shetlands and electric fencing - how to keep them apart!!?

J

Jericho

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My 'helper's new shetland arrived at the weekend and she is only 3 and is absolutely gorgeous but .... she goes straight through the electric fencing into 3 acre field. The plan was that she, along with my laminitic prone welsh a would occupy a corner of the field 24/7 (with virtually no grass and have hay) seperated by electric fencing. My TBx is out in the rest of the field 24/7 (she really needs to be out to put on weight!)and this has suited my two fine in the past as they are effectively in the same field, can stand side by side, touch noses etc). The new shettie however has other ideas and is going straight through the fencing without any hesitation (and yes I have checked the fencing is working - ouch!!!) - am obviously concerned about laminitis for the shetland. We have stables but away from the field and she would be on her own. Is my only option to suggest a muzzle to her owner? just not happy about her having one on most of time. Can anyone give me any advice / tips on what I can do? Or how to stop her going through the fencing (short of building a brick wall!)
 
Build that brick wall. My Mini shetland is free range. She will go through, over or under electric fencing and has absolutely no respect for it at all and doesn't seem to feel it when she gets zapped. I once caught her picking up the posts by the knob on the top, dropping them on the floor and moving on to the next one until she'd opened up the field! If you find a solution I'd like to know it too.
 
If there are pylons nearby, you could connect her ears to the cables?
S
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our shetland got out all the time so what we did was have a small fence shetland size on the inside this went nearly to the ground and another fence about a foot behind the first fence and our fence was a perminant connected to the mains (with a proper electric fence thing) so was on all the time,i think you have to make sure its small enough so they cannot just nip under it,i had it at shetland chest hight which is quite low down this kept ours in .
 
We tried every which way with fenceing for our miniature shetland.
He was always in his field when i was there and thought was no problem.
Early morning he would be on the farmers lawn gazeing up at his bedroom window waiting for him to get up.
Some ponies were fed at 5.30 am and he went onto them for a visit and hoover up, gradually visiting all the liveries.
We moved yards and he did the same with triple fencing from near ground to high.
We have moved again and i am glad to say he has settled where we are. Fingers crossed.
Would love to hear if you manage to invent Shetland Proof fenceing. Someone could make a fortune.
 
This will sound really mean but it worked for a friend with a mini shetland with a thick coat all year round who did the same. She was told to bath the pony and turn him out soaking wet so he got a bigger zap, it worked, he didn't challenge the fence again.
 
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This will sound really mean but it worked for a friend with a mini shetland with a thick coat all year round who did the same. She was told to bath the pony and turn him out soaking wet so he got a bigger zap, it worked, he didn't challenge the fence again.

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Not so mean if it keeps them safe.
 
When I used to loan a Shetland many years ago I spent many afternoons hunting the bugger. He was out in post and rail paddocks but used to go under/through every fence. Bricks walls are the only way forward!
 
I must have a rarity - one of my mini shetlands is petrified of electric fencing, even jumps through the 'gate' when I hold it back for him to come through. This one is a sensitive soul though....

The other though has been known to escape but I could never find where he was getting through. This one is a cheeky chestnut though...
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Use wooden stakes instead of plastic ones as they stay upright in the wind.

Use rope or the widest tape you can find as the shock will be bigger.

Put as many strands as you can - at least at 1ft high, 2ft and 2ft 9" and higher if it's a jumper, and a front strand if poss.

Make sure the whole fence line is taut, and the fence gives a decent kick all the time on all strands of the fence - buy a voltage tester.

Clip the pony if necessary to ensure it feels the zap.

If all that fails - permanent fence is the way to go.

I can't keep a headcollar on mine so wouldn't even bother with a muzzle. His ears are too small, and I've tried plaiting his forelock into his mane and taping the headcollar to his face and he still get it off!

I've had 17yrs of trying to outsmart my mini shetland and I'd say we're about Even at the mo!!!
 
Hiya, my shetland is a bit of an escape artist at times and so far only one thing has made him stay away from the electric fence. After he escaped i led him to the gate, got someone to hold him for me then zapped his nose with the metal part of the handle. Did it another couple of times so that he got the hint and now he stays away from the fence altogether! I didn't like having to do it but he was escaping onto the road and it's a 60mph country road with loads of bends and it's fairly busy. Most of the time he did it at night and he's black so it was either that or he would have been killed.
 
We have got the goat type / mesh electric fencing for our shettie and it seems to work. We change the batteries regularly - well before they have run down so he gets maximum zap. He has gone through once or twice but not too bad in 2 yrs + and it's the most effective thing we have used so far.
 
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