literally don't know what to do... ideas please.

[Orangehorse]

http://www.monarch-equestrian.co.uk/paddock.html

 

[Tally-lah]

She is not bullied, she is not hungry, she is a very happy pony. I don't understand it. she is young and inquisitive. not scared of anything and always wants to explore. I had turned her away for the winter but am thinking perhaps I should bring her back into work, maybe she is bored? Maybe giving her brain something to do and using some of her energy might stop her from feeling the need to explore constantly....

 

[Wagtail]

You could invest in one of those rugs that has electric conductor material on the front, then run two rows of electric fencing inside the main fence around 3/4 of a metre between each.

 

[Tally-lah]

You could invest in one of those rugs that has electric conductor material on the front, then run two rows of electric fencing inside the main fence around 3/4 of a metre between each.

I have not heard of this, will look into it, thank you.

 

[Tally-lah]

http://www.monarch-equestrian.co.uk/paddock.html

Thank you for this, it might be the only solution...

 

[Tally-lah]

If she is such a good jumper would it be possible to let her go to a jumping home where she will be getting a lot of work, and stabled at night in winter .......... does she jump out in summer?

I wont part with her, I am planning on competing her myself one she is mature but she is only three and have no plans to rush her into anything.

 

[pixie]

Have you tried electric rope rather than tape? Its more expensive, but it holds a current a heck of a lot better than tape and they are less likely to be able to barge through it. Also if you invest in the more expensive kind that is meant for longer distances, it will give her a better zap. Again, you need to have it secured on at least alternate wooden posts and it must be very tight, otherwise there is a risk that she could pull out the plastic posts and get tangled up in it. I would do at least three strands and have the top one about 5 foot high.
Agree with others, give her chest area a clip where she is most likely to come into contact with the electric fence.

 

[HaffiesRock]

I feel your pain as my gelding used to be an absolute horror for escaping! The YO had electric fencing and it was useless! One day he got out of his field into the woods behind the yard. It was a terrifying hour trying to catch him as he hooned around having the time of his life while I had a meltdown!

Once caught I went out and bought the most powerful battery energiser I could find and a leisure battery. I bought brand new tape and proper connectors and I built him a 5ft tall fence, with 4 strings of tape. It was only a small paddock of about a 1/4 of an acre as I wanted it to hurt him. After I built it (and I feel awful saying this, but I was at my witts end and it worked) I wrapped tape around his nose, the top of his neck, bottom of his neck and chest and joined it all up to make a mesh. I then hosed him all over until soaked, put him in the paddock and then held a bucket of feed on my side of the fence. The shock he got was awful! He went straight up in the air about 4 ft, galloped off, screeched to a halt and skidded into the fence again, getting a further shock. He then stood in the middle, snorting and wide eyed and would not come any near it, not even for treats. I left him in there for a week or so (plenty of ad lib hay) while I re fenced his real paddock (double fenced in the area he got into the woods) and it completely cured him. He has only got out once or twice in the following 18 months and both were when the battery was flat.

This was him a few days after the fence was installed, and this is as close as he would come to it.

A friend of mine struggles to keep her Sec A in, so she has put up heras fencing on the outside of her post and rail with electric as a barrier. The pony used to barge the fence.

There are ways, but I wouldn't give up hope. Have you used a fence tester to see what you currently have going through your fence?

 

[bounce]

Have you checked your electric fencing for anything that could be shorting out the current, any breaks or any tape touching something that it will earth on that will decrease the zap given to your horse?

I have a single strand of the electric rope in between two strands of normal tape and I electrify the rope as that gives a better shock and if mine still tries to push through on that I put a second energizer on one of the other tapes. That seems to work. All my fencing is at 5ft but also has a low strand as if mine decides it is too high to jump she will try to go underneath instead.

When you say 'normal' fencing, what do you mean exactly? Post and rail, wire, hedge? If post and rail then I would put the additional brackets on top of the post and run electric rope across the top and also use the offset brackets to hold electrified rope 6 inches in from the fence to prevent the horse pushing into the fence.

