What to do with a Houdini pony? (Gets through electric fence)

[OldNag]

I'm starting to lose the will with this one...

I have a Section A who needs to lose weight. So does her field companion. I have made a restricted area with electric fencing. Trouble is, she gets out. I don't know how as I haven't seen her doing it, but somehow she gets out despite the electric being on, and having 3 good stout strands of electric tape.

I'm a bit at my wits' end as I need to restrict her grazing. Trouble is she has a gelding in the other part of the field (I am on livery so have no control over that) that she wants to be with... and he needs all the grass he can get.

She's in during the day with soaked hay so that we can minimise her grazing then, but I do really need to restrict her nighttime intake too... and don't want to keep her in 24/7.

Any ideas on how to keep her penned in? Or is muzzle the best idea?

The reason I haven't used a muzzle so far is that I'm a bit wary - her field can't be directly seen from the yard and although the field is checked x2 a day, I'm a bit iffy about if the muzzle got caught on a fence or something. Or am I being overly cautious? (and can you keep a muzzle on a Houdini pony?).

Chocolate Hobnobs for anyone who's read this far...

 

[itsonlyme]

I totally feel your frustration! I was cursing Dolly (also a sec A!) tonight. She was, YET AGAIN, on the wrong side of the electric fencing, up to her eyeballs in grass. I've locked her in our sand school overnight, but last time i did that, she was out by morning! Is seen her going over AND under the tape. No respect at all. Im also debating a muzzle Until i get the money to get proper posts & fence a track for her. Electric tape is just no good. Hopefully someone else will reply with a miracle!

 

[OldNag]

I totally feel your frustration! I was cursing Dolly (also a sec A!) tonight. She was, YET AGAIN, on the wrong side of the electric fencing, up to her eyeballs in grass. I've locked her in our sand school overnight, but last time i did that, she was out by morning! Is seen her going over AND under the tape. No respect at all. Im also debating a muzzle Until i get the money to get proper posts & fence a track for her. Electric tape is just no good. Hopefully someone else will reply with a miracle!

Arrgh I feel your pain! If I wasn't on livery I'd do a post and rail starvation area (but then she would probably jump that)... hope someone comes up with an answer. I've just been googling grazing muzzles and came across an article saying they may not be that effective anyway.... I think it's time for a glass of wine.

 

[Mike007]

have you used a voltage tester on the fence . I would bet it is not up to scratch . I have seen so many equine electric fences and frankly they are a joke (amongst horses who clearly undertand their volts and amps)

 

[Nosey]

My *****land got through most things but elec goat fencing has stopped him. It's netting so seems to present more of a barrier. Been using it successfully 3/4 yrs now.

 

[OldNag]

have you used a voltage tester on the fence . I would bet it is not up to scratch . I have seen so many equine electric fences and frankly they are a joke (amongst horses who clearly undertand their volts and amps)

No I haven't, I tested that it was working but touching it. It seems to work pretty darn good I'd say , If I was a pony (admittedly my Welsh A doesn't agree) I'd stay in!!

I can nab a voltage tester from my OH I think though, will ask in the morning. Thank you!

 

[OldNag]

My *****land got through most things but elec goat fencing has stopped him. It's netting so seems to present more of a barrier. Been using it successfully 3/4 yrs now.

Oooh I shall have a google. I've never heard of that before. Thank you.

 

[millikins]

I have a small pony who this year has had to have restricted grazing. Have put her in a muzzle but cut the hole bigger as she doesn't need to starve and hadn't understood the idea. But at least she's out with her mates, one of whom, like yours is a poor doer and needs all the grass.

 

[kiteman0]

Rather than using c**p tape why not use some high tensile wire. I've never had a horse escape since using it because the current flows freely down it.
Other option is a a collar and chain.

