Teaching horse a lesson

[SpeedyPony]

I have one that has learned she only get one, maybe two shocks before the tape snaps and will now march through it whenever she feels like it- to be honest as others have said, once they've learned to do that it's almost impossible to stop them, you just have to make sure they have adequate feed/shelter in the field so that there is no incentive to go through the fence.
As it sounds like you aren't able to add forage to the field on your yard, I would be inclined to look for somewhere else.

 

[bwook5]

Don’t do that
What is the current set up? How is he getting out? Tearing through it?

I think pinging it to check whether it's on then going underneath.

 

[bwook5]

He won't get a huge shock, it will be more like a pinprick but the strategy won't work. It sounds as if the power to the electric fence isn't strong enough. Are you sure that the fence isn't shorting out on anything, nettles, bushes, etc.? Have you tested the fence? How many strands is the fence? Is the fence stretching too far for the energiser?

We tested it and its 4000v apparently. He wants to put him on the concrete area with electric fencing around and i assume hook it to the mains so he gets a proper shock not just a usual one he would get from the usual fencing. I am livid he even suggested it.

 

[bwook5]

honestly, i don’t think it’s the cruelest thing in the world to “encourage” them to shock themselves on the fence if it stops them running through it - although you would think they’d learn once they’ve shocked themself once and ran through it!

if you get one of the little testers, it’ll be plenty easy enough to test it without the YO knowing. the hard part will be telling them if it’s not working, without telling them you tested it!

i will add that i’d never drench mine through and then give them no other option to get shocked! before anyone thinks my poor ponies are being abused thankfully mine both respect the fencing lmao

I did say when i came back from the field he had just got a belt off it and galloped off but YO said that's not strong enough, needs to be a stronger current hence using the hardstanding and wetting him down to his feet

 

[bwook5]

Find a new yard ASAP. Your YO is a complete and utter pillock and doesn't have enough knowledge to run a hamster wheel, never mind a livery yard.

you have hit the nail on the head!

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Electric fences when connected to mains can be quite dangerous, my last horse was zapped when I accidently touched the inside of my arm by the elbow (so painful) and it passed down the wet nylon lead rope and onto her headcollar. She actually ended up sitting like a dog on the grass because she was so shocked by it and the physio had to attend to her after.

Surely not directly connected to the mains?? That would kill me and my horse in an instant. Our mains connected fence up at the house still has to go through the correct rated transformer to safely provide adequate fencing. Granted it is often a stronger zap than off some of the inferior battery set ups people use, but it should never give a shock that could maim or be lethal enough to send 'neat' electricity directly through the fence? I seriously hope people aren't rigging up directly to live electricity.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

We tested it and its 4000v apparently. He wants to put him on the concrete area with electric fencing around and i assume hook it to the mains so he gets a proper shock not just a usual one he would get from the usual fencing. I am livid he even suggested it.

6000v is recommended for equines, but at a push 4000v would keep mine in. But they are the woozy sort that just sniff the tape from a few inches away and that is enough to tell them the power is on and to b**ger off elsewhere and not even think about it!

 

[Bluewaves]

I agree if there's enough food in the field, the horse is unlikely to try to get out. What a pain that you can't add hay. I would have to move but yard owners are weird about messing with the way they like their paddocks.

My gelding is in a paddock with electric tape and posts but it isn't live, the paddock has enough for him to eat and the dummy fencing is enough to keep him inside happily munching. He has escaped through electric fencing before at another yard but only when he wanted more food.

 

[9tails]

Most livery yards don't allow it especially if they are in large herds as it can cause the horses to fight, and you then get some liveries that won't pay for hay or don't want to put it in the field.

And then you get some yard owners that like the fields to look like lawns and it makes a mess

In summer, there isn't a scrap left after a couple of hours with mine and the field looks a lot better than my lawn! I don't put out hay in winter, they come in to full nets overnight so aren't going to be hangry for long.

 

[Birker2020]

Surely not directly connected to the mains?? That would kill me and my horse in an instant. Our mains connected fence up at the house still has to go through the correct rated transformer to safely provide adequate fencing. Granted it is often a stronger zap than off some of the inferior battery set ups people use, but it should never give a shock that could maim or be lethal enough to send 'neat' electricity directly through the fence? I seriously hope people aren't rigging up directly to live electricity.

No! Lol. It's not capital punishment!!

It's just your standard mains electric fencing, it goes through a transformer but it's a lot more of a zap, and with the thin skin on my inner arm, a wet headcollar and rope and wet field and boom. Recipe for disaster. So I learnt my lesson and since that happened about 4 years ago I've never put my horse in or out without flicking the switch on the fence first!
But I didn't say it was hooked directly to the mains. Does everything I have to write necessitate the need to be spelt out in detail for fear of misinterpretation?? Lol

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

In summer, there isn't a scrap left after a couple of hours with mine and the field looks a lot better than my lawn! I don't put out hay in winter, they come in to full nets overnight so aren't going to be hangry for long.

I have put hay in fields for years and never had issues but I know the sort of arguments that start over hay, and some yard owners have some weird rules I was on a yard once and if your horse so much as broke into a trot you had to bring them in

 

[Bluewaves]

I have put hay in fields for years and never had issues but I know the sort of arguments that start over hay, and some yard owners have some weird rules I was on a yard once and if your horse so much as broke into a trot you had to bring them in

That definitely rings a bell with me. Mine likes to dig a hole in the beautiful green turf before he rolls in the new muddy hole. The yard owner very much disapproves of this. What can i do though - he's a horse!

 

[Birker2020]

Some people don't respect the land they are on though. I always poo pick, get rid of weeds, check perimeter fencing, harrow and roll when necessary in my paddock.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

No! Lol. It's not capital punishment!!


But I didn't say it was hooked directly to the mains. Does everything I have to write necessitate the need to be spelt out in detail for fear of misinterpretation?? Lol

Oh dear... I was about to react with the 'laughter' emoji at my error in misunderstanding your post....as you had clearly written how mains fencing can be dangerous I had misunderstood, as correctly used mains energisers certainly aren't dangerous at all. So my mistake at not understanding what you meant.......

But then you had to throw in the last line of Play the Victim and there we go, you just can't help yourself. I shall refrain from commenting on your future posts for fear of inadvertently adding fuel to your personal forum agenda. Ho hum

 

[irishdraft]

I have mains electric fencing thru an appropriate equine energiser I certainly would not say its dangerous, my horses have had a zap and because of that they are very respectful of the fencing so consequently I only put it on randomly. Op I definitely would not do what your YO is suggesting your horse could potentially slip on concrete if he's trying to get away from a mains energiser zap. If he does have a mains energiser why doesn't he rig it up for your horse in the field.

 

[cauda equina]

I have a mains energiser too - it makes me yelp when I get zapped but nothing worse

It might be worth chucking a couple of buckets of water over the earth stake, they don't conduct so well if the ground is too dry

 

[Zoeypxo]

Mine would pop over 5ft electric or just run through it. Only thing that cured it was moving yards to post&rail and natural hedge.

 

[bwook5]

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at this but said YO asked me why my horse had a fly rug on! Ummmmm let me think….