Horse out of the field this morning! What am I going to do?!

[sandi_84]

My horse is a renowned escape artist - little sod!

This morning I had a phonecall from a walker (we have a for emergencies notice on the gate with my number on it) to say that Loki was out of the field and round grazing at the cottages!

My field neighbour kindly put him in for me (I'm an hour's walk away ) and put the electric fence back up.

What had happened was he'd barged through the electrified tape to get out of the paddock then barged through the non electrified tape round a slightly lower part of dry stone wall, climbed up the bleedin wall (he used to do this at my last yard, I swear he's part mountain goat!) and gone for a wander!

I only have one energiser atm (and obviously it's rubbish!) and can't afford another one till at least the 11th of this month! I know he isn't prone to wandering far when he escapes but I'm still terrified he'll take it into his head to wander the woods (which go on for miles!) or work his way out to the housing area not far or even worse (my worst nightmare!) meander down onto the extreamly busy main road a mile or so down the road!

What am I going to do in the meantime?! I'm going to open up the paddocks and use the energiser for the small area in front of the wall - hopefully it'll give a better shock because it's only about 2 meters accross. But if anyone has a genius horse proofing idea I'd be so grateful for it, I'm at a bit of a loss and now going through all the "what if" senarios

 

[Wagtail]

Does he have company?

 

[Polos Mum]

I feel for you, mine is wandering through the hay fields as I type even though he's plenty fat enough as it is. I have 2 rows of tall electric about 4 foot apart with new hedge plants inbetween on a mains energiser, with new tape - doesn't seem to be any deterant.

He is bored so just getting out because he can - I've tried to explain that I am bored too (8 months pregnant) but he doesn't have much sympathy.

 

[sandi_84]

Does he have company?

Sorry yes, 1 14.2hh mare and a 13.2hh mare and plenty plenty grass! He's just a menace who likes to explore and to give me mini-heart attacks!

Having a ring round just now to see if anyone has a spare energiser I could borrow till the end of the month - my boyfriend told me not to go out and buy one as he'd be able to get me a second hand one but he's away till the 14th atm!

He's also being ridden 4-6 days a week atm :/

 

[texas]

if it's dry where you are, the energiser might not be working properly - pour some water on the earth stake daily to keep the zaps up.

 

[noodle_]

can you attach some electric fencing to him as well so he gets a damn good shock when he gets in contact with the fence???

dare i suggest a zappy dog collar that when he goes near a certain point it zaps him?

slightly cruel BUT better than a dead horse or dead people from a traffic acident if he gets out...........?

 

[cheeryplatypus]

Have you tried rope instead of tape?
Also presume he doesn't have rugs on, found you clip a patch on his chest so he feels the zap more?

 

[sandi_84]

if it's dry where you are, the energiser might not be working properly - pour some water on the earth stake daily to keep the zaps up.

Thank you, I'll do that as it has been a bit dry round here recently!

can you attach some electric fencing to him as well so he gets a damn good shock when he gets in contact with the fence???

dare i suggest a zappy dog collar that when he goes near a certain point it zaps him?

slightly cruel BUT better than a dead horse or dead people from a traffic acident if he gets out...........?

Can you do that? Is it safe?

I daren't use rope as he has jumped it before and got caught, the tape snaps but the rope has a higher breaking strain and I don't want him to injure himself He is unrugged but not clipped, I have to sedate to clip

 

[Archangel]

I have one horse that will go off exploring. He has his special escape places and I put a bit of tape at eye height at an angle. He will jump or bulldoze but if he can't get his head steady he is put off. I did also have a climber and a slitherer underer

What gets me is that when we jump I work out the striding and make sure everything is spot on. When he decides to go out over the gate he ambles up and then trots the last stride and up and over 5ft I mean what is the point of all my work in the school eh?

Seriously though, I found the tape at a funny angle right in his face was just enough to put him off.

 

[LuckyRed]

maybe try fixing some strips of plastic to the top of the fence so they flap around adn put him off jumping it? or make a double strip of fenciing so it looks really wide to jump? Good luck!