Clipping her chest would definitely be useful to ensure the zap can be felt.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Hobble it.

 

[Tally-lah]

I feel your pain as my gelding used to be an absolute horror for escaping! The YO had electric fencing and it was useless! One day he got out of his field into the woods behind the yard. It was a terrifying hour trying to catch him as he hooned around having the time of his life while I had a meltdown!

Once caught I went out and bought the most powerful battery energiser I could find and a leisure battery. I bought brand new tape and proper connectors and I built him a 5ft tall fence, with 4 strings of tape. It was only a small paddock of about a 1/4 of an acre as I wanted it to hurt him. After I built it (and I feel awful saying this, but I was at my witts end and it worked) I wrapped tape around his nose, the top of his neck, bottom of his neck and chest and joined it all up to make a mesh. I then hosed him all over until soaked, put him in the paddock and then held a bucket of feed on my side of the fence. The shock he got was awful! He went straight up in the air about 4 ft, galloped off, screeched to a halt and skidded into the fence again, getting a further shock. He then stood in the middle, snorting and wide eyed and would not come any near it, not even for treats. I left him in there for a week or so (plenty of ad lib hay) while I re fenced his real paddock (double fenced in the area he got into the woods) and it completely cured him. He has only got out once or twice in the following 18 months and both were when the battery was flat.

This was him a few days after the fence was installed, and this is as close as he would come to it.

A friend of mine struggles to keep her Sec A in, so she has put up heras fencing on the outside of her post and rail with electric as a barrier. The pony used to barge the fence.

There are ways, but I wouldn't give up hope. Have you used a fence tester to see what you currently have going through your fence?

This is a great idea and I think I will give it a shot, thank you!

 

[irishdraft]

OP in your case bearing in mind potential fatal accident I would also hobble I know it won't be a popular answer but a friend of mine had to hobble a gypsy cob mare that she also rescued from a bad situation and the mare was fine with the hobbles

 

[Tally-lah]

OP in your case bearing in mind potential fatal accident I would also hobble I know it won't be a popular answer but a friend of mine had to hobble a gypsy cob mare that she also rescued from a bad situation and the mare was fine with the hobbles

Thank you. I am not ready to take this step yet but if other suggestions fail I shall give it some thought. I do understand why it has been suggested, but having never done it before I am very unwilling to consider it at this point.

 

[Luci07]

What about getting a big (and I mean the really massive) bales of Haylage? You make a cross at the top so they have to work to get it out and if she looks to be getting too tubby, reduce her rugs. Longtem your only option is to sort out the fencing though and I would look at how they keep in stallions in. It is my bitter experience that once a horse has learnt that it can go through electric they will keep going. I ended up having to zap mine directly from the mains but he was never rusted to be out at night because as soon a the food was gone..so was he. Another " throw out there idea" have you looked at the cost of a second hand shelter to keep your mare in at night? Budget and farmer allowing?

 

[AdorableAlice]

Thank you. I am not ready to take this step yet but if other suggestions fail I shall give it some thought. I do understand why it has been suggested, but having never done it before I am very unwilling to consider it at this point.

I have never done it either and would be horrified if faced with your problems, but I could not leave a horse in a field that it was actively getting out of. I would also consider tethering, obviously the horse would have to be alone to prevent others getting tangled up.

The carnage a loose horse will create does not bear thinking about. I have to admit if I was providing the grazing for you I would be asking you to remove the horse.

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

get some thick cable ties and secure the electric fence posts to the uprights of the post and rail, then run 2 or 3 strands of electric along it. This should make the fence about 8 foot high and should back her off if she gets to it.

This is how i am setting up my stallion paddock. I am removing the metal stakes from the bottom but in an emergency if you wrap them in duct tape and secure those posts to the outside of the post and rail you should be ok.

Then fence inside that (several feet) on the 6ft posts and 4 strands of electric.

 

[ester]

Do most horses not need some sort of hobble training before using them though? I did think maybe tethering until fence sorted if OP could do so safely and fenced separately to the others.

