How to keep an escape artist contained?!

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Orson Cart

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Hi chaps

Just on here trying to source some advice from you more experienced folks!

I share a private yard with another livery. We divide our horses by electric fencing - she has 2 in her paddocks that she keeps together (a 20 yr old and a 2 yr old) and I have my little shetland in my paddock.

the electric fencing is incredibly strong in voltage (mains supplied) but her 2 yr old Sec A keeps getting out and causes no end of trouble!

I'm supposed to be the main person in charge of the fencing - lawd only knows why - and I am getting fed up of her horse continually breaking out and me having to charge round and try to catch the dang thing which is nigh on impossible as it hates having a headcollar put on it. Or having to permanently fix the strands of electric tape ... I'm starting to dread going up the yard with my little 3 yr old daughter as I inevitably spend all my time up there sorting this other horse and the fencing out, rather than spending time doing horsey stuff with my little one and our horse.

The electric fencing is not earthing on anything and I have checked the current all the way up the different paddocks and they are all high voltage.

This little pony gets out by shoving her nose under the lowest strand of fencing - which is on the lowest setting on the poles - and wriggles her way under, seemingly impervious to the voltage, I have three strands of fencing at her height level and having watched her do it, I know she is not jumping over it.

How would you guys solve this problem? Is there a solution to this problem? Putting the 2 yr old in with my shetland is a no no for many reasons - I just need to work out how to get the dang thing to stay where it's owner wants it!

Apologies for the length of this - any advice gratefully received. How do you keep your little escape artists contained?
Lil Ole Me
 
Does the horse wear a rug? Maybe that might be lessening the shock. If not is it possible to get some stronger fencing put in ie post and rail? I know it's not ideal or a quick fix but it might deter her.
 
Should've mentioned whether it was rugged or not - sorry! No, it doesn't wear a rug.

Sadly the YO's don't want to put post and rail fencing in the field ... which is a shame because a good stretch of that with some stock fencing could solve all my problems! chuckle.

Thanks for the advice though. :D
 
I know you're the one who has been put in charge of the fencing, but really the other livery should be taking responsibility for her pony. I wouldn't be impressed if I was in your situation.
If the other livery won't take responsibility, you need to talk to your YO.
 
the only way i kept daughters first pony where he was supposed to be was by either tethering him:eek: or when we moved fields there was already a pen with stock fencing and electric tape ran around the inside. Her pony had no respect for the electric and used to just run at it and barge through, the stock fencing stopped him doing that.
 
My welsh A is exactly the same.. I can't keep him in a paddock or field given the chance.. Electric fencing is useless and he doesn't keep a headcollar or muzzle on.. So he's in a post and rail compound with access to a stable currently..

Makes me cross because I can't have post and rail fencing and I just want him to be able to go out like a normal pony.. He even took my 2 and 3 yo Clevelands through a hedge on top of a bank into someone else's field, and almost got out on to the road by climbing a wall and getting stuck on top by the shrubbery.. I had palpitations coming home that day :(

Watching with hopeful interest :)
 
I had a friend whose horse kept escaping she had a post and rail fence and an electric fence 1m in. She tied lots of carrier bags onto the post and rail fence and that solved it, she did need to change the carrier bags every few months so the colours were different so it wasn't too accustomed to them. The horse never seemed scared, just didn't trust the killer horse eating plastic on the fence.
 
igglepop said:
I had a friend whose horse kept escaping she had a post and rail fence and an electric fence 1m in. She tied lots of carrier bags onto the post and rail fence and that solved it, she did need to change the carrier bags every few months so the colours were different so it wasn't too accustomed to them. The horse never seemed scared, just didn't trust the killer horse eating plastic on the fence.
Click to expand...

Thats a clever idea:)
 
ailbheg said:
I know you're the one who has been put in charge of the fencing, but really the other livery should be taking responsibility for her pony. I wouldn't be impressed if I was in your situation.
If the other livery won't take responsibility, you need to talk to your YO.
Click to expand...

Yo and I are on a bit of battleground with the livery over this ... fireworks ensued tonight between Yo and other livery over this very issue, so it may not be long before she's asked to move on anyway and I can stop being the leccie fencing person!
 
put a lower strand of wire in, wrap it around the poles if the tape really is on the lowest setting as it is and connect that strand with a separate earth cable to the earth stake

When a pony touches both the earth and live strand together he should get a bigger belt than just touching a live strand

In the unlikely event that its dry where you are a couple of buckets of water poured on where the earth stake goes in to the ground can up the voltage dramatically - useful if your fencer and stake are sheltered or covered

Also maybe check the tension of the tape, if the pony is getting under the fence there must be a degree of give in it, perhaps a bit much?

my welshies have a fence that is five live strands and one earth strand (on bottom setting) and it seems to work well
 
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