How to put up a fence?

little_critter

little_critter

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I'm having real problems keeping my pony in her paddock at the moment so am looking at putting in wooden fence posts and electric rope rather than tape.
I've never put up a fence before - the YO is ok with me doing this.
How do you go about it? Do I need to make a hole with a digging bar first or just try to hammer the posts into the ground?
Any advice and top tips / step by step instructions welcome.
Also the posts will need to be removed in the summer so YO can use the field for hay and the posts can contain pony in summer paddock....what's the best way of getting the posts out of the ground again?
 
if i were doing an electric fence with wooden posts i'd use round pots as they are easy to deal with. We use a post knocker, got it for about £35 online, its a heavy metal tube that slides over the post and you lift it up and slam it down onto the post until it is at the depth you want. Hammers and mallets are dangerous as someone usually gets the dodgy job of holding the post while it gets hit and the post gets all split at the top. Alternatively you can dig a hole, put the post in and then back fill it and compact the soil down with the end of a heavy mallet or similar.
 
I couldn't keep my old mare in so had to do what you are doing!
What I did was brought round wooden fence posts and electric rope.
You need to buy or hire a post whacker.... and you need 2 people on the post whacker. 15 good hard whacks should get a post in. I think I paced out about 14 steps between each post.
Get a spare post and put the 'blunt' end on the ground, then mark where you want your rings to go, then measure where each ring will go buy offering up this marker post to each post that is in the ground. I did it this way because I couldn't guarantee that each post went in at the same rate as the others. By doing this I knew that I would get a straight line of rope because all the rings would be the same distance from the floor. Not sure if this makes sense - hope it helped though. :)
 
I don't mean to cause you more problems but I am concerned about using electric rope with a pony that is already going through electric tape. If he gets tangled in the rope there is a much higher risk of injury as it has a much higher breaking strain than tape. Unless you can guarantee a good enough current to stop him I would look at improving the jolt in tape first if the fencing has to be temporary. A good battery, energiser and more than one earth are basic requirements.
 
Gwena said:
Get a spare post and put the 'blunt' end on the ground, then mark where you want your rings to go, then measure where each ring will go buy offering up this marker post to each post that is in the ground. I did it this way because I couldn't guarantee that each post went in at the same rate as the others. By doing this I knew that I would get a straight line of rope because all the rings would be the same distance from the floor. Not sure if this makes sense - hope it helped though. :)
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Brilliant idea!
I've been conservative and plan to put my posts 8 strides apart - more work but should discourage pony vandalism.

So you didn't make a small hole with a rod first? just whacked the poles in?
I've spotted a post knocker at the yard and will ask if I can borrow it.

I can see a few weekends of hard work coming up.
Any ideas on removing the posts in summer?
 
little_critter said:
Brilliant idea!
I've been conservative and plan to put my posts 8 strides apart - more work but should discourage pony vandalism.

So you didn't make a small hole with a rod first? just whacked the poles in?
I've spotted a post knocker at the yard and will ask if I can borrow it.

I can see a few weekends of hard work coming up.
Any ideas on removing the posts in summer?
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just put your weight behind the post and pull it and push it, to make the hole a bit bigger then grab it in a bear hug and pull. Ps only takes one to knock them in, I find it really awkward trying to knock them in with a 2nd person.
 
I just picked a spot a knocked it in! Get your 15 whacks done as quick as possible - I try to get each one done in under 20 seconds, you do need a willing partner tho (beer bribes usually work!). Using rope really worked well for me. My old mare just didn't respect tape. If your rope is taught enough with a decent voltage going through it the pony should respect it - buy a voltage tester - best £20 I spent. I think anything below 2000v my mare would run through. Make sure pony doesn't have a rug on when it first gets turned out so that it gets a good shock then it should respect if from then on in.
 
If you get a heavy bar and make a round hole first a foot deep then put your post in it will only take 4/5 smacks with a heavy sledge hammer to sink them deeper enough.
If your pony is getting through the tape the rope won't stop him.
You need a good power sauce with a goid earth, you need to make sure the fence isnt earthing anywhere else or all your power will be lost.
 
amandap said:
I don't mean to cause you more problems but I am concerned about using electric rope with a pony that is already going through electric tape. If he gets tangled in the rope there is a much higher risk of injury as it has a much higher breaking strain than tape. Unless you can guarantee a good enough current to stop him I would look at improving the jolt in tape first if the fencing has to be temporary. A good battery, energiser and more than one earth are basic requirements.
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The problem is she's just not respecting the fence when she has rugs on. With no rug on she knows jolly well not to touch it (tried to tempt her over with a treat to demonstrate the zap and she said 'no chance!')
As soon as you put a rug on her she just walks through the fence.

ETA I will also be buying a new energiser - one that does about 1 joule output (Hotline buzzard I think) The one I have at the moment only puts out 0.24J - but it is working, I think I've had more zaps off it than the pony!
 
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Removing - pick a horribly wet day and get wobbling in all directions :D Alternatively borrow someones itchy horse for a day and turn the electric fence off!

If you are completely new to electric fencing (like I was pre naughty mare!) have a walk round the yard with the fencing on - if you hear it clicking thats the electric struggling to flow through something like a knot or a join. Each time you have a click then you're losing voltage and your fence won't be as zappy as it should be! Think of the electric as water running through straws - the straighter and less knackered the straw the stronger the current/flow. To fix a clicking knot (sorry can't think of another way of describing it!) get a short strand of tape/rope and spiral a bit over the knot, this should assist the electric getting through the knot.
 
amymay said:
So how will your new post set up deter her?
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Stronger energiser, stronger poles, stronger rope.