The rugs are no different to using a strip of thick tape yourself or the horse not wearing anything.

I would definitely bib clip (so that in future fence can still get her) and go with a similar set up to haffychristmas - only danger is if they presume it is because you have put electric tape on them so when it is off they think ok again (hence bib clipping too).

 

[AdorableAlice]

get some thick cable ties and secure the electric fence posts to the uprights of the post and rail, then run 2 or 3 strands of electric along it. This should make the fence about 8 foot high and should back her off if she gets to it.

This is how i am setting up my stallion paddock. I am removing the metal stakes from the bottom but in an emergency if you wrap them in duct tape and secure those posts to the outside of the post and rail you should be ok.

Then fence inside that (several feet) on the 6ft posts and 4 strands of electric.

This is how I fenced my small nursery paddocks, looks a mess but did stop fence hopping. The horses in the picture are not the fence hoppers. The horse it was set up for would not touch electric so would not jump through the wire.

 

[HaffiesRock]

Do most horses not need some sort of hobble training before using them though? I did think maybe tethering until fence sorted if OP could do so safely and fenced separately to the others.

The rugs are no different to using a strip of thick tape yourself or the horse not wearing anything.

I would definitely bib clip (so that in future fence can still get her) and go with a similar set up to haffychristmas - only danger is if they presume it is because you have put electric tape on them so when it is off they think ok again (hence bib clipping too).

He did touch it again once the tape was off and it still hurt him Even now, I get satisfaction from seeing him (or my ASBO mare) get a zap off the fence

 

[ester]

He did touch it again once the tape was off and it still hurt him Even now, I get satisfaction from seeing him (or my ASBO mare) get a zap off the fence

lol yup, looks like summer at the time though? rather than full on haffy coat time

 

[supsup]

Maybe someone has mentioned this already, but have you checked the earthing on your fence? It's often the weakest spot. Once the horse touches the fence, it completes the electric circuit. In order to deliver a strong zap, you not only need high voltage (which depends on the energizer) but also solid earthing to allow the current to run freely from the ground, through the energizer and fence, and through the horse. Check the earth stake is in deep, not corroded, preferably in wet ground (conducts better). You can even have several earthing stakes in a row (a few metres apart) connected with wire to make sure your earthing is strong.

Also, depending on the fence breaking technique (head up or head down?), taking the mane off (as well as clipping chest) might help. Some horses learn that a thick mane insulates them and run at the fence head down, to get their face in under the lowest strand before they push through.

 

[lurcherlu]

My mare was bought as a hacker when she was a yearling , she's been kicked off farms etc since I've had her as she jumps everything . The only tape that kept her in was double stranded and then another set of five foot posts two foot away form the first ones all connected to mains . She sponge in livery behingpd metal wire on mains fence , one hedge is 4 foot high with a 4-6 foot hedge and she was popping that from a standstill so now has wire in front of it , she checks the fence all of the time and gets a bang off of it and stays away she's rising 5 now and hops jumps in the school from trot at 95cm plus with me on board . See it as potential and embrace it when she's broken in . She will make a scooby hunter or Xc horse . My mare is awesome acorss country . Hay haylage even buckets of feed didn't keep her in she was a knob . She's growing out of it now too . She will let you take horses away from her too now ! She's jumo out of stables before for fun now she will stay in there for weeks of needs be

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

This is how I fenced my small nursery paddocks, looks a mess but did stop fence hopping. The horses in the picture are not the fence hoppers. The horse it was set up for would not touch electric so would not jump through the wire.

looks very Jurassic park doesnt it lol!

 

[Tiddlypom]

This is how I fenced my small nursery paddocks, looks a mess but did stop fence hopping. The horses in the picture are not the fence hoppers. The horse it was set up for would not touch electric so would not jump through the wire.

AA, how did you fix the electric posts to the fence, I'm squinting at the pic and do I see the metal foot spike slotted through staples knocked into the post?

It looks just the job to deter a fence hopper.