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Keep him in til you can improve the fencing. Mine was escaping regularly through a weak piece of fencing and until the YO fixed it, he was in. He could potentially have reached the M1 otherwise and no way was I risking that!!

 

[pennyturner]

Hobbles or tether?

 

[sandi_84]

We don't have a stable atm so I can't keep him in

He's never been hobbled or tethered and I've never done either to a horse so I've no idea how I would go about it and I actually think he'd panic and hurt himself

Quick update:

My field neighbour put him back in the field for me this morning and as she went to put him back in the middle paddock the other 2 barged passed her (naughty ponies never do that to us! So I'm rather embarressed by thier behaviour! ) so she called and asked if it was ok to leave them all in the top paddock. She put the electric tape back up round the wall and I was going up after my driving lesson so I said that would be fine.

Arrived at the field to find that Loki had put himself back in the middle paddock! He knew he was in the bad books, he followed me like a puppy everwhere I went as I threatened to send him to Findus!

I put them all back in the middle and moved the electic fencing unit to the bit around the low part of the wall. It's about 3 meters roughly so I've taped the bejesus out of it and electrified that instead for now. I took one for the team and tested how much of a zap I'd get and yup it works!

I turned round and there he was the sod! Standing behind me! Figured out that he was slithering under a bit of the electric fencing so I did a bit of re-arranging of the tape so it's tight all the way along and at a level he shouldn't be able to get under it or step through it (if the worst comes to the worst I can always put in another strand or double up the fencing) but for now I've just opened up all the paddocks as there's no point leaving them in the middle with the fence not on as he will just take down the lot

My cousin may have a spare energiser I could use till the end of the month so I've to call her later and check but if she can lend me one that would be fab, it'll likely be a much better unit than the one we've got so I can keep the small area around the wall electrified and the paddock too - hopefully that should keep him where he's supposed to be!

Thanks for all the help and advice everyone! x

 

[starryeyed]

maybe try fixing some strips of plastic to the top of the fence so they flap around adn put him off jumping it? or make a double strip of fenciing so it looks really wide to jump? Good luck!

We did something similar with my late bulldozer - he would walk through anything (regularly wandered through post and rail to go next door ). As a temporary fix we put up bunting around the field as he was terrified of flags / flapping - neighbours must have thought we were insane Soon lost its effect but unfortunately he was never any braver outside of the field when he'd spot a something on a hack!

Hope you manage to find another energiser soon - they do like to scare us don't they?!!

 

[sandi_84]

We did something similar with my late bulldozer - he would walk through anything (regularly wandered through post and rail to go next door ). As a temporary fix we put up bunting around the field as he was terrified of flags / flapping - neighbours must have thought we were insane Soon lost its effect but unfortunately he was never any braver outside of the field when he'd spot a something on a hack!

Hope you manage to find another energiser soon - they do like to scare us don't they?!!

Ooh oops I'd missed that post, I might give that one a shot but I don't know if it'll make any odds to him, he's surprisingly bomb proof against "scary" things - not so much at everyday things like old ladies (yes seriously he was scared sh**less at a hobbled old lady one day!), push chairs and sawdust

Yes they do! My friend was telling me she thinks he's her horse reincarnated, same laid back gentle nature but a complete escape artist! She got quite a few late night calls from the farmer to tell her her horse was wandering past his windows ha ha!

Loki's a total menace ha ha! But I still love him

 

[HaffiesRock]

Have you got a fence tester?

I have a serial escape artist too. He gets out pretty much every night (never when people are there!) Fence never down and "electric! always on. Tried him in many different fields with numerous friends and he still got out.

So I borrowed YO's fence tester and discovered the fence was pants! So I decided to touch it and hardly felt a thing.

