Electric fencing question: 40mm tape or rope?

[myhorsefred]

Hi all,

Sorry I haven't posted for ages. I sort of lost enthusiasm since I had my beloved Fred put to sleep last October.

Anyway, thinking about brighter things, I've moved house and am putting up new fencing. I've had poles driven into the ground ready for electric fencing to be attached.

I can't decide whether to buy the wide white 40mm tape, or rope. This rope: http://www.ukcountrystore.co.uk/acatalog/White-Turbo-Charge-Electric-Fencing-Rope.html

I know the rope is stronger and will withstand wind much better (last winter my 20mm tape broke in various places in storms, where the wind just snapped it off at the insulator), but is the rope safe for horses? If they run through it. I'm worried the rope would cause more of an injury than the tape would.

What do you all think? Thank you.

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

Rope all the way. Lasts longer, easier to fix and I personally don't think it wraps itself around as much as tape, especially 40mm tape.

 

[PaddyMonty]

Rope every time. No real difference in safety aspect between 40mm tape and rope but rope far better in windy conditions.

 

[Gwyntbryn]

However make sure you have breakaway points to avoid serious damage if they go through the fence. Even with a breakaway my young mare had a deep rope burn acros her neck when charging through the fence when a tree came down in the gales.

 

[Fides]

Firstly - I am glad you are feeling more positive!

Rope all the way! If you have fixed fencing you could save yourself some cash and get steel wire for the bottom two strands and rope for the top. The steel wire doesn't need expensive insulators either, just some plastic tubing that is stapled to the post with the wire running through.

Like this

 

[JanetGeorge]

Rope is MUCH more dangerous than tape - because it doesn't break nearly as easily! So if a horse goes over (or under) it and wraps it around a back leg, if you're lucky it will just sever the extensor tendon and NOT destroy the bone.

I'd had two accidents with it - one a yearling who rolled under it. She JUST severed the extensor ligament - and after months of treatment she came sound. A weanling colt did a similar thing - he wasn't so lucky. Severed the extensor but strpped the bone bare and had to be PTS!

The drawback of the 40mm tape is it DOES catch the wind badly. I use the 20mm tape, and metal joiners. If there is an 'incident' the tape gives way at the joiners before a horse is injured.

 

[Fides]

The only time I have had an incident is when either there wasn't enough current running through the fence, or I hadn't taught the horse well enough to respect the electric fence. They need to be taught to back off it when they get zapped rather than just running through it to make the sting stop. All my rope/wire has breakers in it.

 

[myhorsefred]

Thanks everyone. I have ordered the rope, with the joiner metal bits, which will break if put under pressure in an emergency. thank you.