 

[gmw]

Agree with Adorable Alice re hobbling!! Could you not have a tiny area (large playpen size) fenced off for her. With the fencing on super charge. This might make her a bit more respectful of the electric fence. She could have her own water supply and hay. Sorry for your troubles been there and worn the T shirt.

 

[twiggy2]

I feel your pain as my gelding used to be an absolute horror for escaping! The YO had electric fencing and it was useless! One day he got out of his field into the woods behind the yard. It was a terrifying hour trying to catch him as he hooned around having the time of his life while I had a meltdown!

Once caught I went out and bought the most powerful battery energiser I could find and a leisure battery. I bought brand new tape and proper connectors and I built him a 5ft tall fence, with 4 strings of tape. It was only a small paddock of about a 1/4 of an acre as I wanted it to hurt him. After I built it (and I feel awful saying this, but I was at my witts end and it worked) I wrapped tape around his nose, the top of his neck, bottom of his neck and chest and joined it all up to make a mesh. I then hosed him all over until soaked, put him in the paddock and then held a bucket of feed on my side of the fence. The shock he got was awful! He went straight up in the air about 4 ft, galloped off, screeched to a halt and skidded into the fence again, getting a further shock. He then stood in the middle, snorting and wide eyed and would not come any near it, not even for treats. I left him in there for a week or so (plenty of ad lib hay) while I re fenced his real paddock (double fenced in the area he got into the woods) and it completely cured him. He has only got out once or twice in the following 18 months and both were when the battery was flat.

This was him a few days after the fence was installed, and this is as close as he would come to it.

A friend of mine struggles to keep her Sec A in, so she has put up heras fencing on the outside of her post and rail with electric as a barrier. The pony used to barge the fence.

There are ways, but I wouldn't give up hope. Have you used a fence tester to see what you currently have going through your fence?

Do this-and stable her till you are ready with this

 

[twiggy2]

This is how I fenced my small nursery paddocks, looks a mess but did stop fence hopping. The horses in the picture are not the fence hoppers. The horse it was set up for would not touch electric so would not jump through the wire.

Have had to do that many times

 

[Tally-lah]

get some thick cable ties and secure the electric fence posts to the uprights of the post and rail, then run 2 or 3 strands of electric along it. This should make the fence about 8 foot high and should back her off if she gets to it.

This is how i am setting up my stallion paddock. I am removing the metal stakes from the bottom but in an emergency if you wrap them in duct tape and secure those posts to the outside of the post and rail you should be ok.

Then fence inside that (several feet) on the 6ft posts and 4 strands of electric.

This is what I have done this evening. I bought one of my other mares in to exercise and watched as Bess sailed over the gate so she could get to the yard in order to see her friend. The fence is now over 8ft and electrified, I just hope this works...

 

[Tally-lah]

My mare was bought as a hacker when she was a yearling , she's been kicked off farms etc since I've had her as she jumps everything . The only tape that kept her in was double stranded and then another set of five foot posts two foot away form the first ones all connected to mains . She sponge in livery behingpd metal wire on mains fence , one hedge is 4 foot high with a 4-6 foot hedge and she was popping that from a standstill so now has wire in front of it , she checks the fence all of the time and gets a bang off of it and stays away she's rising 5 now and hops jumps in the school from trot at 95cm plus with me on board . See it as potential and embrace it when she's broken in . She will make a scooby hunter or Xc horse . My mare is awesome acorss country . Hay haylage even buckets of feed didn't keep her in she was a knob . She's growing out of it now too . She will let you take horses away from her too now ! She's jumo out of stables before for fun now she will stay in there for weeks of needs be

could literally be my mare. I have to say, when I watch her jump a five bar gate from a virtual stand still I do think "wow!"

 

[smellsofhorse]

Basically sort the fencing.
Or move the horses to a different field with proper fencing.

Some horses are immune to electric fencing.
But a proper post and rail fence high enough with the top bar angled plus optional electric wire on top, or two fences etc will stop horses getting out.

I do feel for you and know you are doing your best but it's not a lost cause if done properly.

It may just mean hastle, a yard move and lots of expense!