So seeing as one side of the yard is through a sheep net fence onto a fast road and the other side is woods, I invested in a brand new fence for his safety. Cost me a fortune but bought a high power energiser, decent battery and new tapes and posts. Spent Saturday putting it up. Used proper connectors and didn't tie any tape, removed any foliage that could potentially touch the fence and cause shorting, watered my earth spike and then turned it on. Wow is all I will say. Got my own fence tester and it registered the full 7000 volts that the meter goes up too and then the icing on the cake when my cocky pony decided to test it out. Well, he jumped 6 foot in the air, bronced, squealed and bolted off! He then stood traumatised in the middle of the field and I couldn't even bribe him over with a treat! Touch wood, so far so good. He is definitely more weary of it now too.

So I think I was saying check the fence with a tester, check for anything touching it, including grass and water your earth stake. If your tape is old and tied in lots of knots, invest in some new tape and use proper connectors.

I was always told my pony was too naughty to respect electric fencing, but it seems he has never been surrounded by correctly fitted and working fence.

This was as close as I could bribe him to the fence on Saturday.

 

[sandi_84]

Have you got a fence tester?

I have a serial escape artist too. He gets out pretty much every night (never when people are there!) Fence never down and "electric! always on. Tried him in many different fields with numerous friends and he still got out.

So I borrowed YO's fence tester and discovered the fence was pants! So I decided to touch it and hardly felt a thing.

So seeing as one side of the yard is through a sheep net fence onto a fast road and the other side is woods, I invested in a brand new fence for his safety. Cost me a fortune but bought a high power energiser, decent battery and new tapes and posts. Spent Saturday putting it up. Used proper connectors and didn't tie any tape, removed any foliage that could potentially touch the fence and cause shorting, watered my earth spike and then turned it on. Wow is all I will say. Got my own fence tester and it registered the full 7000 volts that the meter goes up too and then the icing on the cake when my cocky pony decided to test it out. Well, he jumped 6 foot in the air, bronced, squealed and bolted off! He then stood traumatised in the middle of the field and I couldn't even bribe him over with a treat! Touch wood, so far so good. He is definitely more weary of it now too.

So I think I was saying check the fence with a tester, check for anything touching it, including grass and water your earth stake. If your tape is old and tied in lots of knots, invest in some new tape and use proper connectors.

Fence tester? That would be me I tested it with the back of my hand because we don't own a proper tester - It definitely works!

We bought brand new tape and poles and have bunjee gates and connecters from my sister - along with the rubbish energiser.

I had a check along it today and there are only 2 knots - one on the top and bottom strand where I've had to extend the fencing - and there is definitely nothing touching it anywhere along it I honestly think that the energiser isn't powerful enough to electrify the length of tape we have (no idea actually how long it is! but it's not that long!) but I've put the energiser at the wall bit and watered the stake and it definitely has a damn good kick to it now!

going to have to just keep the paddocks open till I get a new energiser I think and use the best one for the paddocks and the rubbish one for the small area around the wall.

 

[HaffiesRock]

I'm to wussy to touch mine, even the YO's old one!

Do you know which energiser you have?

This is the one I bought and I'd recommend it http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Electric-Fencing-HC-850-High-Power-12-v-Energiser-/110722514144

 

[sandi_84]

I'm to wussy to touch mine, even the YO's old one!

Do you know which energiser you have?

This is the one I bought and I'd recommend it http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Electric-Fencing-HC-850-High-Power-12-v-Energiser-/110722514144

I'm a bit of a wimp about stuff like that too but it had to be done

No idea what make/model it is but it's one of those ones you run off 2 D batteries

 

[ester]

the D cell battery ones really don't have a lot of power, particularly using it with tape (ie multiple strands of wire in it). I'd suggest you definitely need something with a bit more oomph, particularly if it is used for actually keeping them in rather than just strip grazing sort of thing.

 

[sandi_84]

the D cell battery ones really don't have a lot of power, particularly using it with tape (ie multiple strands of wire in it). I'd suggest you definitely need something with a bit more oomph, particularly if it is used for actually keeping them in rather than just strip grazing sort of thing.

Definitely! I'm going to have to get myself a better unit - preferably one that can be run off either a car battery or a leisure battery but it's going to have to wait till the end of the month before I can get one. Me and mum are going to go halfers on a good one.

