No longer a lurker!!!

[googol]

Hi!! I'm a very long time lurker!!!! I spend vast amounts of time trawling threads and am completely addicted!! Hopefully no one thinks I'm a troll lol

Anyway... My fav places are new lounge and comp riders so I think il place this thread in both!all advice welcomed!!

So.. We dont have winter to at our yard
Small yard just 7 horses moved there at the start of the summer
Moving from there is really not an option-good yards are few and far between and blood sweat and tears went into finding it lol
So we knew there was no winter to when we moved so yo agreed in advance to make us a turnout paddock on hardcore... This is complete (eventually!!) and we put horses in it tonight
3 horses using it
2 were fine but mine is sooo freaked out by the electric fence!! Paddocks r roughly 18feetx36feet so not massive but btr than standing in stables all day!
I know he prob needs more time to get used to it but we had hoped to get them out from tomorrow but I'm too scared in case he hurts himself/stresses so much he colics!! I was thinking of getting a wee radio to mask out the ticking noise which I think is freaking him out! Any other ideas? He literally stands there frozen looking petrified and occasionally freaks out a bit! Feel v sorry 4 him!! Need reassurance he will get used to it eventually otherwise .... Well I don't know but I'm not keeping him in his stable all winter!! Don't have much experience with electric fences myself!
Thanks in advance!!

 

[FfionWinnie]

If its been windy its probably more likely the tape flapping than the ticking upsetting him. I can't imagine a horse being so scared of electric fencing it gets colic... If it is the ticking move the energiser further away or switch it off.

 

[kerilli]

hiya and welcome.
i'd turn it off while he's out there, even if it's just for 10 mins at first then bring him in again, beg y.o. if necessary!
tbh it shouldn't be clicking, if it is, it's shorting somewhere. i have mine clicking on purpose in places because i want them to remember it's on... BUT the ones in my small all-weather t.o. pens are NOT hemmed in by electric.
you're right to be worried for him. if he's that frightened of it he will stress a lot. fwiw I had a new young horse panic because of the clicking (which all my others are totally used to) when I was leading her up the field the day she arrived, she got away from me (pulled me over and dragged me before I let go, and I had a hat and gloves on and a lunge line on her, I thought I was prepared for all eventualities) and she then fell over at a flat out panicking gallop and knocked her top front teeth out... permanent damage for 1 moment of total panic. I should have turned the elec off but as she'd come out of a field with electric fence, and all mine ignore it here, I just didn't think of it... extreme example but shows that if he is that worried you are absolutely right to be concerned.
good luck, hope you get it sorted. he may be better if you stay in with him at first too, fuss him, give him treats, when you first get it turned back on - ideally minus the clicking...!

 

[crackersluvrat]

My mare used to hate the clicking, I would agree with turning the fence off and just staying with him for a while. However, I've always been told that eletric fencing shouldn't click as it means it's short-circuiting somewhere so check it's not touching anything i.e. branch or something!!