Electric Fencing - hints and tips please! :)

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AppyLover1996

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Hi Guys,

After some advice from you all please - posting on behalf of a friend :)

Electric fencing - please can I have hints and tips on the best set up, for example best type of tape to use, best height poles to use ( for a 14.2hh and 16.1hh) best battery for electrifying the fencing, best energiser etc.

Having to sort out own fencing to separate big field into more manageable sections for 14.2hh pony who does have a past history of escaping but does respect fencing if it has enough punch, and younger 16.1hh horse who is respectful of electric fencing and seldom goes near it :)

Mains isn't an option so needs to be battery powered and pack a decent punch!
 
Probably best to get the four foot posts and at least two strands. You can often get away with just electrifying the top strand. Depends on the tenacity of escapee. I’d go for solar powered if I was starting again but car batteries can be picked up fairly cheaply second hand. You need at least two. One charging and one in use and a charger. Oh and don’t forget to earth and also buy a fence tester. Don’t want to have to touch it! Never fun!
 
Wolseley Midge make a good lightweight portable energiser - runs off 12v battery - it’s an energiser and grounding rod all-in-one. We use these for electrifying smaller areas.


You can get batteries that fit in your hand to use with the midge -last 2 weeks - we bought 2 from eBay to have one in use and one ready to replace fully charged.
Similar to this:

But if you have a sunny site a solar battery would be maintenance free.

If it’s a windy site - the tape can blow about a bit - I use rope due to this, and tape where it’s more sheltered. But if sheltered the 1inch thick tape will do.

We use white tape/rope, as their eyesight sees contrast better. White against green grass is easier seen for them, than green tape against green grass. Their eye cones do not see all colours like our own. But it does depend on the horses and how much they hoon around, or if the field is housing newbies that might run when let in. We also have deer here and they have similar eyesight to horses so find the white tape/rope areas kept mostly intact by their jumping through/over, than a green tape section which got completely trashed by them running literally through it.

As you’re just using it for dividing a field you could likely get away with cheaper tape. The current loses strength the longer the distance run, so low ohm tape/rope is optimal for fencing several acres.

We use 156cm posts , but the 4ft are cheaper. Depends on the horses, but as you have a potential escapee - I’d electrify all lines. Breastbone and knees areas of lines to start.
Grazing fence line is common and hitting the bottom line with top of neck is a possibility - if it’s not on they could think the whole lot isn’t on and then dive under it. Electrify all lines to start to teach them it’s all on and will zap. This goes into their memory, they respect it, and usually don’t bother with it even if it’s not on. But some escapee minds will know it can be on/off and test it daily. To prevent that type of horse, I’d initially have all lines electrified and keep it strong daily, for a month. This allows grace for you for mishaps of battery low/forgot to check or change battery.

The grounding rod wants to be inserted into ground that’s wet - it works better the wetter the ground.

Have your lines tight. Visual strong tight barrier rather than floppy pieces of string. Perception to horses is everything!

If horses are wearing rugs/neck protectors - they likely won’t get zapped unless the rug fabric is designed for electric fences. Some are, best to check.
 
I actually prefer the shorter posts, they don't bend so much and the horses don't limbo through the top and bottom rows like they can with the taller posts.

I have a shockrit energiser, was about £60 on amazon, and it covers a long distance, i was getting over 7000 volts covering 1000 meters of fencing.

I also prefer rope, as I find tape breaks and sags really easily!

don't wrap the ropes/tape around the posts as this will earth it out, and make sure nettles, bushes and weeds don't touch either as the same thing will happen.

don't connect gate handles to any metal fencing, such as barbed wire, as you'll electrify that too
 
PurBee said:
Wolseley Midge make a good lightweight portable energiser - runs off 12v battery - it’s an energiser and grounding rod all-in-one. We use these for electrifying smaller areas.