Otherwise I'm out of ideas other than confine her to her stable 24/7.
Please don't suggest moving - I only moved 3 months ago to get better grazing (ironically she doesn't want to stay out at the moment, hence the fence breaking)
 
Oh, it is that one - I thought it was.

OK, ignore my question.

Do you think he keeps breaking out because he wants company?
 
To get over the rug problem - Get horse's rug. Do up the front buckles. Get a piece of electric tape, and thread it inside the rug, then outside - so that the tape touches both the horse's chest on the inside and also runs down the front of the rug on the outside. Put rug on horse. Now, if horse touches tape with the front of their rug, the fence current will still affect them.

Mind you, it is better to find out why the horse is so motivated to escape, and fix that :) Extra feed in field? Preferred friend in field?
 
amymay said:
Oh, it is that one - I thought it was.

OK, ignore my question.

Do you think he keeps breaking out because he wants company?
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A little confused, I think you might be confusing me with another poster with fencing problems (if I remember rightly one of the responses was that having no permament fencing was lazy - which I thought a little harsh if it's not your yard)

Anyway.... I think the breaking out is a combination of issues, she is worse if alone but still breaks out even if all the others are out.
But when she breaks out she doesn't really make a beeline to the other horses. She tends to head in the rough direction of the yard.
I think the boring winter grass isn't helping as it doesn't satisfy her much. I've tried putting out haylage but she still breaks out.
She's not always stressy when she breaks out, last week I watched her brazenly and calmly walk through the fence.
I think it's a combination of not liking the grass (there's plenty there but it's old stuff), preferring to be in company and being fed up with the mud.
Once the grass is more interesting I suspect she will stop breaking out.
 
Brightbay said:
To get over the rug problem - Get horse's rug. Do up the front buckles. Get a piece of electric tape, and thread it inside the rug, then outside - so that the tape touches both the horse's chest on the inside and also runs down the front of the rug on the outside. Put rug on horse. Now, if horse touches tape with the front of their rug, the fence current will still affect them.
QUOTE]

Done that - made no difference.
Ref the causes - see my last post.
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There are no posts / strong rope that will stop a determined horse - they are very strong and if she doesn't respect the electric she'll just lean on the rope until the insulators break then walk through.
Putting in wooden stakes with a post knocker is not a small job (and you have to be careful my huband was in hospital and has a nasty scar from a post knocker!) - getting them out will not be easy either and you're YO's field will be full of nasty hoof sized holes you'll have to fill in.
I'd try the new energiser first - or even a special rug (can't remember the name of it) that is specially designed to carry the current so horses still get a full shock. Or there was a similar post and someone suggested a long length of electric wrapped around the chest and girth then onto outside of rug , securely so the horse got a proper shock off the fence even with a rug.
 
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Sorry - I realise my posts come across as defeatist and defensive.
I'd love to get to the root of the problem and have a pony that's happy to stay in her field but I've already been through putting food out and making sure she has company nearby (can't have company in the field as it's individual turnout) and she still breaks out - often she's looking at the fence with escape plans as soon as you take off the headcoller.

It's probably a phase but it's costing me in poles and stress and come the summer she'll be doing it again to try to get to the lush grass (that she is not allowed) so I thought investing in some more solid fencing would be worthwhile.

I think she's an intelligent pony that breaks through the fence because she has discovered she can.
 
I've been replacing posts (moved house and quite a few were rotten) I did it with a friend (both of us girls!) we used a Prince Charlie to knock the posts in. I think it's the same metal thing as suggested already and it's called that as the handles look like prince Charle's ears. Did loads and didn't need to dig first
 
little_critter said:
Brightbay said:
To get over the rug problem - Get horse's rug. Do up the front buckles. Get a piece of electric tape, and thread it inside the rug, then outside - so that the tape touches both the horse's chest on the inside and also runs down the front of the rug on the outside. Put rug on horse. Now, if horse touches tape with the front of their rug, the fence current will still affect them.
QUOTE]

Done that - made no difference.
Ref the causes - see my last post.
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40mm wide tape, around chest, up over withers, back round girth and tie. Chuck bucket of water with washing up liquid in over horse, put on rainsheet, wrap strands of 40mm tape liberally round front of rainsheet making sure they are touching / tied to the tape on the wet coat inside. Take horse to fence, shock well.
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Dee O'Dorant said:
little_critter said:
40mm wide tape, around chest, up over withers, back round girth and tie. Chuck bucket of water with washing up liquid in over horse, put on rainsheet, wrap strands of 40mm tape liberally round front of rainsheet making sure they are touching / tied to the tape on the wet coat inside. Take horse to fence, shock well.
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This is what I was trying to describe - badly! - Many thanks for clarifying
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Yes - she comes in at night. She is turned out approx 7:30 - 18:00 every day (can't do shorter hours because I work FT)
Currently she is staying in because she was breaking out within 30 minutes of being turned out. Until I can sort the breaking out she is being walked in hand both ends of the day. Weekends I stand in the field and supervise her for an hour or so (or until she starts eyeing up the fence)

As the consensus is that wooden posts won't stop her trying until she can feel the zap then I'll do this in stages by buying the better energiser first (was going to get a better one anyway)
If this fixes the problem then I can do away with the stronger fencing.

Thanks for the advice.
 
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