Field fencing

[Mari]

My field backs on to some houses. The houses mostly have wooden fences & I have sheep netting topped with 2 strands of barbed wire which is kept very taut. The problem is my horses persistently chew the wooden fences. I’m thinking of having a much higher fence, 6’, so my horses can’t reach over it to chew neighbours fences. What sort of 6’ high fence do people suggest / recommend? There are electricity poles & wires along the fence line so I can’t use electric fence as it would be parallel to the above wires. I’m thinking chain link fencing but it’s very expensive.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Could you not put isolators into the wooden fencing and run a thin line of electric along the top? Sorry if that’s not an option, not 100% sure I picture your set up correctly

 

[Mari]

Could you not put isolators into the wooden fencing and run a thin line of electric along the top? Sorry if that’s not an option, not 100% sure I picture your set up correctly

Not my wooden fencing & no can’t put an electric fence line under the electricity wires as it’s too dangerous in lightening storms. We actually have a few large telegraph poles in our field.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Electric fence extenders onto your posts, will keep them back further and discourage any leaning over.
I'm not sure I'd want mine leaning on barbed wire to chew stuff.
Tape near pylons isnt usually a problem as its 12 volt and earthed.

 

[AmyMay]

Do a run of electric fencing a foot in front of your fencing?

 

[Mari]

Do a run of electric fencing a foot in front of your fencing?

Apparently I can’t as it’s still too close. Seems we have very powerful electricity lines along that stretch.

 

[Burnttoast]

Slightly different approach, but my boys chewed the post and rail when we moved to our current place until I had the grass analysed and fed minerals to balance it, then they stopped, and have never done it since. The previous occupants of the field had already chewed some of the rails almost right through, interestingly. That'd definitely be cheaper than chain link.

 

[Mari]

Slightly different approach, but my boys chewed the post and rail when we moved to our current place until I had the grass analysed and fed minerals to balance it, then they stopped, and have never done it since. The previous occupants of the field had already chewed some of the rails almost right through, interestingly. That'd definitely be cheaper than chain link.

Interesting. Where did you get it analysed?

 

[Burnttoast]

Interesting. Where did you get it analysed?

Forageplus. If a high proportion of the diet is hay/haylage it's worth getting that done too.

 

[AmyMay]

Put some big logs in the field?

 

[Mari]

Forageplus. If a high proportion of the diet is hay/haylage it's worth getting that done too.

Thank you

 

[Mari]

Put some big logs in the field?

How will this help? I already have 5 big logs they chew them as well as the fences.

 

[Lady Jane]

We have over head electric lines across our fields and we have electric fence. I've never heard this could be dangerous? Who gave you the information?

 

[AmyMay]

How will this help? I already have 5 big logs they chew them as well as the fences.

Ah, ok

 

[pinkypug1]

We have over head electric lines across our fields and we have electric fence. I've never heard this could be dangerous? Who gave you the information?

Me too and I use mains electric. I was aware not to place earth stale anywhere near electric poles so I have earth about 30ft away but hadn’t known there was an issue with the electric fence running near over head cables either

 

[DSB]

Stopcrib/Cribox,is your friend.

 

[rextherobber]

We have over head electric lines across our fields and we have electric fence. I've never heard this could be dangerous? Who gave you the information?

I have also heard this, particularly if the fences run parallel and directly under. but can't remember where I read it. Possibly the Voss site? Electricity can obviously jump across gaps, but I don't know how far it can jump!

 

[Patterdale]

Can you just run a line of barb along the top of it?

 

[AmyMay]

Can you just run a line of barb along the top of it?

The op can’t do anything to the wooden fencing as it’s not hers.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

My field backs on to some houses. The houses mostly have wooden fences & I have sheep netting topped with 2 strands of barbed wire which is kept very taut. The problem is my horses persistently chew the wooden fences. I’m thinking of having a much higher fence, 6’, so my horses can’t reach over it to chew neighbours fences. What sort of 6’ high fence do people suggest / recommend? There are electricity poles & wires along the fence line so I can’t use electric fence as it would be parallel to the above wires. I’m thinking chain link fencing but it’s very expensive.

Depends on length, you could use Heras fencing.

 

[ycbm]

What voltage are the electricity lines? I have 100+ metres of electric fence running attached to the electricity poles carrying the power to the house and that's safe, it's only high voltage there's an issue with and even that's [eta very ] questionable. Says my OH who is a power engineer, anyway.
.

 

[ycbm]

The op can’t do anything to the wooden fencing as it’s not hers.

I'd ask the neighbours about running a line of barbed wire just off the top of the back edge. Unless they're prone to climbing their fences they wouldn't even know it was there and I suspect they'd prefer it to chewed fences.
.

 

[Goldenstar]

Horses only persistently do this if they are hungry or missing out on some nutrient .
I would get them onto the forage plus performance balancer this is probably cheaper than going down the soil testing route which can be a bit of a rabbit hole of complication.

You have to fence to inside of the boundary to stop them .
If you can’t use electric then you must use something else , you can be asked to repair those fences and that could be expensive .
That’s without thinking about the potential disasters that can be caused by horses messing about with barbed wire fencing .

 

[Patterdale]

I'd ask the neighbours about running a line of barbed wire just off the top of the back edge. Unless they're prone to climbing their fences they wouldn't even know it was there and I suspect they'd prefer it to chewed fences.
.

Yes that’s what I meant

 

[Lady Jane]

I just looked at the Voss site. Obvioulsy I could have misse something but they explain the risk of a lightning strike on a main connected energiser (and how to remove the risk) but I can find no refernce to power lines

 

[poiuytrewq]

Op, I think your way forwards then is to double check the above. I’m pretty sure we had electric fencing with power lines and no issues before BUT check with someone who knows for sure.
Then, go visit the fence owner, explain that the horses will damage the fence so you are willing to electrify the top rail your side. Would a battery energiser be any better?
I think the fencing owner will prefer you altering than wrecking it surely.

 

[Mari]

It was the engineers from United Utilities who check the power lines annually (& when there’s a problem) who told me not to run an electric fence under them. It’s not one house with a wooden fence, it’s 10 houses backing on to the field so a long stretch. Yes I’ve wondered about using Heras panels.

 

[ycbm]

It was the engineers from United Utilities who check the power lines annually (& when there’s a problem) who told me not to run an electric fence under them. It’s not one house with a wooden fence, it’s 10 houses backing on to the field so a long stretch. Yes I’ve wondered about using Heras panels.

They are just 3rd party line inspectors, they don't work for UU directly, and they are qualified only to look at poles and insulators and wear on lines, they aren't electrical engineers, in the main.

My husband is qualified to work on 400,000 volt power lines and he explained very carefully to me in words I didn't understand at all that it's nonsense and people are just repeating a myth until it becomes some kind of fact.

The essence of what he said, I think, was that it is just about possible on a one in a million chance that conditions will be perfect to create 200 volts (domestic supply is 220v and fence shock is 5000v to 10,000v) in the electric fence, but that even if someone touches it there's no way they'll get an electric shock because the power has to flow in from the overhead lines and it simply can't.

If you want me to get him to write up the technical explanation, I will.
.

 

[ihatework]

Deer fencing on tall posts?