You can get batteries that fit in your hand to use with the midge -last 2 weeks - we bought 2 from eBay to have one in use and one ready to replace fully charged.
Similar to this:

But if you have a sunny site a solar battery would be maintenance free.

If it’s a windy site - the tape can blow about a bit - I use rope due to this, and tape where it’s more sheltered. But if sheltered the 1inch thick tape will do.

We use white tape/rope, as their eyesight sees contrast better. White against green grass is easier seen for them, than green tape against green grass. Their eye cones do not see all colours like our own. But it does depend on the horses and how much they hoon around, or if the field is housing newbies that might run when let in. We also have deer here and they have similar eyesight to horses so find the white tape/rope areas kept mostly intact by their jumping through/over, than a green tape section which got completely trashed by them running literally through it.

As you’re just using it for dividing a field you could likely get away with cheaper tape. The current loses strength the longer the distance run, so low ohm tape/rope is optimal for fencing several acres.

We use 156cm posts , but the 4ft are cheaper. Depends on the horses, but as you have a potential escapee - I’d electrify all lines. Breastbone and knees areas of lines to start.
Grazing fence line is common and hitting the bottom line with top of neck is a possibility - if it’s not on they could think the whole lot isn’t on and then dive under it. Electrify all lines to start to teach them it’s all on and will zap. This goes into their memory, they respect it, and usually don’t bother with it even if it’s not on. But some escapee minds will know it can be on/off and test it daily. To prevent that type of horse, I’d initially have all lines electrified and keep it strong daily, for a month. This allows grace for you for mishaps of battery low/forgot to check or change battery.

The grounding rod wants to be inserted into ground that’s wet - it works better the wetter the ground.

Have your lines tight. Visual strong tight barrier rather than floppy pieces of string. Perception to horses is everything!

If horses are wearing rugs/neck protectors - they likely won’t get zapped unless the rug fabric is designed for electric fences. Some are, best to check.
Click to expand...
Second this energiser!

Don’t make any knots use the metal connectors to connect rope/ tape and for gate handles etc
It’ll help keep the zap strong

Farmcare uk are cheapest for 4ft posts atm
 
sorry to derail slightly, but can someone link me a charger for a car/leisure battery?! i’ve bought 12v batteries before from the feed shop but i didn’t know you could charge them because there’s no conventional charger😂
 
Rutland ESB 1000 12V Battery Energiser - it is powerful enough to deter the greediest pair of ponies, 2 leisure batteries on rotation, 4 foot posts with 2 lines- I electrify the bottom line as the preferred method of escape is under rather than jumping out. A fence tester is useful. Prune back any vegetation that touches the lines and water the earth rod in dry weather.
I use rope for longer term dividing and tape for daily strip grazing. Alternating the direction of poles threading side makes them more secure in the wind. I also use wooden poles for corners.
 
pistolpete said:
Probably best to get the four foot posts and at least two strands. You can often get away with just electrifying the top strand. Depends on the tenacity of escapee. I’d go for solar powered if I was starting again but car batteries can be picked up fairly cheaply second hand. You need at least two. One charging and one in use and a charger. Oh and don’t forget to earth and also buy a fence tester. Don’t want to have to touch it! Never fun!
Click to expand...

The escapee pony has quite an extensive list of being able to escape various Fort Knox scenarios - even criss crossed tape didn't stop him at one point...… he did get a hell of a shock a while back and seems to have developed some small sense of self preservation and will now stay away from the fence line, but given his past history my friend (quite rightly!) wants to air on the side of caution with him! He's got a habit of going up to the fence and seeing if it is clicking - if he reckons he can get through with a minimal zap then the bugger will do so.....does solar power tend to pack a bit more of a punch in general? :)
 
Solar energisers have changed my life - no exaggeration!

I have Gallagher ones and they have stopped my Welsh pony walking through the fencing whenever he fancied.

I also have metal corner posts which are invaluable at keeping the fencing tight.
 
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