 

[Ibblebibble]

ended up tethering our old houdini until we moved to a different field which had a couple of paddocks fenced with stock fencing and electric tape on the inside, that kept the little monkey in. he wore the muzzle in those paddocks occasionally if the grass was too good and never had any problems with it.
it didn't matter how much current was running through the tape, he would just ram through it, obviously a moment of pain was worth the few hours stuffing his face until he was recpatured!

 

[Toffee44]

Tethered my cob as well.

Am happy to tell you the correct way to tether if you PM me.

I found that 3 or 4 strands of rope helps with my current mare.

 

[SusieT]

Have you tried 4 strands? How high is the highest strand? ?How low is the lowest strand and what is the gap between? I had to make my fence so there was no more than a hands width betwee each line of tape!

 

[Aoibhin]

i ended up teathering my old little sec A as she was a sod for getting out, 8 strands on tape/wire mix diddnt deter her, stock fencing she went through eventually by just keep pushing it (even when eletrifed strand added) & the last straw was watching her attempt to go through a 5ft brick wall head first. so she ended up teathered for her own safety.

 

[Sophstar]

I have a houdini pony and our electric fencing is now attached to a battery...the energisers are just rubbish. Asked fellow livery to bring me up a new charged battery last night as said houdini pony has been fenced off into a lami paddock and after a couple of days i know his curiousity will be heightened to the grass on the other side...the battery certainly keeps him a fair distance away from the fencing now!

n yes u can keep a muzzle on a houdini...i manage...but you do need to literally super glue it to their head of plait them tightly into it!

 

[PandorasJar]

I'm starting to lose the will with this one...

I have a Section A who needs to lose weight. So does her field companion. I have made a restricted area with electric fencing. Trouble is, she gets out. I don't know how as I haven't seen her doing it, but somehow she gets out despite the electric being on, and having 3 good stout strands of electric tape.

I'm a bit at my wits' end as I need to restrict her grazing. Trouble is she has a gelding in the other part of the field (I am on livery so have no control over that) that she wants to be with... and he needs all the grass he can get.

She's in during the day with soaked hay so that we can minimise her grazing then, but I do really need to restrict her nighttime intake too... and don't want to keep her in 24/7.

Any ideas on how to keep her penned in? Or is muzzle the best idea?

The reason I haven't used a muzzle so far is that I'm a bit wary - her field can't be directly seen from the yard and although the field is checked x2 a day, I'm a bit iffy about if the muzzle got caught on a fence or something. Or am I being overly cautious? (and can you keep a muzzle on a Houdini pony?).

Chocolate Hobnobs for anyone who's read this far...

Any chance of moving gelding parrallel? Even if in his own patch which got expanded/moved on lush grass continually.

Or patching her within his section. But patching another horse (ie poor doer) in the patch where she's going first to eat the grass down.

How are your strands done?

We have two strands on each post. One so they can't go under and one so they can't go over. One pony used to go through (at full strength off mains) we have patched her next door to a pony she likes and have reinforced the corner post with a metal stake. I've seen huge horses limbo the smallest of fences, so make sure you have a very low strand, ours are a few inches off the ground.

I've muzzled when I haven't been able to patch before... I wouldn't worry as if caught, the velcro will rip off easily enough, but if still concerned make a DIY quick release (however be prepared for pony to take off instantly!)

Good luck!

Pan

 

[Mongoose11]

The only thing that stopped my escaping mare was a double line of fencing (so about a foot and a half in between the two lines. She was too lazy to jump the spread and it just seemed to put her off running through it.

Nothing else worked.... this was a really expensive option but she didn't get out again!

 

[kimberleigh]

I've given up with my Sec A and her Houdini ways! However, it's not about restricting her grazing as such, but more about resting the field which is sectioned. I took it on in January, it is 4.4 acres and had 5 large horses grazing its entireity for years - it has never been rested!! So when I took it over, it was basically just mud. I need to section it and rest it so the grass comes up a bit more - weather has been so horrific that it still isn't great.
But she simply will not stay in - she goes under, over or through the fence with no regard for the shocks!
I've given up at the moment as I've found out she may well be in foal and I dont want to risk her hurting herself by bulldozing fences willy nilly

Kim

 

[OldNag]

Thanks everyone. I think I will try adding strands. Currently there are 3. She has gone back in there this evening complete with muzzle. What's the betting she's out, sans muzzle, in the morning ...