 

[ester]

def the right plan.

btw use a leisure battery as they are designed to be run down whereas car batteries aren't

 

[sandi_84]

def the right plan.

btw use a leisure battery as they are designed to be run down whereas car batteries aren't

Cool, think I might have to use a couple of car batteries till I can afford the leisure battery though Really have to watch the pennies right now

 

[Aarrghimpossiblepony]

Have you got a fence tester?

I have a serial escape artist too. He gets out pretty much every night (never when people are there!) Fence never down and "electric! always on. Tried him in many different fields with numerous friends and he still got out.

So I borrowed YO's fence tester and discovered the fence was pants! So I decided to touch it and hardly felt a thing.

So seeing as one side of the yard is through a sheep net fence onto a fast road and the other side is woods, I invested in a brand new fence for his safety. Cost me a fortune but bought a high power energiser, decent battery and new tapes and posts. Spent Saturday putting it up. Used proper connectors and didn't tie any tape, removed any foliage that could potentially touch the fence and cause shorting, watered my earth spike and then turned it on. Wow is all I will say. Got my own fence tester and it registered the full 7000 volts that the meter goes up too and then the icing on the cake when my cocky pony decided to test it out. Well, he jumped 6 foot in the air, bronced, squealed and bolted off! He then stood traumatised in the middle of the field and I couldn't even bribe him over with a treat! Touch wood, so far so good. He is definitely more weary of it now too.

So I think I was saying check the fence with a tester, check for anything touching it, including grass and water your earth stake. If your tape is old and tied in lots of knots, invest in some new tape and use proper connectors.

I was always told my pony was too naughty to respect electric fencing, but it seems he has never been surrounded by correctly fitted and working fence.

This was as close as I could bribe him to the fence on Saturday.

Just love this picture.
I hope you feel very mean.

 

[windand rain]

My serial fence wanderers one is a jumper the other a creeper the jumper is a pain and I have had to put them in the winter field after a couple of weeks as it has a six foot fence round it, today as I arrived I saw her walk up to the dividing fence and pop over it like it wasnt there mind you I was expecting it as the rested grass looks good now and the strip fence was only 4 ft. T he creeper seems much better now I have put him back in work as I think he got bored being a grass cutter I caused havock by suggesting copper tape on a headcollar to stop him as being mean and cruel but hey ho I didnt do so as we have had a few thunderstorms and wouldnt like him to be hit by lightening as much as some days I dont like him much I dont want to cause him any pain or kill him even by accident

 

[HaffiesRock]

Just love this picture.
I hope you feel very mean.

I was so happy! He never touches the fence while I'm around so when he did it was great! His reaction was very dramatic so it obviously worked

I turned it off today to check it, opened the gate and he looked at me with big googly eyes as if to say"don't touch it, it bites! Then looked confused when it didn't bite me Bless him. Got to check it daily though as if it stops working he will be out...

 

[devonlass]

Cool, think I might have to use a couple of car batteries till I can afford the leisure battery though Really have to watch the pennies right now

I have been using a car battery for over 3 years on my energiser (mole valley own make,been excellent and wasn't expensive) and never had a problem.Gives a fair belt even with several hundred metres of fencing,and stays up for quite a while between charges.Keeps my greedy and thick skinned cob in most of the time.Only time I find him on the wrong side of the fence is when he realises before me that the battery needs charging

 

[ester]

they do work but leisures are recommended and aren't really any more expensive - ours was about £35 from mole.

 

[dingle12]

Also if you have enough fencing do a top and bottom tape then cross in the middle, looks more of a fence and more electric.

Like this but tape

http://www.elitevinyl.com/Cross-Buck_Post_and_Rail.html

 

[sandi_84]

Also if you have enough fencing do a top and bottom tape then cross in the middle, looks more of a fence and more electric.

Like this but tape

http://www.elitevinyl.com/Cross-Buck_Post_and_Rail.html

Very very cool! That'd stop him from stepping through it!