this one is live.
A good zap in the knee usually stops them...
S

yes but shils, i dont think op can stand around all day with tape attached to her self. I think you electrifying personality is yours all alone. love L.S