I can't move the gelding and i don't want him next to her
Prison as he keeps mounting her at the moment and biting her neck and where the saddle goes. She's a complete hussy, hence the escapology!

 

[PoppyAnderson]

Harsh but.......give her a bath, leave her soaking wet and turn her out. Leave the fence off and spy on her but be next to the power switch. As soon as she leans on or touches the fence, wait 2 seconds then flick it on.

 

[OldNag]

Well pleased to report that this morning the ponies were in pony prison still. Houdini had got her grazing muzzle off but was still incarcerated.
I think the rain may well have helped - no need for a bath! Maybe she got a good zap.
Thanks everyone for all your help.

 

[dominobrown]

What is it with Welsh A's???!
I have one to break at the moment and he the same, he just 'climbs' through the fence, and you can see him getting shocked but he really isnt bothered. I put a strong battery on it until he got the idea.
He is unbelievably fat as the yard he game from was 100 acre dairy farm, and no matter what they did he escaped and went field to field and just had the run of the whole farm!

 

[Jericho]

I had the same problem with a section a. Solved the problem by using electric chicken netting with tape slightly in front. Probably not very BHS but better than a pony with lami. You can get 50m sections complete with poles etc. Good luck!

 

[Luci07]

Rather than using c**p tape why not use some high tensile wire. I've never had a horse escape since using it because the current flows freely down it.
Other option is a a collar and chain.

Don't use high tensile wire. We lost a lovely young horse a couple of weeks ago who caught in it and severed his tendon. Also don't use netting. We had this at a yard I was at years ago and found a horse caught up who had struck out the fences and for his hoof stuck as the wire was stuck in his shoe.

Can't you keep the pony in at night instead? So that at least you have more chance of seeing when she tries to escape.

 

[PandorasJar]

I can't move the gelding and i don't want him next to her
Prison as he keeps mounting her at the moment and biting her neck and where the saddle goes. She's a complete hussy, hence the escapology!

Seasonal or all the time? Perhaps target this? We have one on regumate, she's a lot calmer and doesn't escape every two minutes, was a last ditch though as I'm not a fan of medicating without very good reason.

Pan

 

[OldNag]

Seasonal or all the time? Perhaps target this? We have one on regumate, she's a lot calmer and doesn't escape every two minutes, was a last ditch though as I'm not a fan of medicating without very good reason.

Pan

I think it's seasonal... I will monitor and see how it pans out over the next few weeks. She stayed in last night so I think she must have had a good zapping, hopefully she might have got the message.

But she's a Welsh A so I'm sure she is just biding her time! ...

 

[OldNag]

Don't use high tensile wire. We lost a lovely young horse a couple of weeks ago who caught in it and severed his tendon. Also don't use netting. We had this at a yard I was at years ago and found a horse caught up who had struck out the fences and for his hoof stuck as the wire was stuck in his shoe.

Can't you keep the pony in at night instead? So that at least you have more chance of seeing when she tries to escape.

I'm a bit wary of using anything other than electric tape... I will add some more strands though to make extra sure. If that keeps her in then we have a result!

 

[Ibblebibble]

another tip, i attatched ponys grazing muzzle to an old head collar in the end as he got rather handy at hooking the thing off.

 

[SizzlerB]

This all makes interesting reading...I took on a pony who was due to end her days with the meat man...was warned that she was semi wild but she really does have issues the poor thing.

I cannot keep her in any field - whether she's with company or without, I have shocked her with the electric and still no change. She just clambers through and into another field or her choice.

I am having to stable her constantly, which is breaking my heart, and I fear long term I will have to rehome her as I am worrying myself sick that she will escape and be injured :-(

P.S She's a section a too!