Extreme reactions to being zapped by electric fence!

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My mare has very bad reactions to being zapped by the electric fence it's mains powered but goes around about 7 acres. A couple of years ago I witnessed her grab a bungee by accident in her mouth and she was manic for yrs I had to take her for a walk to try and calm her down, she paws, circles (like she is lunging herself) and just looks uncomfortable, in the end I called the vet as it was a Sunday and he told me to give her 2 danilon and by the eve she was much better. Well tonight I arrived at the yard and she was fine by the time I went to get her in she was cantering round, she had zapped herself well she was pacing wouldn't stop pawing the ground and kicking out, so gave her 2 danilon but she was still manic 2 hrs later so I called the poor vet and he said I could give her another 1, thank god she has eaten her tea and lots of hay when I just went to see her again! Does anyone else's horse have this type of reaction?
 
Never seen a reaction like you are describing but my gelding takes a paddy and rears ans strikes at the fence then gallops away in disgust and mare just grumps at it squeals and canters off.
 
I was wondering about yrs lol, but you never know with horses, I have one who is acting extreme and she has not even been zapped I put her out in paddock with tape for first time and she is super wary and has been doing some full on hysterics.
She does love a bit of drama though, she is not really scared but it has made her very edgy she is a bit of a madam anyway and imagine feeding a full bag of oats and you get the idea, I am dreading her zapping herself.:eek:
 
Poor you just as you get her rideable she thinks of something else, my ruby horse is very similar, hope she is fine L.
 
Pickle just looks vaguely annoyed at being electrocuted but carries on walking through the fence, meanwhile the slightest zap sends my other horse into orbit and he is terrified of the fence for days. Having been zapped myself the other day, it is a complete over reaction as the fence is very weak!
 
dominobrown said:
Pickle just looks vaguely annoyed at being electrocuted but carries on walking through the fence, meanwhile the slightest zap sends my other horse into orbit and he is terrified of the fence for days. Having been zapped myself the other day, it is a complete over reaction as the fence is very weak!
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You can turn some fencers onto half power. Also, were you wearing rubber boots?

I was working on a broken (permanent electric off the mains) fence one day, then realised it ought to be switched on. So I went back to the buildings to check. Yes, it was on and activated. It seems my wellies protected me from getting a shock as they insulated me from the ground. Mains fencers can be really nasty. Do you have a tester which shows voltage? Just a thought.

I mention this because I'm another one neurotic about electric shocks and I sympathise with your horse!!!:eek:
 
I had one that used to lean on the fence and when he got a shock he would just sigh and slowly walk off as if to say "fine I won't walk through it!"
 
My first pony, a 4yo, had a reaction to the electric fence around a sj ring at pony club camp. He bolted/bronced so I fell off. Then the girl helping got on him, he was still going crazy so the instructor told my mum he wasn't a suitable pony for me and so he was sold. Still sad about it to this day as I'd probably still have him now, 8 years later if I hadn't of let him touch the fence.
 
Dry Rot said:
You can turn some fencers onto half power. Also, were you wearing rubber boots?

I was working on a broken (permanent electric off the mains) fence one day, then realised it ought to be switched on. So I went back to the buildings to check. Yes, it was on and activated. It seems my wellies protected me from getting a shock as they insulated me from the ground. Mains fencers can be really nasty. Do you have a tester which shows voltage? Just a thought.

I mention this because I'm another one neurotic about electric shocks and I sympathise with your horse!!!:eek:
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I hate being shocked too! I wasn't wearing rubber boots, but my fence is not a mains fence, its just on a battery which I think is getting a bit weak. I know mine is around 12 to 15v max so the horse who is scared of it is just neurotic, but thankfully doesn't try to escape.
 
I once dropped a contact lens in the field and as I was looking for it my hair must have touched the (mains) electric fence. I came to with my face in the mud :eek: I wear glasses now ....
 
PoppyAnderson said:
Seriously? Even from a blast of mains powered, cow-strength electric? Don't know any that would try it on with them.
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I know one pony that does. We used to joke that her thick coat insulates her! The Alpacas at our yard just walk through the mains powered fence and dont get a shock due to their wool. This is at a yard with stallion fencing around every field 4 or 5 strips of mains electric, very well secured and 6ft tall!
 
Wish mine would too! I have seen Daemon pony standing in the fence with sparks flying onto him and he didn't even flinch :mad:

It's not mains though, I don't have mains electricity up there unfortunately :(
 
Snowysadude said:
I know one pony that does. We used to joke that her thick coat insulates her! The Alpacas at our yard just walk through the mains powered fence and dont get a shock due to their wool. This is at a yard with stallion fencing around every field 4 or 5 strips of mains electric, very well secured and 6ft tall!
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Funnily enough, the place that I'm thinking of that has mains powered fencing also has llamas and they have it cranked to the max cos these wooly herberts don't feel much cos of their coat, exactly as you say.
 
Glad your horse is ok now, my stupid jrt terrier cocked his leg up a sheep/cattle electric fence :eek: before I could stop him once, I've never seen a dog do vertical take off so high as well as a backward somersault thrown in!
Stupid dog when he landed was then IN with the sheep and had to come back through the fence to get out, receiving another zap in the process!
 
I thought it was illegal to have a mains connected electric fence which hadn't a regulator or whatever they are called on it to reduce the voltage? I know there was a hell of a fuss at the home of a man whose horse I used to keep fit. His neighbour had a fence as you describe; it was touched by a chap from BT who (with permission) had come to do something to a telegraph post. He touched the full mains voltage fence and it knocked him flat on his back. He had a pacemaker and it knocked that for six. I don't know how the row ended but they were heading for court when I last heard!

I'm not surprised that your mare reacts so badly. I've seen dogs go round screaming for minutes and completely out of control after being zapped.

Not good things in my book....
 
I've never used mains fencing but have heard they can be very painful. Might be an idea to turn it down?

I could do with mains power, since my youngster has no respect for battery powered fences - he learned within a day that that the poles were "safe" and will lift them up with his mouth and fling them on the floor. He's not even the one fenced in - he likes everyone out to play!
 
We do have a bit of a problem with dogs and our electric fencing, the Dalmatian thinks she is the same size as my 3 staffords, and has zapped herself on numerous occasions following them under the wire. Worst was when she went to have a drink from a trough ( as mine showed her!) then got the electric under her armpit. Sounded like someone was trying to kill her...

But she still,hasn't learnt her lesson!
 
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